BB-005 / Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Act
The Ottoman government ordered the systematic deportation and mass killing of its Armenian population. Estimates of deaths range from 600,000 to 1.5 million. Methods included death marches into the Syrian desert, mass shootings, and starvation. Assyrian and Greek populations were also targeted.
The Response
Contemporary reports by diplomats and missionaries documented the events. After World War I, some Ottoman officials were tried by courts-martial. Turkey continues to deny that the events constituted genocide. Dozens of countries have formally recognized it, producing ongoing diplomatic tension. No comprehensive international tribunal addressed the crimes.