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Before the 19th century, the Balkan Peninsula was a majority-Christian, Ottoman-owned territory. Then, in 1821, Greece declared independence from the Ottomans. Thus beginning the Balkan War which would grant them, and other countries in the peninsula, freedom. Losing this territory caused a decline within the empire. This allowed for the CUP to take the reins of the empire. When instated, they began spreading propaganda about the Armenians. Notably, they blamed them for losing the Balkans as they were both Christians. This scapegoating directly fed into the polarizing acts of the genocide.

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After being deported, Armenians began their harrowing walk to Deir el-Zor. Only ¼ of those deported were able to survive, with Deir el-Zor serving as the final massacre location. It was important to note, however, that very few were meant to survive the journey. For example, Armenians were deprived of any food, water, or shelter for the duration of the walk. Along with this, many died from harsh temperatures, executions were regular, women were often sexually abused and murdered, and many gave up their children in hopes that they may be spared. No cruelty was not inflicted on the Armenians during this time.

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The Euphrates River was an integral location to the Armenian genocide. During the walk to Deir el-Zor, oftentimes Armenians followed the Euphrates river. Not only was it a key path for many, but it also served as the only water the dehydrated Armenians could approach. Yet, if they tried to drink it, they would be shot and killed. In the instances where they survived, drinking the water also became deadly. Bodies were often tossed into the river polluting it, causing those who drink it to succumb to sicknesses like dysentery.

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In a way, Germany was the catalyst for the Armenian genocide. This is because the most important trigger of the genocide was Germany’s deceleration of war on Russia, thus beginning World War I. This declaration prompted two things. First, it created the alliance between the Ottomans and Germany during the war, as Germany promised the Ottomans that if they won they would restore their land to what they had at the peak of their empire. Secondly, the war provided a cover for the genocide. Moreover, while Germany was allied with the Ottoman Empire, many soldiers were against the genocide. So, they signed potions to pressure the German government to intervene, which was ultimately no use. Along with this, many of the photographs of the genocide were taken by a German nurse, Armin T. Wegner.

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Armenians had lived in the Cancun region for around 3000 years before the genocide and were independent at various points throughout history. In turn, they were the First Nation to mark Christianity as their national religion. Yet, in the 1400s they were absorbed into the Ottoman Empire. It was then that the Armenians' strained relationship with Turkey began. The Turks refused to leave their land pushing the Aremians leftward while simultaneously taking away their rights. For example, the Armenians had to pay higher taxes and were not allowed in the military due to their religion. Along with this, before the genocide, Ottomans had enacted violence against the Aremanins most notably during the Hammidan Massacre in which over 200,000 people were killed.

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In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire was at the height of its power. It stretched across three continents and was the single most important state in the Mediterranean. Yet, due to the growing number of nationalistic parties within the empire, it began to deteriorate and rapidly lose territory such as the Balkan Peninsula. To consolidate power, the Sultan attempted to enforce a policy of centralization, but it was no use. In 1889 the Committee of Union and Progress was established, and they would eventually take over the state. The CUP believed in a “Turkey for the Turks,” and they installed a dictatorship in the empire. The CUP was led by a triduum made up of Talaat, Enver, and Jemal. Talaat would be the greatest perpetrator in the Armenian genocide and was put in charge of deportation and execution. During the genocide, the regular Ottoman society was fairly unconcerned, and some even saw it as a continent way to rid themselves of economic competition. Today, the Turkish government continues to deny the existence of the American Genocide and is deeply in denial about their past.

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The symbolic beginning of the Aremain Genocide was April 24th, 1918. To eliminate the possibility of protest among the Armenian people, the CUP selected prominent Armenian leaders for swift removal. This includes the arresting of writers, Educators, And various high-ranking clergy members. Many of which were never heard from again. These arrests took place in Constantinople, and they resulted in the behavior of the higher-ups in Armenian society.

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Russia contributed to the Armenian Genocide in two ways. First, Germany declaring war on Russia helped create its cover of WWI. Secondly, Russia indirectly aided the scapegoating of the Armenian people. This is because there was a decent Armenian population in Russia. Along with this, Russia and the Ottoman Empire were enemies in the war. Thus, the idea of “Aremainan Betrayal” came about as a percentage of Americans were fighting for Russia in the war. This was used by the Ottomans as they began calling all Armenians traders and weaponized this to scapegoat the Armenians.