A story of empire
After a coup in Turkey in 1913, the Young Turks wanted to cut off their country from the Ottoman Empire, tired of the autocratic regime. In January 1914, the great powers like Russia put pressure on the Sultan to sign the "Reform of Armenia", which should end the persecutions of Armenians - they suffer pogroms. That same year, the empire went to war alongside Germany.
The language also differed from the Turks. Armenians were part of the Ottoman Empire in 1914, but they had no country to speak of. The language already marked a distance between the Turks and the Armenians, who were rarely independent. Whether by the Romans, Persians, Arabs or Turks, Armenia seems to have always been occupied. But above all it seemed to be getting closer to the Russians, moving a little further away from the Ottoman Empire of which it was still a part. The Ottoman Empire was on the side of Germany during the Great War, while Russia was on the side of France.
A history of religion
Russia is at war with Germany. Turks doubt the loyalty of Armenians, who are Christians while Turks are Muslims. They fear that the Armenians will ally themselves with Orthodox Russia, which is also nearby, and that they will be betrayed by them. So the solution was to eliminate them, because they were the minority.
As early as 1908, there were new pogroms to "turquise" and put pressure on the Armenians to leave. In the spring of 1915, Van was lost by the Ottomans because of the Russian advance, which triggered an uprising:if the Russians took over, then there would be a reversal of power, and the Armenians would be more powerful than the Turks. At this time, they represent a threat. The Young Turks, in power since 1908, want to maintain the empire, but see the Christians as enemies within. In wanting to create the nation-state, they will go through the deportations and murders of Armenians.
"In reality, there is the eternal conflict between Christians and Muslims" says Paul Cambon in a correspondence. There were many Orthodox, Catholic, and even Protestant Armenians. In addition to language, religion differed between two peoples in the same empire.
A history of genocide
The police began by tracking down the Armenian activists, then Djemal Pasha set up the deportation of the Armenians in February 1915. As their conditions were disastrous, the Armenians of Van revolted on April 20, but nothing to do, because that is what what the Young Turks were looking for to give a reason for their actions.
On April 14, they round up hundreds of Armenians in Istanbul, then they are taken away, between May 19 and August 29 , to Mesopotamia. They are transported by train, as the Jews will be during the Holocaust. There's no water, nothing else. After the trip, which already causes many deaths, the survivors are released into the desert, then greatly weakened. The Young Turks justify their act by claiming that it is the fault of the Armenians if they lost the region of Van, because they were mainly gathered there.
Death marches, like those of the detainees in 1944, complete the Armenians who survived the train. Then they arrive in camps made to die of hunger and disease.
What about the duty of memory?
Even today, Turkey does not recognize the genocide, as well as other countries, such as Israel. The corruption seems to have lasted longer than expected. Now, it is the people affected by this episode in history who are trying to have it recognized, and asking for forgiveness, for a people who no longer exist. Will they ever get it?
In 1918, an Armenian Republic (with what little remains) was created, which would become a Soviet Socialist Republic in 1920.
Armenia claimed its independence in 1991. Even today, Turkey does not recognize the genocide. The Young Turks were the heroes of this country, they are its glory, its pride and pride. Their beautiful image that they carry cannot be destroyed... even if it is a million and a half deaths.