Origins of the Armenian Genocide (short essay)

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We often see Turks claiming that Armenians were the first to kill Turks and that Turks were only "deporting" Armenians because Armenian "gangs" were somehow a threat to the state and were killing Turks. They claim that these actions were defensive and that there was a civil war and such - putting the burden of blame on Armenians. Of course this is the furthest thing from the truth and is in fact completely the opposite of what occurred. There is ample evidence - and incredible amount of it in fact - entirely from official Ottoman and CUP party records - as well as from accounts (descriptions and explanations of and for meetings, plans and activities) written by Ottoman and CUP members after WWI that details the intentions, plans and methods for cleansing (exterminating) Armenians and other Christians from Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire.

Part 1 - Political deterioration and Christian Massacres during the late Ottoman period

Of course we are all aware of the series of large scale massacres committed under the direction of Sultan Abdul Hamid in the late 1800s and the (for over 100 years) almost continuous massacre and repression by Kurds and other nomadic chettes who roamed the Eastern provinces (having been deliberately relocated by the Ottomans into Armenian provinces for the intention of de-Americanizing them) still living off of booty and pillage as they always had done. However the intentions of the CUP directed deportations and massacres were much different (and far more sinister) then these earlier massacres. The goal of Abdul Hamid and the Ottomans was suppression of political and economic expression of the Christian minorities in order that they maintain their place in Ottoman society – as Dhimmi – religious minorities of lesser status then the Muslims of the Empire. Much like the Jews in Germany early in the 20th century the Christians of the Ottoman Empire were prospering and developing a substantial modern urban presence consisting of educated and relatively wealthy individuals. (It should be noted that the majority of the populations of each of these groups remained as they had always been – poor and agricultural – in the Armenian case - and poor and urban [ghettoized] in the Jewish case – however the perceptions among the majority groups - based on a sizable though still small percent of the population - were that these minorities were becoming enriched and more powerful – and in fact this was true as such for a segment of the population). This occurred due to education and the fact that these groups were forced into economic paths that had become lucrative but didn’t fit into the occupations that fit high social status of traditional Ottoman society – government and military service – that Christians were prohibited from joining. As a result these groups began to exercise political aspirations where before there were none. These aspirations were primarily in the form of pressing for “equal rights” – individual and in regards to property (necessary for development of stable business environments) and also included calls for ending repression, massacres and other deprivations against them. While there existed an undercurrent of nationalist sentiment – primarily among the foreign educated student population who became exposed to such concepts in Europe – the political goals of the vast majority of Armenians (those who had them at all) were for greater equality and recognition within the Ottoman system that had always been exclusively dominated by Muslim Turks. During the Tanzimat period (1839-1876) a constitution was adopted that acknowledged these concerns for equality of Ottoman citizens. However these reforms and Christian calls for greater rights were opposed by the Sultan and were only adopted by outside force of the European powers – primarily Russia, Britain and France (and all of these reforms and the constitution itself were ultimately nullified by the Sultan). Sultan Abdul Hamid’s response to Christian situational reforms was to use force and massacre to quiet the Christians and to teach them that their entreaties for help would lead to no good for them (quite the opposite) and that change was not possible. The Sultan and the Ottomans were desperate to maintain the system that legitimized them and their centuries long order and domination.

The European powers were able to force many concessions from the Ottomans – in the political arena – at least on paper – though largely not carried out – but more importantly in the Economic arena. These concessions amounted to capitulations that gave the European powers specific legal and economic powers within the Ottoman Empire itself. These were highly resented by the Ottomans who blamed the Christian minorities for their humiliation. Thus a cycle of Ottoman massacres of minorities, European intervention, and resentment of the Christian minorities began. Additionally, the European powers were annexing Ottoman territories – often through the rational of protecting Christian minorities - and other territories were lost in war – particularly against Russia – who specifically carved a role of defender of their fellow Orthodox Christians (and took advantage of this for her own gain). As the Ottoman Empire’s fortunes waned and territory was lost to (once despised and looked down upon) foreign powers and to Christian minority uprisings (such as in Greece and in the Balkans) supported by the former States – a great resentment began to build against both outside powers and internal minorities. This was exacerbated due to the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from these lost territories and as a result of various Turkic groups fleeing massacre committed by Russians and the newly freed minority groups themselves who had experienced such at the hand of the Turkish overlords and were seeking revenge. Many Turks were forcibly deported from these areas as well – though most refugees were voluntarily fleeing expected and actual reprisals. The Ottomans settled a great many of these (angry and desperate) exiles into traditional Armenian provinces and areas in part accounting for and adding to the great animosity that had been building on the part of Muslim Turks – already resentful of their Empires and their own falling fortunes (due to the rising Ottoman corruption and economic impact of lost wars and crumbling Empire) and they further resented the perceived prosperity, growing status and special treatment afford the minorities.

