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Armenians Begin to Demand for Equal Rights (Mid-1800s)

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Armenians Begin to Demand for Equal Rights (Mid-1800s)

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The Armenians, who were treated as second-class citizens and denied basic rights, started to call for reform as the idea of constitutionalism spread throughout Europe. They demanded the establishment of a constitutional government, an end to biased voting procedures, and an end to taxes targeted solely at Christians. Armenians expressed their displeasure but had no intention of overthrowing the sultan; they just did not want to continue living in the Ottoman Empire on a lower level than non-Christians and were protesting this.

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The Sultan viewed the Armenians' protests as a threat and a challenge despite the fact that all they sought was reform and equality; as a result, he carried out numerous massacres that resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 Armenians throughout the empire. Additionally, he disseminated propaganda that significantly widened the gap between Armenians and the rest of the empire. As a result of their dispersion, inequality, and demonization, the Armenians were unable to free themselves from the Bloody Sultan and his empire.

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The Defeat of the Ottoman Empire in The First Balkan War 1913

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The Defeat of the Ottoman Empire in The First Balkan War 1913

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Ottoman society was profoundly affected by the Treaty of London and, more specifically, the Ottoman Empire's defeat in the first Balkan war. Significant cities, individual possessions, and lives were lost. Ottoman Christians (Armenians, Greeks, and Bulgarians) were perceived as threats and prepared to stab the empire in the back due to the severe blow dealt to the ottomans by outside, Christian forces. The Ottoman Empire was split as a result of this conflict, and the already despised and oppressed Armenians were viewed as a threat and an annoyance by both the government and the populace.

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A group known as the Young Turks carried out a coup in 1913. They became total dictators despite never having been elected to office; any opposition was put down by force. The young Turks desired to transform the multicultural empire into a monolithic Turkish nation with a single language and faith. This meant that Christians had to join them or get out. Few people who cared attempted to stop what happened to the Armenians because they were afraid to fight back because they were using fear to manipulate people. Because they had only heard one "single story" about the Armenians, which led them to believe they were traitors and spies, very few non-Christian citizens had any sympathy for them.

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The Ottoman Empire joined World War 1 (November 1914)

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The Ottoman Empire joined World War 1 (November 1914)

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The Young Turks believed that the Ottoman Empire's economic issues would be resolved by its involvement in the war. The Turks came to the conclusion that the Armenians' betrayal was the cause of their army's significant losses. Ottoman authorities launched a propaganda campaign, claiming that Otto-Armenians posed a threat to the security of the nation because some Armenians participated in the ongoing World War on the side of Russia. Armenians faced discriminatory acts across the empire, were accused of treason, had their businesses boycotted, had their newspapers shut down, and prominent Armenians were detained. When the genocide began, few people spoke out in support of the Armenians because they were thought to be traitors and evil by the majority of people.

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On 24 April 1915 the Ottoman authorities arrested and deported hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and leaders from Constantinople 

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On 24 April 1915 the Ottoman authorities arrested and deported hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and leaders from Constantinople 

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Armenian intellectuals and leaders were detained, tortured, and killed on April 24, 1915. Weapons were seized from the 40,000 Armenian soldiers, who were then made to perform hard labour. Many died as a result of the brutal living and working conditions. The intellectuals, leaders, and soldiers were killed first to ensure that there would be no resistance. Only those who were perceived as weak were left.

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April 1915: Ethnic cleansing of Armenians launched on vast scale 

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April 1915: Ethnic cleansing of Armenians launched on vast scale 

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After removing all those who could fight back, Armenians' property was confiscated. Armenian men were arrested and killed in mass shootings outside their towns and villages. They used historical incidents to support their actions, arguing that the Armenians were traitors and a danger to the rest of the empire. Few people questioned the actions of the young Turks and allowed them to carry out the atrocities because these allegations were already widely and strongly believed. Even some non-Christians took part, killing Armenians and robbing them of their possessions.

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Talaat gave the official order for the deportation of the entire Armenian population (23 May 1915)

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Talaat gave the official order for the deportation of the entire Armenian population (23 May 1915)

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Nobody could stop the genocide after Talaat issued his official order. His order gave permission for a mass uprooting of the Armenian people. The deportations went through with little resistance after the Armenian population's able-bodied men were removed. Women, children, and the elderly were forcibly removed from their homes and made to march hundreds of miles to the Syrian desert without food or water. These forced marches resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and those who lived were sent to concentration camps. People were massacred indiscriminately: men and women, old and young.

