The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian genocide has several main causes: European meddling in Ottoman internal affairs, nationalism, economic jealousy, and Armenian involvement in the Russian war effort. Though, a lot of the causes are interrelated. For example, nationalism and European meddling go hand in hand. What exactly was the Armenian genocide? Well, the Armenian genocide was a state orchestrated machine of mass-murder and rape of the Armenian people, and several other ethnic groups, of the Ottoman Empire 1915-1923. The Armenians were one of many ethnic groups of the Ottoman Empire, and they had lived in eastern Asia Minor for around three thousand years prior to the atrocity .

The Ottoman Empire was a theocracy where the Sultan, or emperor, was also the head of the Muslim church taking the title Caliph. This plus the dogma of the Koran put non-Muslims below Muslims in the Empire. Though, the non-Muslims were allowed to live in the empire because they were believers of the Bible. Or in other words, the Koran includes the Old Testament and the New Testament so the Christians and the Jews were not infidels, and thus tolerated. The Muslims viewed themselves as superior because of their belief in the latest and greatest of the prophets, Mohamed. The various ethnic groups of the Ottoman Empire were arranged in semi self-governing regions called millets. These regions were governed by the head of the local church, but under control of the Sultan and Ottoman governing body. There where, to name a few, Greek, Armenian, Christian, Kurdish, and Arab millets. The millets were usually not members of the majority, and subject to persecution. The millets were forced to pay higher taxes to the Empire, and up until the 19th century lived relatively peaceful in...

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...nocide if history was altered. Nationalism was the basic driver though, and the reasons why were fueled by the other three causes. Nationalism, or patriotism, was the leading cause for the break up of the Empire. Since the disintegration of the Empire was the big worry nationalism takes center stage .

Works Cited

Bloxham, Donald. The Great Game of Genocide; Imperialism, Nationalism, and the Destruction of the Ottoman Armenians. First. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Rubinstein, William. Genocide: A History. First. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2004.

Smith, Helmut Walser. The Holocaust and Other Genocides: History, Representation, Ethics. First. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2002.

Totten, Samuel, and William S. Parsons. Century of Genocide: Critical Essays and Eye Witness Accounts. Third. New York and London: Routledge, 2009