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Part 2 - Young Turks, Pan-Turkism and Revolution

In this environment there rose among educated Ottomans (primarily among the young military and medical fields) a desire to save the Empire and to modernize. There were however many competing and often improvised schools of thought that arose on how to achieve this. Most all on some level appeared to view the (absolute power of the) Sultanate as a relic of the past and wished for political and economic reform to break the Empire form its malaise and inferior (and rapidly falling) status vis-à-vis the European powers. On one hand there were those who aspired to French style democracy and equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens – with the removal of ethnic distinction and restriction – who could imagine an Empire where all ethnicities could contribute and be a part of an integrated whole (still however, it should be added – under ultimate Turkish dominion). On the other hand a small but over time growing contingent of reformers emphasized nationalist Turkish (and Muslim-Turkish) aspirations to the exclusion of the Christian minorities. It is telling that nearly all who advocated this path had their roots in either the Balkans or in by then Russian held territories be it Crimea or the Caucuses and nearly all of the “Turks” were in fact not quite ethnically Turkish (and certainly not Ottoman Turkish) – but were some variant – Tartar, Bulgarian, Azeri or such – and these individuals were raised to manhood in environments where their home territories were lost to foreign Christian powers and to nationalized former Christian minorities – and this is a very key aspect to their development and thinking – particularly in regards to their perceptions concerning the remaining Christian minorities of the Empire (Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians). Eventually those who aspired for reforms were lumped together and considered as “Young Turks” (there were as well Young Ottomans who advocated concepts of reform within the Ottoman structure). All of these Turkic groups however never abandoned the concept of the Turks as the ruling people of the Empire and in fact as Turkish nationalism arose out of the defeats (and obvious bankruptcy of Ottomanism) and loss of outlying territories at the hands of Foreign and minority Christian groups there arose great enthusiasm for the concepts of Pan-Turkism and Pan-Turanism – the later being the extension of the concept of the Turkish “nation” to include all Turkic peoples of the world across Central Asia. These concepts took on greater importance to the Young Turk movement with the ascendancy of the radical wing of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) – the leading Young Turk political party – that adhered to these principals.

The CUP undertook a successful coup of the government in 1908. At this time the liberal faction held sway and they reinstalled the constitution that Abdul Hamid had suspended and invited participation from representatives of the minority communities. The Armenian political parties and populace supported the new regime and were hopeful for reform. However after an Islamic student led counter-coup in 1909 (in large part in protest of this concept of elevating minority rights) led to an ascendancy of the Pan-Turkic/Pan-Islamic CUP faction that quickly passed the Law of Associations forbidding ethnically based political associations (parties) – thus banning the Armenian political parties whom in their pan-Turkic vision had become adversaries. The various CUP actions against the minorities – such as forbidding any language besides Turkish to be taught in schools – prompted protests and even revolts in the minority communities. It was this very issue that prompted the Albanian revolt in 1910 and this further turned the CUP toward a Turkic only platform (as Albanians were Muslim but non-Turkish) and further hardened the CUP against the minorities. It was beginning at this time where CUP Central Committee records and foreign observers at CUP Congresses first mention that the use of violence and force to transform the Empire and specifically against the minorities was given broad recognition within the party and was a policy (secretly) adopted at the highest levels. The Balkan War in 1912 further hardened the CUP/Ottoman elite and convinced them that there was no chance to reform the Ottoman Empire in a multi-ethnic fashion. However it should be noted that all attempts to do so up to this point all were clearly determined to enforce the concept of Turkish dominance and force the minorities to Turkify and it is no surprise that the minority groups – even the Muslim ones – reacted against this.

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Part 3 - CUP campaign to eradicate Christians from Anatolia

