PROGRAMME LENGTH
1 hour
SCREENING DETAILS
Monday XXXX at 9.30am EST/ NZ
This program may be confronting for many viewers. It is a description of the events of 1915 and 1916 in Armenia and the Ottoman Empire, and their aftermath. Often described in terms of “genocide”, as in the title, the events and their intention are still disputed.
Using this program as a source of evidence will be a challenging exercise. This will require examining and authenticating the evidence provided by the sources that have been cited in this program and others found by research. The use of eyewitness accounts provides the opportunity to explore questions of perspective and also the reliability of “survivor” testimony.
On the basis of the analysis and evaluation of the sources used and the evidence they reveal individuals may be able to make their own decision as to whether the events described are authentic and reliable. Each may on that basis be able to decide whether the events described satisfy the ‘legal’ definition of “genocide”.
This program should only be used with senior and more mature students.
Dr Denis Mootz
This ‘topic’ is very controversial in some Australian communities.
There is discussion of potentially disturbing ‘themes’.
There are disturbing images.

Stop the video programs at the end of each section.
Allow students to share and discuss answers to the questions below.
Introduction.
Note the opening statements? Implications?
Note the questions that follow?
Note the geographic location of Armenia. Result?
Note the impact of events in 1915 and 1916.
Part 1.
Why did Turkey become involved in WW1?
What ‘side’ did Turkey support?
Was there opposition to this decision? Implications?
Why were Armenians in the “centre” of the battlefield?
Note the impact of the Balkan Wars on the Ottoman Empire. Result?
How did some Armenians react to these events in the Ottoman Empire? Result?
What were the priorities and imperatives of the Ottoman Empire in 1914?
Note the events of January 1915. Result?
Why were Armenians accused of treason after the Battle of Sarikamish?
Note the letter from Enver Pasha, the Ottoman War Minister, on 26 Feb 1915. Implications?
What action did the Ottoman government take? Result?
What was Germany’s reaction to these measures?
Note the April 1915 correspondence from the German Consul in Alepp. Implications?

Part 2.
When was Armenia ‘incorporated’ into the Ottoman Empire?
Note the extent of the Ottoman Empire at its peak.
Who was the major rival of the Ottomans? Result?
How did this affect the Armenians?
What freedoms did Armenians enjoy as part of the Ottoman Empire?
Why were Armenians the subject of ‘discrimination’?
How did “the law” treat Armenians?
Note the description of Armenian community life.
Why did some Armenians demand ‘political and social emancipation’?
Who supported them?
What was the “Armenian Question”? Implications? Result?
What was the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the European “Powers”? Result?
Why was the empire “in decline”? Result? Impact?
Note the role of Britain, France and Germany in modernising the Ottoman Empire. Result?
Why did the living conditions of ‘minorities’ decline?
Note the provisions made in 1878 to protect minorities. Result?
How did Armenians respond? Result?
Note the estimated death toll for the period 1894-96.
How did European nations react to these “massacres”? Result?
Note the report from the French Ambassador in October 1895. Implications?
Part 3.
Note the events of 1908 in the Ottoman Empire. Result?
How did the restored constitution affect the Armenians?
Why was the Sultan replaced in 1909? Result?
Note events at Adana. Note the role of the Army. Implications?
What was the goal of the “Association of Union and Progress” in November 1914? Result?
Note the concern expressed by the US ambassador.
Note the scenario described by the German Ambassador. Implications?
Note the discussion of the importance of the Dardanelles.
Why was Russia interested in this area? Result? Implications?
Why was Constantinople now in danger? Result?
How were civilians affected by the fighting in Turkey? Result?
Why were Armenians arrested in the eastern provinces at this time?
Note events in Van in April 1915. Result?
How was the Armenian action at Van reported in Constantinople? Result?
How did the European “powers” respond to reports of government repression?
Note the German ‘position’.
Note the discussion of German “colonial’ ambitions and interests. Implications?
Note the Allied statement of 24 June 1915 using the term a “crime against humanity”.
Note the Ottoman response. Implications?
Note the comments from the German Ambassador. Implications?

Part 4.
Note details of the “Temporary Deportation Law” issued by Interior Minister Talaat Pacha.
What powers did this law give military commanders? Implications?
How did this law affect the Armenians?
What evidence does the account given by Artem Ohanian provide? Implications?
Note the 30 June 1915 report of Leslie Davis US Consul to Kharpout.
Note the description of the “secret” deportation plan.
What was the final destination of the deportees?
Note the process of deportation.
Note the law passed in September 1915 concerning “property”. Implications?
Why were the men separated from the women and children?
Note Davis’s note of 11 July 1915. Implications?
Note Artem Ohanian’s description of a massacre.
Note the fate of the western Armenians in the following winter.
Part 5.
What events and interests diverted European attention from events in the Ottoman Empire?
Note the account given by Saha Manougian.
Note Davis’s comments in September 1915. Implications?
Note the action of the US Consul in Trebizond.
Note US Ambassador Morganthau’s comments on these actions and their goal.
How were some Armenian survivors rescued?
Note the account given by Haroulium Mikelian.
What evidence is there that some Turks ignored the government policy?
What measures were taken to keep events secret?
Note the role of Germany in this action.
Note the positive reference to Liman Von Sanders.
Note German Consul Walter Rossler’s warning to his superiors.
Note German Ambassador Metternich’s intervention in October 1915. Implications? Result?
Note Metternich’s July 1916 reference to US and Papal warnings and threats.

