Armenian Holocaust of 1915

Today if you mention the word "holocaust" your thoughts might immediately fly back to Nazis stuffing Jews into boxcars and slaughtering them in gas chambers. But this isn't the only major slaughter in history which could accurately be described as a holocaust. Some have even quoted Hitler as feeling confident enough to start the massacres because of the previous slaughter in 1915.

Many years before World War II even started, Turkey started persecuting Armenian Christians. The main killing was actually divided into two phases. The first phase was led by Abdulhamid II, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He freely killed and tortured Armenian men and women and was known as one of the most cruel dictators of the time. The second phase of persecution came in a social revolution which promised a new direction for the depressed country. Almost parallel to the "new direction" promised by the Nazis in Germany, the Young Turk party promised a new era of understanding and civic improvement.

Some Armenians were even excited about this turn of events. They were promised improved living conditions and new freedom. However, they soon realized that living conditions were getting worse not better. Whole villages were ravaged. Men, women, and children were forced to march across the desert on death marches. Atrocities were committed which would be precedent for later crimes against other nationalities in other countries.

While World War I raged among the powerful European nations, Armenians in Turkey were being tortured, starved, beaten, and killed in large numbers. As infidels in a Muslim country, Armenians had no rights and were considered second-class citizens. They endured heavy casualties and the Armenian population dwindled. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 Armenians were killed during the second phase of persecution.

Though throughout the years since World War I, numerous foundations and the descendents of Armenian survivors have attempted to force Turkey to admit its crimes and make restitution, there still remains a lack of taking responsibiltiy by the entire nation. Turkish officials follow the standard policy and deny any wrongful action on the part of the government. The deaths are attributed to famine, disease, or strife with other ethnicities. Some stories even blame Armenians, calling them terrorists and saying Armenians were the one committing atrocities. Though this has been largely disproved, the Turkish government still refuses to acknowledge its actions and the international community has done little to force honesty about the past.

Although Turkey may continue to deny and twist the facts of the deaths in 1915, there is plenty of documentation from outside sources of the time and even officials within the government at that time. Though the descendents of survivors may never see any restitution, it may be some help to educate today's generation in the importance of never forgetting. Only if this horrific chapter of the world's past is seen for what it is and dealt with honestly can future horrors like it be avoided.