Armenian Genocide
The Armenian genocide started in 1915 after WWI started. This genocide featured the Turkish race attempting to exterminate the Armenian race in Turkey. Turks had discriminated against the Armenians since for over a hundred years before this extermination started; the Turks (Islamic), had hated the Armenians for being Christians. In 1913, the Turkish government decided to expand the country east ward and rename it Turan, with one language and religion. However, the Armenian settlement in Turkey was in the Turk's way of expanding, and the Armenians were also Christians, which would get in the way of the Turk's having one religion in their new country. The government preceded to plan the Armenian extermination.
The first killings began in April of 1915, when 300 educated Armenian men were taken from their homes and thrown in jail. After being tortured, all of them were either shot or hanged. Then the rest of the Armenian men found were tied together and taken out to the outskirts of their towns and were shot. Next, the women, children, and elderly found were told to pack some of their things immediately. They were told that they were being relocated, but in reality, they were going on extremely long death marches. Some of the Armenian children were taken from their families and given to Turkish families while being forced to denounce their Christian religion and become Muslim. For boys, this meant having painful circumcisions as custom to the Muslim religion. In the marches, if anyone lagged behind or stopped, they were beaten until they continued, and if they still didn't continued, they were shot. Many women were raped and kidnapped during the long march by criminals. It was common for most marching groups to be forced to take their clothes off and continue naked. It has been estimated that around 75 percent of those who went on these marches died. Once the Armenians reached the Syrian desert, many were shot or thrown off cliffs. The others were put into concentration camps, and were then released into the desert with no food or water. This ensured a long, painful death. This extermination ended around 1918, but by that time, over one and a half million Armenians had been killed.
After Hitler was asked by a German photographer of the Armenian genocide to leave the Jews alone after starting the Holocaust, Hitler replied, "Who remembers the Armenians now?"
Citation
"Armenians in Turkey." . The History Place. Web. 28 Nov 2012. <http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/armenians.htm>.
The first killings began in April of 1915, when 300 educated Armenian men were taken from their homes and thrown in jail. After being tortured, all of them were either shot or hanged. Then the rest of the Armenian men found were tied together and taken out to the outskirts of their towns and were shot. Next, the women, children, and elderly found were told to pack some of their things immediately. They were told that they were being relocated, but in reality, they were going on extremely long death marches. Some of the Armenian children were taken from their families and given to Turkish families while being forced to denounce their Christian religion and become Muslim. For boys, this meant having painful circumcisions as custom to the Muslim religion. In the marches, if anyone lagged behind or stopped, they were beaten until they continued, and if they still didn't continued, they were shot. Many women were raped and kidnapped during the long march by criminals. It was common for most marching groups to be forced to take their clothes off and continue naked. It has been estimated that around 75 percent of those who went on these marches died. Once the Armenians reached the Syrian desert, many were shot or thrown off cliffs. The others were put into concentration camps, and were then released into the desert with no food or water. This ensured a long, painful death. This extermination ended around 1918, but by that time, over one and a half million Armenians had been killed.
After Hitler was asked by a German photographer of the Armenian genocide to leave the Jews alone after starting the Holocaust, Hitler replied, "Who remembers the Armenians now?"
Citation
"Armenians in Turkey." . The History Place. Web. 28 Nov 2012. <http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/armenians.htm>.