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As the United States' ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Morganthau maintained close communication with Talaat, the minister of affairs. He was therefore made aware of the genocide's plans for the Armenians. Morganthau questioned Talaat in the final months before the genocide started in an effort to halt it. Morganthau: “Supposing that a few Armenians may have betrayed you, why eliminate old people, women, and children?”
Morganthau, unable to convince Talaat, turned to humanitarian aid, offering assistance on the deportation routes. He made every effort to stop the attacks on several schools, set up rescue operations for orphaned children, and arrange for trains to transport foreign residents mixed with some Armenians out of the empire. He sent the detailed reports over to Washington. Henry Morgenthau wrote: "My failure to stop the destruction of the Armenians has turned Turkey into a place of horrors, and I have come to the end of my resources" in a dispatch to the State Department in December 1915. When Morganthau returned to the US in 1916, he convened conferences and meetings to discuss what he had seen. He raised funds for survivors. And he recorded and made public what he saw happen in the Ottoman Empire.

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Count Paul von Wolff Metternich wrote to the German Reich chancellor in December 1915, urging him to take action to stop the mass executions and deportations. He was turned down and advised to stop criticizing the Young Turks' actions because he was endangering Germany. He disobeyed his commands and the threat and persisted in openly protesting and resisting, to the point where the Young Turks sent him back to Germany.

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The Temporary Law of Deportation, which authorized the expulsion of the majority of Turkey's Armenian citizens, and The Temporary Law of Expropriation and Confiscation, which permitted the government to seize Armenian money and property and sell it for a profit, were introduced by the Ottoman parliament in 1915.

There was no debate on the Law of Deportation. It was approved by the cabinet. But in 1915, the Ottoman parliament met and discussed the Temporary Law of Expropriation and Confiscation. Senator Ahmed Riza, who was well-known for his outspoken opposition to the genocide, argued that the proposed law would violate fundamental protections provided by the Constitution and demanded that the government be held accountable for the Armenians who were being deported. The senator's stance was one of the few instances in which a Turkish political figure openly defied the Young Turks and opposed the genocide. Throughout the genocide, he fought for the Armenians despite the numerous criticisms he received and the fact that his position did not persuade people to change their minds.

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Louis Dartige Du Fournet (September 1915)

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Louis Dartige Du Fournet (September 1915)

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A French soldier named Louis Dartige Du Fournet rescued 4,058 Armenians who were fighting for their lives on a mountain close to his post. He observed how desperately the Armenians needed assistance and understood that he had to take immediate action. He therefore hurried to their aid without waiting for his commander's approval. By refusing to wait for orders and directing all the ships under his command to head straight for the Armenians in need, he put his career and social standing at risk. But in doing so, he spared the lives of thousands of Armenians who would have been either killed by the Turkish soldiers advancing or starved to death on the mountain.

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Ali Suad Bey "The Good Govenor" 1915-1916

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Ali Suad Bey "The Good Govenor" 1915-1916

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Between 1915 and 1916, Ali Suuad Bey served as the Turkish governor of Deir-ez-Zor. While serving as governor, he converted his home into a shelter for orphaned Armenian kids, housing 1,000 kids who were fed at the municipality's expense. When the Turks ordered him to send those he was housing into the desert, he replied
"If the purpose for which you are insisting is to massacre them, I cannot do it, and neither will I allow others to do so ".
There are conflicting accounts of what happened to him, but some people think the Young Turks killed or imprisoned him soon after his stand.
Ali Suad Bey made an effort to restore some semblance of normalcy and peace for the Armenians who were staying with him. In the end, he disobeyed orders and stood against the Young Turks. Even though he was a governor and on the opposition side, he made an effort to fight back and support those in need. He used his power for good.