By 1913 when the CUP took full control of the state with the assassination of the Grand Vizer Mahumet Sevket - Turkism was officially adopted as party policy and enactment of this vision was put into effect. Various committees were established such as the National Defense Committee and the Committee of National Independence whose aims were to Turkify the economy by force and extended the power of the party and of trusted pan-Turkist Turkish operatives throughout the Empire. These committees organized boycotts of Armenian and Greek businesses and formed volunteer armed gangs called fedai cheteler (or chettes) who were charged with committing massacres and expulsions of Christians with the explicit aim to thin their populations. What is interesting is that these actions – which began in late 1913/early 1914 occurred prior to the Ottoman’s entering the war and were concentrated in Western Anatolia – in the Aegean region and to a lesser extent in the Black Sea region – where the bulk of the prosperous Greeks resided. It is also interesting that at this time (January 1914) Enver Pasha was appointed Minister of War and under him the Special Organization was reformed with operatives sent both East and West. East to the Caucuses to prepare the Muslims there under the Russian Empire to revolt with the intention of joining the Ottoman Empire and West to massacre Greeks and Armenians along the Aegean coast. Its also interesting that a senior government official from the Tekfurdagi district who was involved in implementing these measures at the time later said that the policy was variously called “emigration” or “deportation” but that the intent was “devastation and annihilation”. As word of these massacres reached the Western powers in Istanbul a commission of Inquiry was established but by then the damage had been done – hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Armenians had been slaughtered and an estimated 500,000 ethnic Greeks were forced to flee to Greece. Later, after the bulk of the Armenian Genocide had occurred (in both 1916 and again in 1918) these massacres and expulsions resumed. The head of the Special Organization – Kushchubasi Eshref Bey - later admitted that in 1914 alone the number of Greeks and Armenians affected by his “purifying conquest operations” was 1,150,000 – with an estimate 500,000 killed! These massacres and expulsions occurred over one year prior to the more commonly known Armenian “deportations” and Genocide and they began well prior to the outbreak of World War I and there was no violence or charges of sedition to prompt them. The lack of any repercussions from these massacres must have further emboldened the CUP central committee as they contemplated their plan to eliminate the Armenians who stood between them and their Turkish brethren to the East.

During this same period of time Ottoman military operatives and special organization members were scouring various Armenian localities charged with disarming the population (on pretext of measures being taken against violent Armenian “secret” political parties and gangs – who were outlawed and seen by the CUP as potential threats). Armenian communities that had successfully resisted massacres in the 1890s were specifically targeted and their inhabitants harassed. Additionally, even prior to the April 1915 round up of Armenian leaders and intelligencia in Istanbul and other Armenian towns there were selected arrests and murders of Armenian political and religious leaders, and various massacres were conducted throughout Anatolia designed in part to provoke the Armenian population to revolt (which they by and large did not do) and any counteraction was used as an excuse for further repressive measures. In August of 1914 all Armenian men between the ages of 20 and 45 were subject to being drafted and resistance to this was used as an excuse to harass Armenian communities. Additionally, the Ottomans forced Armenians from all the provinces to pay enormous war contributions. All of these events occurred prior to the Ottoman Empire entering World War I and during this period all reports form the Armenian provinces suggest that there was no revolt and no significant activity whatsoever. Shortly after the Ottomans joined World War I and attacked Russia the CUP began to circulate charges of Armenian sedition and Armenian soldiers in the Ottoman Army were disarmed and converted into labor battalions. Incidents of massacre and attacks on Armenians increase significantly throughout Anatolia. Charges of sedition became particularly strident after Enver’s disastrous defeat at Sarakamish in the Caucuses in January of 1915 where additional charges against Armenians to excuse the defeat – yet Enver himself actually praised the valor of Armenian units that had saved his life. However, it was when the Allies invaded and attacked the Dardenelles in March 1915 and Istanbul itself was threatened that the “final solution” to the “Armenian Question” was put into effect. These CUP central committee decisions are well documented. In April 1915 Armenian community, political and artistic leaders from Istanbul and major Armenian towns throughout Anatolia are rounded up and taken away – most will be killed. And following the successful resistance to massacre by the Armenians of Van the CUP enact the Temporary Law of Deportations – that acts as the cover for the extermination and cleansing of Armenians from Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire. The Law of Abandoned Properties was further used to seize Armenian economic assets and complete the CUP plan to nationalize the economy and Turkify the nation. Within a year nearly all Armenians are gone from Anatolia – with more the half killed (estimated at over 1 million individuals) and most of the rest of the survivors in death camps in the Syrian desert (where nearly ½ million more would die), with a percentage escaping into Russian controlled Caucuses or elsewhere. In the years following the vast majority of the Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians – the last remaining Christian communities of the Empire – are either killed or expelled. These actions against the Christian minorities continued throughout World War I and recommenced with the advent of the Nationalist Turkish War for liberation in 1919 with actions taken against remaining Armenians in Anatolia as well as in the Armenian Caucuses where up to an additional 400,000 Armenians may have been massacred and killed. The final stage of the Turkish Genocide of its Christian communities can be said to have occurred in 1922 and 1923 with the burning of the predominantly Greek and Armenian city of Smyrna and the forced expulsion (that became a population exchange) of the remaining Greek and Christian elements of Turkey save for a small community that remained in Istanbul and a very few isolated Armenian villages that somehow escaped or who converted to Islam and were left be. However even converting to Islam did not save many of the Empires Christians as even these too were directed to be “deported” (massacred)…and today there are only a small handful of Armenians and Christians left in Turkey – again mostly concentrated in Istanbul itself.