Part 6.
Note the account given by Haroulium Mikelian of his survival. Implications?
Note the fate of many other children and young women.
Note the description of the transit camp at Alepp.
What was the fate of the Armenians who arrived in the relocation areas in Syria?
Note the result of the deportations?
Note Turkey’s surrender on 20 October 1918.
Note the charges against Talaat Pacha and his “consorts” in the Association of Union and
Progress. Result?
Note the fate of Talaat Pacha and others.
What happened to the Ottoman Empire after 1918?
What was the decision about Armenia at Versailles? Result?
Why was the “Armenian Question” buried at Lausanne in July 1923?
How many Armenians were there in Turkey in the census of 1927?
How were Armenian refugees treated?
Note the fate of the Armenians who survived.
Note the destinations of the Armenian ‘diaspora’.
When was the word “genocide” first used?
Note the original definition of the term.
When was the term incorporated into international law?
Note Arnold Toynbee’s 1916 comments on the ‘extermination’ of the Armenians.

Useful, interesting, challenging, materials can be found at the websites below.
These will supplement and complement the History presented in the video program.
Both the data collected here and above should be used in the notemaking exercise that follows.
Ottoman Empire : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire http://www.britannica.com/place/Ottoman-Empire http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml
http://www.theottomans.org/english/index.asp
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ottoman.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defeat_and_dissolution_of_the_Ottoman_Empire
Armenia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Armenia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Armenian_history http://www.littlearmenia.com/html/little_armenia/armenian_history.asp
http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Armenian_History
WW1 : http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/EastEurope/TurkeyCentral.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/middle_east_01.shtml
http://www.turkeyswar.com
http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/minorpowers_turkey.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/middle_east_01.shtml
Genocide : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007043 http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/defining-genocide
Young Turks : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Turks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Turk_Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_countercoup_of_1909 http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/HIST351-8.3.1-Young-Turks.pdf
Talaat Pacha : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talaat_Pasha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Pashas http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/talaat.htm
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/armenia_talaatorders.htm
http://www.moreorless.net.au/killers/pashas.html
Association of Union and Progress : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Union_and_Progress https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913_Ottoman_coup_d%27état http://www.turkeyswar.com/prelude/cup.html
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Committee-of-Union-and-Progress
Law for Temporary Deportation : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehcir_Law https://www.facinghistory.org/sites/default/files/Trying_to_Make_a_Difference.pdf
Contemporary Reports : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_coverage_during_the_Armenian_Genocide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgenthau,_Sr . http://www.armenian-genocide.org/statement_morgenthau.html
http://www.teachgenocide.org/background/ambassador.htm
http://www.anca.org/genocide_resource/records.php
Controversy’ : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide https://www.themonthly.com.au/monthly-essays-robert-manne-turkish-tale-gallipoli-and-armenian-genocide-459 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/22/turkish-silence-fans-century-of-armenian-grief-over-genocide http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/16/the-armenian-genocide-the-guardian-briefing http://www.armenian-genocide.org/young_turks.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/turks-join-armenians-marking-1915-mass-killings-150424235824726.html
http://www.genocide1915.info

This is the collation stage of the activity.
Encourage students to compose the suggested summaries and to organise the field of information and begin to explore its context.
This activity could be done in teams, groups, or by individuals, or as a class with teacher direction.
1.
Draw up a timeline / chronological chart of the events described and discussed in this program.
2.
Note the history and extent of the Ottoman Empire.
3.
Note details of the Young Turks movement.
4.
Note details of the Turkish “revolution”.
5.
Note details of the involvement of the Ottoman Empire in WW1.
6.
Note details of the government of the “Three Pashas”.
7.
Note the policies and aims of the “Association of Union and Progress”.
8.
Note details of the events involving the ‘deportation’ of Armenians in 1915 and 1916.
9.
Note details of the ‘controversy’ concerning events in Turkey in 1915 and 1916.
10.
Note the charges and the verdict in the trial of the “Three Pashas” and their supporters.
11.
Note the definition of “genocide” and its origin.

Address and discuss the key issues and questions that have been raised by the video at this stage.
Some are suggested below. Students will probably raise others.
1.
What elements are used to label events as “genocide”?
2.
Was the deportation of Armenians the official policy of the Turkish government?
It is necessary always to address questions of reliability and validity of the perspectives, evidence and sources presented in the documentary and other sources. These need to be considered, tested and researched. Some are suggested below. Students will probably raise others.
1.
What objections could be raised about “survivor” accounts of the past?
How are these problems usually addressed?
2.
To what extent has this ‘controversy’ been complicated by competing ‘national’ interests and perspectives?
Use the key issues and inquiry questions as topics for debate, essay writing, reports, historical recount and explanation.
1.
Write a REPORT on the “Three Pashas”.
2.
Prepare notes (both sides) for a DEBATE of the proposition that
Eyewitness accounts are no more reliable than any other source of historical evidence.
3.
Why has this controversy continued in the light of the existing historical evidence?