PaulTheProtist
¡Prepárate a morir!
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In 1908, a government called the Young Turks overthrew the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. They were a nationalistic, xenophobic group who determined non-Turks, Christians in particular, to be a threat that must be eliminated. In 1914, the government joined the Central Powers in World War I alongside Germany and Austria. Some Armenian groups started to join Russian battalions to fight the Ottomans. Meanwhile, the religious leaders of the empire declared a holy war against Christians, aside from their allies. This caused the government to take drastic measures.
The genocide started on April 24, 1915. On that day, the government massacred hundreds of Armenian intellectuals. The government organized squads of ex-convicts tasked with the mission of killing Armenians. They threw people down cliffs, drowned them in rivers, and burned them alive. Many were sent in death marches. Women were raped by government officials and enslaved, and children were kidnapped. By the time the genocide was over, 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Why am I bringing this up? Because Turkey's government (the successor to the Ottoman empire) denies that the genocide has occurred. It's a crime to talk about the genocide in Turkey. Even the US government, while recognizing the actions, is careful not to label it as a "genocide" due to pressure from Turkey. This is unacceptable. We have a NATO member and major western ally trying to rewrite history. This is the equivalent of Germany denying the Holocaust, or Japan denying the Rape of Nanking. Most nations have committed terrible actions in the past, but most have admitted to them. We use the past so we can make better decisions about the future. The fact that a major nation is trying, and succeeding, to suppress an important part of history is very scary.
So try to spread the word about the Armenian Genocide. We can change thing if enough people are aware.
The genocide started on April 24, 1915. On that day, the government massacred hundreds of Armenian intellectuals. The government organized squads of ex-convicts tasked with the mission of killing Armenians. They threw people down cliffs, drowned them in rivers, and burned them alive. Many were sent in death marches. Women were raped by government officials and enslaved, and children were kidnapped. By the time the genocide was over, 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Why am I bringing this up? Because Turkey's government (the successor to the Ottoman empire) denies that the genocide has occurred. It's a crime to talk about the genocide in Turkey. Even the US government, while recognizing the actions, is careful not to label it as a "genocide" due to pressure from Turkey. This is unacceptable. We have a NATO member and major western ally trying to rewrite history. This is the equivalent of Germany denying the Holocaust, or Japan denying the Rape of Nanking. Most nations have committed terrible actions in the past, but most have admitted to them. We use the past so we can make better decisions about the future. The fact that a major nation is trying, and succeeding, to suppress an important part of history is very scary.
So try to spread the word about the Armenian Genocide. We can change thing if enough people are aware.