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Supplemental - concern the Special Organization and supposed Armenian Revolts

Although the "Deportation Order" was issued in April 1915 the violence against Armenians and Greeks began much earlier. To some degree it was a continuum of violence and massacres committed against the Armenians - with some of such by Armenians against Kurds and Turks in response as well - in addition to some revolutionary gang activities - but these had pretty much ceased with the revolution of 1908 where Armenians felt that they would get their reforms and recognition by the CUP - which began as a progressive party with such on their platform. The Armenians were essentially taken by surprise when the CUP leadership quickly radicalized after the Islamic student counter-coup in 1909. Various secret party meetings were held and documented by the CUP from 1909-1914 whereby one can track the further radicalization and hostility of the CUP leadership towards the minorities - in large part due to the secession of Albania in 1910 and the failed Balkan War of 1912. The CUP were desperate to save what they saw as the Turkish nation and initiated an anti-Christian economic campaign of boycotts and destruction of Christian businesses - primarily in the Aegean and Black Sea regions - along with massacres and expulsions of Christians - mainly Greeks (and estimated 500,000 were killed and over 1 million displaced (mainly to Greece). All of this occurred before 1915! The CUP can be seen to transform and adopt the clear approach that only through violence - "liquidation" (ultimately is the word used) of the Christian population can their national goals (of Turkifying the Empire and retaining remaining territories). A Special Organization composed of Kurdish raiders, displaced, (angry and looking for revenge) refugees from the Balkans, Crimea and the Caucuses and released violent prisoners were formed together as part of the CUPs plan and they were designed and directed specifically to "liquidate" the Armenians and other Christians. All of this is well documented.

This Special Organization of irregulars first acted against the Greeks in the Aegean region then was sent East against the Armenians (and to stir up trouble in the Caucuses to prepare it for invasion). They massacred and plundered mercilessly - targeting Armenian villages within Anatolia and in the Caucuses. All of this prior to the entry of Turkey into WWI. Initially they were under command of the Ottoman Army (in the East it was the Ottoman 3rd Army). However the in truth (and eventually officially) reported directly to the CUP central committee. In fact all along they used the secret cipher system of the Interior ministry and not the Defense Ministry - so that their order were even kept secret from the Army. However in their uncontrolled zeal they even began to raid and pillage and massacre Muslim villages - and this is documented in German reports and Ottoman Army reports. The 3rd Army Commander and others even urgently cabled the CUP in Istanbul and demanded that the Special Organization be disbanded because of their excesses (and crimes against Muslims!). The Special Organization Commander Dr Bahaettin Shakir even came under indictment by the Army and from local government districts - but instead of being prosecuted he was recalled to Istanbul (temporarily) and when he returned to Istanbul he blamed the charges against him and the Special Organization gangs on Armenians! Yes. Again these things are documented - and this is all prior to April 1915. Thus with Shakir's "evidence" against Armenians (and perhaps some instances were true of course - but others were an attempt to deflect blame from the Special Organization and were useful as propaganda against the Armenians - whom Shakir hated with great passion)- this "evidence" and the resistance on the part of the Armenians of Van to the men being "drafted" (to be massacred - as was already occurring throughout the region by the Special Organization...) - the CUP passed the Deportation Order - and at the same time promulgated a secret orders through CUP trusted channels that the deportation was in fact to be the "liquidation" of Armenians. These facts are greatly documented and corroborated by testimony and memoirs from Turkish regional officials, as well as from CUP and former Turkish and German army officers.

[Bugra]

VAN Events and Falsification by Propoganda

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hahahaha - oh my - Bugra Offendi - I read your inane reply and I am unsure whether to blame your ignorance and offensive attitude on your lacking controlled education or just on your underlying feelings of guilt that you need to promote obvious and well known lies and refuse to accept the truth of the historical record and the guilt of the CUP and the Turkish and Ottoman States. OK perhaps I will yeild to you on one point - a technicality at best - the characterization of Smyrna as a Greek/Armenian city...I am perhaps giving too much credit to the Armenian portion of the population - and yes while Turks perhaps made up to 50% of the cities population (unsure of exact % but no matter) it was a city that for long ages and during that time was known as a Greek city due to the Greek commercial and cultural achievments there and the large Greek prescence in the surrounding region. Culturally it can easily be argued that Smyrna was a "Greek" city and it was known internationally as such. Of course this ended (violently) in 1922.