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Riza persisted in his resistance when he confronted the special organization in December 1916. These killing squads were established by the government to rape, torture, and kidnap Armenians in the desert during the death marches. The law permitted members of the general public, soldiers, and even prisoners to join the particular group. Riza contended that the law allowing convicted criminals to join the particular organization diminished the military. I found this argument significant as he decided to take a different route. He made an attempt to debate the morality of the squads rather than criticizing the strategy as a whole. I think he did this to appear more impartial and persuade those who supported the squads to see some kind of logic. He tried to persuade those who were in favour of the motion by stating that it would undermine the military and damage its reputation. Despite his best efforts to stop them, the killing squads were approved, which led to thousands of murders and the abduction and transportation of Armenian women and children for assimilation or marriage. Despite losing the battles he fought, Riza used his power and influence in the Senate to try to help the Armenians. He didn't make any changes, but he gave the senate, which was dominated by those determined to eradicate the Armenian presence, a fresh point of view. He continuously resisted the Young Turks' demands and fought hard to make change.

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October 31, 1918, the Ottoman Empire surrendered

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October 31, 1918, the Ottoman Empire surrendered

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After suffering many losses in the war, the Ottoman Empire surrendered. The three leaders of the young Turkish party burned documents in their suitcases and escaped to Odessa and Germany on a German submarine out of fear that they would be apprehended and prosecuted. They denied the Armenians the opportunity to seek retribution for what was done to them by fleeing. However, by capitulating and leaving the empire, they instead left a power vacuum that was fortunately filled by a government that wanted to help bring about peace and aid the Armenians who were still present. The change in leadership resulted in an immediate end to anti-Armenian measures, and deported Armenians were given compensation for their losses and allowed to return home. However, even with that, how can restitution make up for what was lost and what the Armenians endured? Some Armenians were never truly free from the genocide because those who were forced into marriage had to decide whether to leave their children behind or pursue freedom. Despite the efforts made, the Armenians did not receive the proper recognition or justice, and some were still subject to the policies put in place during the genocide.

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End of 1918: The liberal party and new sultan moved to aknowledge the genocide.

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End of 1918: The liberal party and new sultan moved to aknowledge the genocide.

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The liberals and the new sultan, who took power in place of the Young Turks, acknowledged the massacre of 800,000 Armenians at the end of 1918. However, Armenian organizations claim that the Young Turks killed about 1.5 million Armenians. Even though they acknowledged that Armenians were killed, the estimate was completely inaccurate and therefore excluded thousands of Armenians who were killed. By downplaying the number of those lives that are unaccounted for, justice and acknowledgement weren't fully delivered.

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On February 15th 1919, The liberal government established a military tribunal charged with investigating war crimes. 

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On February 15th 1919, The liberal government established a military tribunal charged with investigating war crimes. 

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A military tribunal was established by the liberal government in Turkey with the aim of investigating war crimes and delivering justice to those who had been injured or killed as a result of those crimes. Soldiers, eyewitnesses, and politicians were questioned for their testimony, and 42 authentic documents were presented as proof and examined in order to reach a decision on behalf of the Armenian people. But with documentation being burned, there was a lack of accurate documentation, and therefore, this skewed the justice process.

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The Young Turk government had systematically attempted to eradicate the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire, according to the court's ruling. The Young Turk party's entire leadership was given a death sentence. However, the perpetrators of the genocide went unpunished, and as a result, those who suffered from it did not receive justice.

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As of December of 2019, the United States Congress passed a bipartisan resolution officially recognizing the Armenian genocide

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As of December of 2019, the United States Congress passed a bipartisan resolution officially recognizing the Armenian genocide

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America passed a bipartisan resolution to formally recognize the Armenian genocide in response to Turkey's refusal to acknowledge the genocide there. Even though nothing has changed, this acknowledges those who died and those who are still suffering as a result of the genocide. I believe that what America did was really admirable; they didn't have to do it and weren't the ones responsible for the genocide. However, they are recognizing the Armenian community in the United States and around the world, which has not received the respect and truth it deserves from Turkey.

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March 9th 2023 (Present): Turkey still denies the fact that the genocide took place 

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March 9th 2023 (Present): Turkey still denies the fact that the genocide took place 

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Turkey continues to deny that over a million people were killed in a genocide that occurred on its soil. Turkish citizens are even prohibited from acknowledging or discussing it. As a result, the Armenian people who are still suffering from the effects of the genocide have not received justice properly. How can somebody move on from an event if the nation responsible for it, denies it ever happened?