By definition genocide is the organized killing of a people for the express purpose of putting an end to their collective existence (Webster's dictionary). As a rule, the organizing agent is the nation, the victim population is a domestic minority, and the end result is the near total death of a society. The Armenian genocide generally conforms to this simple definition.

The Armenian genocide is a hidden, almost lost part of world history, pretty much eclipsed by the more publicized genocide of the twentieth century, the Holocaust. The question is why. I could take a poll of this room and I am willing to bet that 95% of the students have ever even heard of the Armenian Genocide and those who have couldn't tell me more than a couple sentences about it. This is pretty scary, considering the statistics of the Armenian Genocide.

The Ottoman Empire was ruled by the Turks who had conquered the land from across West Asia, North Africa to Southeast Europe. The Ottoman government was based in Istanbul and was headed by a sultan who was given absolute power. The Turks were Islamic and were a harsh disciplinary civilization. The Armeni

In its prime of the sixteenth century the Ottoman Empire was a powerful state. Its minority populations really benefited with the growth of its economy, but by the nineteenth century, the empire was in serious decline(Graber 121). It had been reduced in size and by 1914 had lost virtually all its lands in Europe and Africa. This decline created enormous internal political and economic pressures which contributed to the increasing tensions among the races (similar to Germany's way of blaming the Jews for their economic decline). Armenian aspirations for representation and participation in government worried the Muslim Turks who had never shared power in their country with any minority. Demands by Armenian political organizations for administrative reforms in the Armenian-inhabited provinces and better police protection only invited further repression.

The death marches would lead across Anatolia and the purpose became clear as soon as the Armenians hit the trail. Along the way the Armenians were being raped, starved, dehydrated, murdered and kidnapped. The Turkish gendarmes either led these atrocities or turned a cold shoulder. Their eventual destination for resettlement was supposedly the Syrian Desert. Those who miraculously survived the march to the bleak desert were either killed upon arrival or somehow found a way to survive until escape was found. Usually those few that survived received assistance from friendly Turks.

The Ottoman armies initially suffered a string of defeats. Whether retreating or advancing, the Ottoman army used the occasion of war to wage a "scam" campaign of massacre against the civilian Armenian population in the regions in which warfare was rampant. These measures were part of the genocidal program secretly adopted by the CUP and implemented under the cover of war. They coincided with the CUP's larger program to eradicate the Armenians from Turkey and neighboring countries. Through the spring and summer of 1915, in all areas outside the war zones, the Armenian population was ordered deported from their homes. Convoys consisting of tens of thousands including men, women, and children were driven hundreds of miles toward the Syrian desert. In April of the young Turks convinced leaders of the Armenian population to meet to discuss the new orders f

Some common words found in the essay are:
Syrian Desert, Turks Turks, Ottoman Empire, France Ottoman, Armenians Christian, Forgotten GENOCIDE, April Turks, Armenians Turkey, Europe Africa, Abdul Hamid, armenian genocide, ottoman empire, armenian population, women children, death marches, participation government, turkish gendarmes, syrian desert,
Approximate Word count = 1550
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)