As for Van - you have it so very wrong. Blaming the Armenians for instigating the conflaguration in Van and taking the Turkish line that the resistance in Van was evidence of Armenian "rebellion" and designs on Anatolia and against the Turks would be much like the US blaming the Indians for sedtition for the battle of the Little Bighorn and justifying the decimation of all native Americans in North America on this one instance of desperate self defense against a national army bent on the destruction and subjegation of the native peoples and where such army had shown a history of massacre and depravities against women and children. Like Little Bighorn - Van was the Armenians taking a desperate stand against assured destruction. All the evidence proves this - including Van provincial govenor Jevdet's asassination of Armenian community leaders Vramian and Ishkhan whom he had invited to parley prior to the attack against the city. It is clear that the Turkish forces had massacred the populations of nearly 100 Armenian villages in the vicinity of Van and that refugees from these villages were streaming into the city telling of the slaughter (read Nogalas - 4 years beneath the Crescent for a vivid description of these events of the the desperate defense by the Armenians of their city against overwhelming Turksih force poised against them. There are also other accounts from eyewitnesses that confirm the defense nature of the Van resistance and the Turkish butchery that preceeded it - including correspondence from the German Ambassador Mettamich confirming the Armenian verision of events) Also - this charge that Armenians masacred Turkish citizens of Van is entirely falatious. The Ottoman report first issued claims 8 civilian Turkish deaths caused by Armenians...later the same report - with the same reference number is amended to indcate 80, then 8,000,, then 80,000! Yes - just a simple adding of zeros - but you xxxos are too inept to realize that in submitting the original report of 8 deaths then the exact same report 3 more times - each time with a 10, hundred and many thousand fold increase - well - it is typical and it is why nothing you submit is believable - as the record of Turkish doctoring of facts is clear and cannot be relied upon. Likewise as I discussed above - the charges of Armenian sedition (and massacres of Turks and such) from the Erzurum area were initially provided by Dr Shakir of the CUP Special Organization. He presented these charges while defending himself and his organization from charges by the Ottoman 3rd army that his irregulars (Chettes) were massacering Muslims and pillaging their villages and raping their women. Thus we can see that he attempted to deflect the blame from himself and the Special Organization that was conducting these raids and instead blame the Armenians. So I suggest you take your "mass graves" and such and shove them you know where. Unlike the shameful and internationally discredited Turkish accounts that are now being promulgated to support the unsupportable Turkish postion - the accounts of the Armenian Genocide are both incredibly numerous and incredibly well corroborated by multiple sources and documentation - including from many German and Austrian sources and including from Turkish admissions and trials and convictions based on evidence gathered by a special commision of the Ottoman Parliment charged with such and by the Ottoman post-war military tribunals.

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Turkish charges of Armenian insurection and violence towards Turks - prior to WWI

Many Turks today repeat the charges made by the CUP subsequent to their decision to massacre and deport Armenians from Anatolia that Armenians were in open rebellion, were assisting Russians and that gangs of Armenians were going around murdering innocent Turks. I contend that the evidence does not support these contentions - and certainly not for for the period from the CUP revolution in 1908 up through the beginnings of (Turkish entry into) WWI. Certainly there was a great deal of sympathy with the allies among many Armenians - but this can be considered reasonable considering the massacres of the recent past (1890s) and considering that the CUP had unleashed the Special Organization gangs of irregulars upon Armenians of the eastern provinces (as well as even earlier against Greeks and Armenians of the Aegean regions). All this is well documented. Concerning the performance of Armenian troops there are mixed accounts - well certianly there were desertions - as there were with Turks, Kurds and Arabs at alarmingly huge rates (in some cases Ottoman reports indicate desertion rates of up to 50% [for Muslim forces] before some battles and there are numerous reports of entire Kurdish regiments quiting battles for various reasons. So Armenian desertions were nothing out of the ordinary. Did some join the Russian side - undoubtably yes - again considering the situation this should not be surprising (just as Muslims from the Caucuses joined the Ottoman forces and in fact were actively recruited by the Special Organization to do so). However I have seen corroborated reports from German and Armenian sources that after Sarikamish Enver actually praised the valor and loyalty of Armenian troops - a group of whom is reported to have saved his life. Anyway I want to post some revealing exerpts from German Ambassador Von Wangenheim's April 15 1915 report back to Germany:

German archives # DE/PA-AA/R14085

"Pera, 15 April 1915 From the news from East Anatolia it is obvious that the relations between the Turkish Muslim population and the Armenians, which were already tense beforehand, have worsened even more in the course of the past few months. The mutual mistrust is growing and dominating the people and official circles, both in the interior as well as in the capital.

