As #GenocideAwarenessMonth continues despite my delays, I planned to do Native American genocides in California since a few things lined up but then the President of the United States went and made a historic move. Let's talk about the Armenian genocide. /1

I had initially got it twisted but today is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. I should have planned a bit better I suppose but the thread is happening now so...let's do this. /2

"Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring." - President Joe Biden /3 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/24/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-armenian-remembrance-day/

After decades of using euphemisms to placate the Turkish government, the United States has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide as a genocide. One of the 20th centuries earliest mass atrocities is no longer being lied about as a matter of federal policy year after year. /4

Conflict between the Ottoman Empire and its Armenian citizens did not begin in the shadow of the First World War but when Imperial Russian forces, aided by an Armenian volunteer detachment, defeated the Ottoman's at Sarikamish in Jan of 1915; the Central Power had its excuse. /5

While the Ottoman's faced the legendary killer of armies that is the Russian Winter and made some poor estimations, they needed a scapegoat to blame. Armenians fighting for the Russians and independent pockets of resistance among the people became a conspiracy. /6

To borrow term from a generation later, the Ottomans had their "stabbed in the back myth". The Armenians were Christian in a Sunni Muslim, Turkish empire in the middle of a war. A war they joined due to economic ties with the Germans rather than links to a dead archduke but... /7

...a war nonetheless. This conspiracy of disloyal religious enemies within its borders was something that stretched back to earlier conflicts and was a potent myth to exploit. /8

From 1915 to 1917, Committee of Union and Progress or The Young Turks who gained significant power in a 1908 revolution were the primary drivers of an attempt to destroy Armenians within their sphere of influence; primarily Asia Minor. /9

Much like 1904 Namibian Genocide before it, we see elements of 19th Century colonialism and the emerging elements of industrialized mass murder. Massacres, sexual violence, exposure to the elements, death marches, a network of sites dedication to deportation and murder, etc. /10

Ottoman forces including cavalry units known as the Hamidiye that were ethnically-mixed but predominately Kurdish are responsible for the deaths of approx. 1 million Armenians. /11

April 24th is commemorated because it is Red Sunday - the nightly detention and deportation of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals from Constantinople. A flashpoint to start a genocide not unlike Kristallnacht in its role comparatively. /12

Today is the 1st time the US is actually recognizing that day justly. It is isn't clouded by fears of Turkish reprisal or euphemism as an elected official who said "genocide" before election now has to say "atrocity" instead. Today, its called by its name in America. /13

I hope that we can continue with this work to properly memorialize/remember those Armenians who have died at the hands of a genocidal regime as well as their Pontic Greek and Assyrian brethren. I hope we can take this energy to continue to do more. /e