Genocide is a word that was not coined until the 20th century (in late 1942 to be exact), but because of new and unusual human behavior the term was coined to describe systematic mass murder. There have been only 3 events that have been officially declared by the United Nations as genocides (Armenia 1915, the Holocaust, and Rwanda 1994) although one could certainly make a good case for several more (Cambodia in the 1970s, Bosnia in the 1990s, Darfur now, just to name a few). The first officially declared genocide, the mass killing of Armenians by the Ottomans in retaliation for their suspected collaboration with the Russians during WWI, tends to be forgotten. This is an even that is chilling and disturbing, both in its ruthlessness and in its organization. It certainly underscores the shift in human behavior that has developed by means of nationalism and made possible by industrialization. You may want to take the time to investigate this event further. The Armenian National Institute has an excellent website that you can access by clicking here. As always, the BBC has some excellent information on the genocide as well that you can access by clicking here.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Armenian Genocide of 1915: The Forgotten Genocide
Genocide is a word that was not coined until the 20th century (in late 1942 to be exact), but because of new and unusual human behavior the term was coined to describe systematic mass murder. There have been only 3 events that have been officially declared by the United Nations as genocides (Armenia 1915, the Holocaust, and Rwanda 1994) although one could certainly make a good case for several more (Cambodia in the 1970s, Bosnia in the 1990s, Darfur now, just to name a few). The first officially declared genocide, the mass killing of Armenians by the Ottomans in retaliation for their suspected collaboration with the Russians during WWI, tends to be forgotten. This is an even that is chilling and disturbing, both in its ruthlessness and in its organization. It certainly underscores the shift in human behavior that has developed by means of nationalism and made possible by industrialization. You may want to take the time to investigate this event further. The Armenian National Institute has an excellent website that you can access by clicking here. As always, the BBC has some excellent information on the genocide as well that you can access by clicking here.
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That was so sad. Just the mere pictures you showed today in class were horrifying. And I thought that the era of industrialization in Europe was bad....
I can't see how someone can take so many lives and not care remotely about it. I don't care how much I hated someone, I don't think I could go as far (if required to) kill an entire race, ethnic group or religious group. It seems like people who could easily do things as such must have been offered a lot. I know this isn't a perfect world, but I can't imagine someone being so warped that they would do something that terrible without anything in return for it. But then again, this is a pretty sick world.
I did not knew about this until I was in seventh grade. There were some documents about it, but there are too few compared to those thing in holocaust. It's horrible. I first heard of this genocide from one interview from armeninan-american rock band called System of a Down. It is quite sickening, the band says that at least half of their ancestors died because of this.
oh my god! These pictures! ahhh! Why had I never heard of this before now!?
wow the world is really being turned upside down because of industrializtion. Now we are able to wipe out a civilization in only a few years. No one can justify the killing of millions of people. how come this is the first time im hearing this? whats the point of elementary and middle school if they dont teach us anything?
I can't believe we were never really taught this. The genocide was premeditated by the Young Turks' triumvirate (an idea introduced during the times of the Roman Empire) known as the "Three Pashas." The three relied on members of the CUP to carry out their genocide plans. In the mix, the Special Organization was created, in which "its primary function was the carrying out of the mass slaughter of the deported Armenians." I'm flabbergasted as to why the Turks knew what they were doing and didn't stop until they pretty much wiped out all of the Armenians. They limited and imposed restrictions of any photography and reporting of these events. But there were some foreigners who were there to watch these people be deported. Among these witnesses were U.S. diplomatic representatives and missionaries, who leaked the news to the world. April 24 is the day Armenians commemorate because that night, the Turkish government arrested more than 200 Armenian community leaders as well as hundreds more soon after. It irks me how we could just plan out or even think about purposely getting rid of an entire ethnic group and how it's still going on to this day.
this all seems to be going along parallel to how war craft is getting to be. as new weapons develop, war craft becomes worse with more casulties. this almost gets people into a violent mentality more deaths are ok than they were years ago. and of course as more deaths come, the situations in places worsen, which leads people to become irrational and start using prejudices as justification for genocide, like almost desperation. and of course governments could use it to distract the people, like saying here's a solution.
wow...those pictures are horrifying.
I think this short document pretty much sums it up...
http://www.armenian-genocide.org/us-7-16-15.html
its a telegram to the secretary of state in Washington from an American ambassador. He says the extermination is in effect under a "pretext of reprisal against rebellion" and that the United States does not have force to put into this effort. Then they go to say to inform all belligerent nations of this genocide
Yep, Ho Chan confirmed it. I was thinking the members of SOAD would have been affected by the genocide, considering Mr. Prill said that the majority of the Armenian population had been wiped out.
This is awful that as soon as we have the power and convenience to do it, we would kill an entire race of people. The worst part is, this genocide isn't taught in schools. Content can't be used as an excuse, because the holocaust is taught in schools as well.
I've never even heard about the Armenian genocide untill today in class, which is very sad. I can't beloeve they never taught this... . In BBC news, the colum that says, were the killings systematic? It states, "Turkey says many innocent Muslim Turks also died in the turmoil of war. " this is a statement made, it's kind of like what the... because think about how many innocent armenians THEY killed.
This is really shocking stuff. I can't believe I'd never even heard of this! I don't think I've even heard of Armenian people before. That is just so sad. I could not even begin to imagine what those people went through and how they felt. Next time my stommach growls in your class I won't complain so much that my lunch is two hours away. =[
Sapp.
We played a song in GCYS earlier this year called Armenian Rhapsody, and the conductor told us, " This piece is mournful and sad, if you know anything about Armenian history," or something like that. I did not know details, but I was aware of this incident after looking up Armenia later that week. It is odd that the U.S. does not refer to this as a genocide. Turkish-American relations would be damaged if this happened I suppsose.
yeah, i didnt even hear anything about the Armenian genocide before today in mr prill's class. it's amazing what else is not being taught in schools.
what was done to these people was a more than horribl, it is a crime on th highest levl. i fl ashamed of what happened due to the industrial revolution. i breaks my heart to know so many poeple died and are dying due to the genocide, especiallly the small children and for thir parents that cant elp them it is horrible. but why isn't what is going on in darfur considered a genocide? i heard that it was because not enough pople have died yet for it to be considered one. is that true? because if it is, which i hope no, that is horrible to know that a certain amount of pople ahve to die to in order for it to be considered a genocide.
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