Armenian genocide: How did the outbreak of World War 1 contribute to the genocide of the Armenians?

Essay by hills08High School, 10th gradeA+, May 2006

download word file, 3 pages 2.0

Downloaded 24 times

First and foremost the Armenians spoke a different language, believed in a different religion and followed different customs to the Turks. The Armenians were often the scapegoats for many of the Ottoman Empire's problems. By the beginning of the 1700s the Ottoman Empire had reached its' biggest size but ruling over such a large area proved too much for the Empire. Other countries took over a lot of territory belonging to the Ottoman Empire. From 1800 to the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, the Ottomans were often at war, as the Ottoman Empire became weaker both militarily and economically, its people became increasingly frustrated, angry, and suspicious of anyone who were not a Turk and not a Muslim. Especially since most of the Armenians were wealthier and more well off than their Turkish counter-parts, and the Turkish had to rely on the Armenians financially. When conditions in the empire worsened, minorities, such as Armenians, became easy targets of Turkish frustration, anger and resentment.

Another major factor in the Armenian genocide was the fact that Armenians lived on both sides of the Russian and Turkish border. When war erupted the Turks were suspicious of any outsiders and thought the Armenians could be spies. Even before the outbreak of war, 100,000 to 300,000 Armenians were killed within the Empire between 1894 and 1897.

More problems arose when Armenian leaders began to press for more protection and equality from the Turks. Armenians had lived in the region between the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas for almost 3,000 years, but now their population was divided between Ottoman Turkey, Russia, and Persia. Since all three of these countries had a history of fighting with each other, this created problems for Armenians. When Turkey would lose to its enemy, Russia, Armenians were often blamed because...