The complaints about the alleged and actual persecution which the Armenians are suffering as a result of the war are increasing in number and volume; on the other hand, they are being accused of sympathising with the Empire's enemies...

Each side is revoking the accusations of the other party as unfounded, or the blame for such events is being put on the others. There only seems to be agreement on one point: that the Armenians have given up their ideas of a revolution since the introduction of the Constitution and that there is no organisation for such a revolt.

Without doubt, excesses and acts of terror have taken place against the Armenians in eastern Anatolia and, in general, the events have probably been related correctly by the Armenian side, even if they were somewhat exaggerated.

For the events in these areas, the following are being made responsible by the Armenian side:

1. The irregulars and bands of marauders organised in military fashion and bearing the title Militia; these are being blamed for numerous plunders, murders, for robbery and other acts committed against the Armenian population of the country.

2. The clubs affiliated with the Comité Union et Progrès, in which many dishonest elements are said to be present. It is said that these clubs, in particular the one in Erzerum, have set up formal proscription lists, and a series of political murders which were committed on various respected Armenians since December of last year are attributed to their activities. It is added that the Ministry of the Interior is said to have been warned some time ago by the Armenians about the activities of these clubs which have already played a disastrous role during the events at Adana in 1909.

3. Various civil servants, in particular the governor of Musch (Vilayet Bitlis) and the Vali of Van. It is stated amongst other things that some 2000 Muslim families from the Russian occupied district of Alaschgerd, who are hardly in a position to pay for their own keep, have been accommodated in the Armenian villages of Musch; the Armenian farmers were being used like draft animals to transport ammunition and provisions and many of them died from this inhumane treatment; the least of them, it is said hardly a quarter, returned to their villages. [B]'In two districts of Van formal butcheries took place under the connivance of the Kaymakams'[/B].

it is emphasised that the Armenians – a fact which, one might note, is contested by the Turks - despite all the suffering they have been subjected to, are behaving loyally and correctly, but at least passively. However, under a continued, systematic persecution it can be feared that this peaceful attitude may take a turn to the contrary; the parties loyal to the government, such as the Daschnakzutiun, would no longer be able to hold back the masses and there would be a danger that, if the Russians advanced, not only the Armenians in the invaded area would go over to the side of the enemy, but also possible insurrections would be aroused behind the backs of the Turkish Army.

The appeal to the nobile officium of the German representation in Turkey is understandable following the development of the Armenian question, but especially now when, as a result of the war, the Triple Entente is eliminated as protectors. But an attempt at complying with this appeal and taking on the role that England after the Berlin Congress, and most recently Russia, have played as protector of the Armenians, would be regarded by the Porte as an unjustified and annoying intervention in their internal political affairs. The moment is even less suitable since the Porte has just made the effort to eliminate the protective rights, which other foreign powers have exercised over Turkish subjects. The Porte must also have respect for the national awareness of the Turkish elements, which has drastically increased over the past few years.

As far as the considerations otherwise presented by the Armenian side are concerned, they deserve serious attention.

...the present atmosphere in government circles...is most unfavourable for the Armenians...

I also believe that the increase in the number of German consulates in the so-called Armenian provinces, initiated in this connection, would not fulfil its purpose. It is probable that the Porte would see in this the attempt on our part to have their own authorities supervised...a procedure of this kind would have the consequence of setting the authorities against the Armenians even worse than ever and, therefore, of achieving results of just the opposite kind."

So from the above one can see that violent actions are already occuring against the Armenians (as we know by centrally directed Special Organization irregular units as part of a grand plan) with no mention of the reverse (Armenians are amazingly docile and quite considering - with individuals fleeing and deserting to the other side only) - which surely would have been mentioned by Turkey's ally it would seem. Also there is concern that the Turkish population and leadership is increasingly anti-Armenian and prone to take violent anti-Armenian action - because of the perception of foreign Armenians fighting with the Russians and the potential that Ottoman Armenians would show sympathy to the Russians if Russia were to acheive victory. And as an added note I will say that we do later see this in addition to Armenian, Cossak and Russian units commiting atrocites against Muslim civilians in areas that come under there control - however - prior to the decision of deportation and genocide and prior to the CUP organizing the special organization to sen dout irregulars (released from jails, and from the Muslim refugee and Kurdish populations) - we see no appreciable Armenian violence against Turks and certainly no armed rebellion of any kind.

