Armenian Genocide: Deportations

The Armenian Genocide involved systematic deportation and killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, specifically from 1915 to 1916.
Key events include:
- Armed round-ups began on April 24, 1915.
- Mass killings and deportations occurred throughout the empire.
- U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau Sr. described the events as "race murder" and reported systematic persecution leading to destruction of Armenian populations.

Objectives of the Lesson:
- Analyze the Armenian Genocide by examining Turkish deportation plans through primary sources.
- Understand the origins, demographics, and rights demands of Armenians leading up to the genocide.
Essential Questions:
- Where did the Armenians come from?
- What was the religion of the Armenians?
- When did Armenians begin to demand more equal rights?
- Who were the Young Turks and their advocacy in 1908?

Deportation Planning:
- Conducted in secrecy by the Turkish government.
- Executed by police and Special Organization Units; officials who resisted were dismissed.
- Notices about deportations were posted in public, giving Armenians minimal time to leave.
Conditions During Deportations:
- Males over 15 were separated for execution; women, children, and elderly were subjected to brutal treatments.
- Armenians were forced to march over harsh terrains towards the Syrian desert with minimal supplies.
- Many died from exposure, malnutrition, thirst, and epidemics.
Suppression and Violence:
- Families were promised that their belongings and livestock would be safe, a promise that was largely unfulfilled.
- When they fell behind, they were sometimes shot or beaten.
- Provisioning was severely denied. Food was scarce, with bread often exchanged for personal belongings.

By Spring 1915, between 400,000 to 500,000 Armenians had become survivors, but many were killed by the Spring of 1916.
More than half of the Armenian population perished due to extermination and forced displacement.
Special Organization kidnapped women and children, sold them as slaves; systemic rape and violence against women were reported.

Any resistance by Armenians was met with massacres, further decimating the community.
By the end of the genocide, only about 90,000 of the deported survived, highlighting the genocide’s devastating impact on Armenian identity and community.
Statistics of the Genocide:
- Over 600,000 Armenians murdered by 1915.
- 500,000 deported, with only 90,000 surviving the process.

Self-evaluation and understanding scale:
- Develop a self-assessment based on understanding the complexities of Armenian deportations and genocide.
Assignment:
- Analyze primary sources related to deportations of Armenians and understand their historical implications.
- Engage in discussions about the impact of these events on Armenian culture and history.

Conduct guided discussions based on produced notes and observations about the Armenian Genocide and deportations for better comprehension and retention.