The Armenian Genocide: A Backstory Behind the Bloodshed and Tears
Look, history is always magnificent, especially those chapters full of blood and tears. Let's talk about one of the three major genocides of the 20th century: the Armenian Genocide, the tragedy of why the Turkish knife fell on the Armenians.
First of all, we have to go back to the upper reaches of history to see the ins and outs of this tragedy. The Armenians, who have a long history, had their own state as early as the 2nd century BC. Unfortunately, history is always tortuous, and they were soon co-opted by the Roman Empire. Later, Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion, which was a special step. But then, they were ruled by the Ottoman Turks. Speaking of Ottoman Turkey, they are a shining star in history, but unfortunately, the stars will also be dim.
The splendor of the Ottoman Turkish Empire slowly dimmed, like the moon shrouded in darkness. Because of the invasion of foreign enemies and internal turmoil, the hegemony of this vast empire is in jeopardy. Various external pressures have exacerbated their internal rifts, and the strategic location of the Black Sea Straits has become their weakness. As a result, Turkey's territory was eroded little by little, Russia was becoming more and more open, and the countries of Western Europe were also adding to the chaos. As a result, Turkey is like a struggling giant, gradually losing its balance.
The fate of the Armenians was also swept up in this undercurrent. Their sense of independence was growing stronger, especially among the Russian-influenced Armenians, whose nationalist sentiments were growing stronger. The Turks were very unhappy with this, and they felt that the Armenian sense of independence would shake the rule of the empire, so they began to suppress the Armenians.
At the end of the 19th century, the Armenian independence movement was in full swing. It is a pity that the way they fought provoked the anger of the Turks. The Turkish government launched a large-scale retaliation against the Armenians, with massacres, deportations, and tragedies. From then on, the fate of the Armenians was destined to be the path of suffering.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the situation had worsened. The Turkish government began a systematic massacre in preparation for the complete elimination of Armenians from Turkey. Brutal orders were given by high-ranking officials of the Ottoman Turkish government, and innocent Armenians fell victims. They were deported, killed, and the tragic scenes were heartbreaking.
During the First World War, the Turkish government took the opportunity to intensify the persecution of Armenians. After the end of the war, Turkish nationalist sentiment was on the rise, which was a new disaster for the surviving Armenians.
Today, the hatred of Armenians against Turkey remains. The Turkish government has not acknowledged the nature of the tragedy, which has further fueled the anger of the Armenians. The scars of history may never be repaired, but we should remember history and let such tragedies never happen again.
After reading this history, what do you think? Come and share your thoughts, let's think about it together, and remember it together.