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Exerpts from Nogales - Venezulan Officer serving under Ottoman Command

Nogales documents how Djevded bey killed 50,000 Armenians in a fortnight in Mush (p 117) and he documents how Enver's brother KHalil had 15,000 Armenians from Bitlis killed in a single day (p 115). (I should note that Khalil in his memoirs claims to have been personally responsible for the deaths of 300,000 Armenians...he is quite proud of this in fact...) Nogalas describes some of the horrid manner of their deaths in great detail. He specifically cites that he witnessed the following: "After the massacres of Djarbekir, the tide of carnage and persecution rolled over the provinces of Adana and Northern Syria (Zeitun, Urfa, Marrash, etc) which were at the time crowded with deportees from Central and Northern Anatolia.....The provinces of Van, Bitlis, Djarbekir...were the only ones which suffered massacres in the true sense of the word. In the remaining vilayets of the Empire persecution took the form of deportations, which effected almost the same results as the massacres." He then discusses mortality rates (and non-benign causes for such) at from 75-95%! (p 117). The he follows by very clearly acknowledging: "there can be no doubt that the massacres and deportations took place in accordance with a laid-out plan for which the responsibility lay with the retrograde party, headed by the Grand Vizier Talat Pasha and the civil authorities under his orders. They aimed to make an end first of the Armenians, then of the greeks and other Christians, Ottoman subjects, in the Empire. We glean ample verification for this from the masacres of Sairt, Djesiret, and the surrounding districts, during which perished no less then two hundred thousand Nestorian Christians, Syrio-Catholics, Jacobites, etc, who had no connection whatever with the Armenians, and who had always been the Sultan's loyal subjects." (p 118) Nogales speaks very specifically about observing various Ottoman goveners and/or their direct agents leading band of irregulars tot he slaughter and of witnessing the crimes in action and the results. In each case they tell Nogales that they are doing such on orders of the central authorities. Additionally Nogales documents (in great detail) the manner in which all of these officials as well as the CUP heirarchy personally enriched themselves from the stolen wealth of the Armenians. After describing how he expends all his personal funds to feed the starving in Aleppo that he can manage Nogales describes a written order from Talat: "Officially we are forbidden to give the deportees any ration without a written order signed by the civil authorities of the province from which they came, along with other idiocies invented by Talat Pasha in order to kill the poor devils with starvation." (p 147).

Quotes and page numbers from Nogales - Four Years benath the Crescent

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Exerpts from the testimony of Dr. Johannes Lepsius - Tehlirian trial - Berlin 1921

The plan for the deportation of the Armenians was decided upon by the Young Turk Committee. On this Committee were Talaat Pasha as the Minister of the Interior and Enver Pasha as the Minister of War. Talaat gave the orders and, with the help of the Young Turk Committee, implemented the plan.

In a document signed by Talaat Pasha we find the following statement: "The destination of the deportation is annihilation." These orders were carried out to the letter.

Pursuant to this order, of all the Armenians who were deported from Eastern Anatolia southward, only ten percent reached their destination; the remaining ninety percent were killed, except for women and girls who were sold by the gendarmes or were abducted by the Kurds or died of exhaustion and hunger.
Of those Armenians who were driven to the edge of the desert from Western Anatolia, Cilicia, and northern Assyria, a sizable number, reaching into the hundreds of thousands, was assembled into camps. These groups were systematically starved and periodically massacred.

When more groups of Armenians were brought to the stations and there was no room to keep them, they were taken in groups into the desert and slaughtered.

The official government explanation for the deportation was that these were precautionary measures. However, authoritative individuals blatantly declared that their purpose was to annihilate the whole Armenian population.What I have just said is supported by the official documents of the German Foreign Office, as well as the documents of the German Embassy in Constantinople and documents of German Consuls. There is no question as to their authenticity.

One would have to ask the following question: How is it possible to kill millions of people in such a short time?

This was possible in the most savage of conditions, as was brought out during the proceedings of the Military Tribunal set up in Constantinople to try Talaat and his comrades and associates. The Court consisted of a Division Commander, as its president, three generals, prominent during the war, and a captain. Of the five charges brought against the Young Turks, the first dealt with the Armenian massacres. On July 6, 1919, the Military Tribunal pronounced a guilty verdict, sentencing to death the leading perpetrators of the genocide — Talaat, Enver, Jemal and Dr. Nazim.

