Referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century.
Involved the physical annihilation of Armenian Christian people in the Ottoman Empire from spring 1915 to autumn 1916.
Approximately 1.5 million Armenians lived in the multiethnic Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Between 664,000 and 1.2 million Armenians died during the genocide.
Causes and Execution
The genocide was partly fueled by Ottoman authorities' desire to solidify Muslim Turkish dominance.
Conducted by Ottoman authorities with support from auxiliary troops and sometimes civilians.
Mass killings were linked to fears during World War I that Armenians would ally with enemy forces.
Deportations began from northeastern border regions and expanded throughout the Empire.
Methods of Genocide
Deaths were caused by massacres, systematic ill treatment, exposure, starvation, and disease.
Deportations led to deaths from starvation, dehydration, and exposure.
Tens of thousands of Armenian children were forcibly converted to Islam.
Significant Figures
Armin T. Wegner documented the atrocities as a nurse in the German Sanitary Corps.
US Ambassador Henry Morgenthau Sr. was appalled by the atrocities and sought to raise awareness.
Global Impact and Legacy
The term genocide was influenced by these events; coined by Raphael Lemkin.
The genocide triggered a major philanthropic response in the USA, raising over $110 million.
Influenced the Holocaust era; inspired resistance among Jews during the Holocaust.
Notable Outcomes
Establishment of the War Refugee Board, influenced by Henry Morgenthau Jr.
The novel "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh" became symbolic for Jewish resistance.
Conclusion
The Armenian genocide is a crucial historical event that highlighted the need for legal protection of groups and influenced international law and responses to subsequent genocides.