-
Sultan was furious and did not apprrove Armenian political reform. He responded by killing over 100,000 Armenians.
-
Reform-minded Turkish nationalists known as "Young Turks" forced the Sultan to allow a constitutional government and guarantee basic rights. The Young Turks were ambitious junior officers in the Turkish Army who wanted to halt the countries steady decline.
-
The Young Turks have seized full control of the government, which the Armenians were not happy about.
-
They wanted to unite all of the Turkic peoples in the entire region while expanding the borders of Turkey eastward across the Caucasus all the way into Central Asia. However, Armenia was right in its path.
-
This would be the perfect oppurtunity to finnaly solve the Armenian question
-
All Armenians in the Turkish army were practically pulled out of army with their weapons seized ad forced to do manual labor.
-
The actual extermination orders were transmitted in coded telegrams to all provincial governors throughout Turkey. Armed roundups began on the evening of April 24, 1915.
-
New York Times publishes stories about the genocide such as Armenians Are Sent to Perish in the Desert - Turks Accused of Plan to Exterminate Whole Population.
-
Temporary relief for some Armenians came as Russian troops attacked along the Eastern Front and made their way into central Turkey
-
Russian troops showed hope by coming in 1916 but they were recalled to Russia because they have to take care of thheir own country first.
-
Armenians gathered together and withdrew with the Russians. As many as 500,000 Armenians came with them.
-
Before the Armenians were about to leave, the Turks found them and about 100,000 of the Armenians were killed.
-
Turks conquer Caucasus which gets the Tuks to focus on Armenia more. As many as 100,000 had fallen ecause of the advancing troops.
-
Thhe Armenians were able to acquire weapons and fought hard and repelled the Turks back to Turkey
-
Days after the victory at the battle of Sardarabad, the Armenian leaders declared their country the Independent Republic of Armenia.
-
Shortly before the war had ended, the Young Turk triumvirate; Talaat, Enver and Djemal, abruptly resigned their government posts and fled to Germany where they had been offered asylum.
-
-
In the months that followed, repeated requests were made by Turkey's new moderate government and the Allies asking Germany to send the Young Turks back home to stand trial. However all such requests were turned down.
-
Armenian activists took matters into their own hands, located the Young Turks and assassinated them along with two other instigators of the mass murder.
-
Armenians asked their allies to have their historic lands back that were taken from Armenia. The allies gave back the land and asked America to take guardianship of Armenia. President QWilson hoped this would pull through but it was rejected by congress.
-
Wilson did not give up on Armenia. As a result of his efforts, the Treaty of Sevres was signed on August 10, 1920, by the Allied Powers, the Republic of Armenia and the new moderate leaders of Turkey. The treaty recognized an independent Armenian state in an area comprising much of the former historic homeland.