The responsibility of carrying out the orders for the massacres was left to the Valis [governors-general of the provinces], Mutasarrifs (governor of the provinces], and Kaymakams [governors of the districts]. Those officials who refused to carry out the orders were immediately relieved of their duties. For example, Jelal Pasha, who was the Governor of vilayet of Aleppo, refused to carry out the orders for deportation. He was relieved by direct orders of Talaat and sent westward to Konya. He behaved in the same manner there. He refused to obey the orders and in fact helped the Armenians, protecting those who remained and the deportees as well. He was again relieved of his duties, but this time he was not given another government position. He was one of the most widely known and fair Valis Turkey had. Another governor, Rashid Bey of the vilayet of Diyarbekir, executed two subprefects who refused to carry out the orders. These orders not only affected government officials, but Turkish citizens as well. The Commander of the Third Division issued an order that any Turk found assisting an Armenian would be shot in front of his house, and the house burned to the ground. Any government officials found helping Armenians would be relieved of their posts and tried before a military tribunal for their crimes.

In Constantinople, our diplomats prevented the deportation of Armenian people of that city.

...there is sufficient proof to indicate that neither the 1895-1896 massacres nor the recent ones stemmed from spontaneous popular agitations. In both instances, it was the orders of the Turkish government that were being carried out.

Furthermore, whether in 1895-1896 or in 1915, it was this very same class of Armenian merchants living in Constantinople, Smyrna, and Aleppo that escaped the massacres, partly because they were able to pay ransom. On the other hand, the entire rural Armenian population of Eastern Anatolia, which comprised 80 percent of the total Armenian population as well as the tradesmen, who were mostly Armenians, were sent to the desert and annihilated.

I was in Constantinople in 1913 and I could see that the Young Turks were enraged that the European Powers again kept talking about reforms for the Armenians. They were all the more disturbed when, thanks to the agreement between Germany and Russia, this issue was settled to the satisfaction of the Armenians. The Young Turks said: If you Armenians do not denounce these reforms, something will happen that will make Abdul Hamid's actions look like child's play. The leaders of both groups had become friends and helped each other out during the elections. During the first few months of the war, relations between them seemed amicable until the evening of April 24, 1915 when, to the complete surprise of everyone in Constantinople, 235 Armenian intellectuals were arrested, jailed, and then sent to Asia Minor. During the next few days, a couple hundred more were added. Altogether 600 people were involved. Of this group only 15 survived. Practically all of the Armenian intellectual leaders in Constantinople were wiped out in this manner. A member of Parliament, Vartkes, a close personal friend of Talaat, had still remained exempt. He went to Talaat and asked him what was happening. Talaat's answer was: "While we were weak, your people pushed for reforms and were a thorn in our side; now we are going to take advantage of our favorable situation and disperse your people so that it will take you 50 years before you talk again about reforms." Vartkes answered, appropriately enough, "Then it follows that the work of Abdul Hamid is to be continued?" Talaat answered, "Yes."

Their deeds surpassed their boasts. The evidence brought out during the trials held by the Turkish Court-martial in Constantinople, and corresponding to the report published in the official Turkish journal Takvim-i-vekayi, shows that the deportation was decided upon by the Young Turk Committee and that Talaat was the most influential member of the Committee. In fact, he was its very soul. He ordered the annihilation and did nothing to prevent it.
It is also possible to submit official written proof based on German and Turkish documents.

This uprooting and annihilation of the Armenians took a thousand and one forms. You have already heard a few examples from eyewitnesses.

[1.5 million]

Most Turks are quick to become defensive and shift blame towards the Armenians when the evidence clearly shows the Armenians suffered a great great wrong and the Turkish "charges" against them were and are trumped up and are basically false in the grand scheme of things.

Even if they (the charges of large scale/significant counterinsurgency) were true as presented by the Turks (& they are not) - the actions against the Armenian populace was unjustified and brutal (in its scope and effect) and while there may have been some "got out of hand" to it - these actions were largely preplanned and premeditated and nothing was done to stop the excesses or in any way protect the Armenians. Instead the Turks (leadership national, regional & local) attempted to drum up more and more hatred - much for pure Greed - self interest - much do to racial animosity - the rest do to the Pan-Turkick ideal.

Armenians were callously killed in much the same manner as the Germans killed the Jews & others. And each (Genocide) progressed similarly. Initially the Germans acted only to force Jews out of their nation through harassment and taxation (as the Young Turks & Ottomans did) - and in each case they hoped & acted to replace these ousted people with Germans/Turks (another long time Ottoman tradition in Eastern Anatolia – moving Turks & Kurds into Armenian areas). As the respective wars progressed each got more brutal and deportations etc. turned into massacre and outright Genocide. The Turks attempted and (unlike the Germans of today apart from recognized neo-Nazi extremists) still attempt to shift the blame to Armenians and make excuses for the inexcusable.