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Sultan reaction to Armenian Political Reform
Sultan was furious and did not apprrove Armenian political reform. He responded by killing over 100,000 Armenians. -
Sultan's days are numbered
Reform-minded Turkish nationalists known as "Young Turks" forced the Sultan to allow a constitutional government and guarantee basic rights. The Young Turks were ambitious junior officers in the Turkish Army who wanted to halt the countries steady decline. -
The Young Turk's have seized control
The Young Turks have seized full control of the government, which the Armenians were not happy about. -
Turkish plans for the Empire
They wanted to unite all of the Turkic peoples in the entire region while expanding the borders of Turkey eastward across the Caucasus all the way into Central Asia. However, Armenia was right in its path. -
World War I broke out
This would be the perfect oppurtunity to finnaly solve the Armenian question -
Armenians taken out of the Turkish army
All Armenians in the Turkish army were practically pulled out of army with their weapons seized ad forced to do manual labor. -
Armenian Genocide begins.
The actual extermination orders were transmitted in coded telegrams to all provincial governors throughout Turkey. Armed roundups began on the evening of April 24, 1915. -
West learns about Armenian genocide
New York Times publishes stories about the genocide such as Armenians Are Sent to Perish in the Desert - Turks Accused of Plan to Exterminate Whole Population. -
Russian Troops come
Temporary relief for some Armenians came as Russian troops attacked along the Eastern Front and made their way into central Turkey -
Russians withdraw due to the Russian Revolution
Russian troops showed hope by coming in 1916 but they were recalled to Russia because they have to take care of thheir own country first. -
Armenians follow Russians
Armenians gathered together and withdrew with the Russians. As many as 500,000 Armenians came with them. -
Turks find the Armenians
Before the Armenians were about to leave, the Turks found them and about 100,000 of the Armenians were killed. -
Turks conquer Caucasus
Turks conquer Caucasus which gets the Tuks to focus on Armenia more. As many as 100,000 had fallen ecause of the advancing troops. -
Victory at the battle of Sardarabad
Thhe Armenians were able to acquire weapons and fought hard and repelled the Turks back to Turkey -
The Independent Republic of Armenia
Days after the victory at the battle of Sardarabad, the Armenian leaders declared their country the Independent Republic of Armenia. -
Days before end of World War I
Shortly before the war had ended, the Young Turk triumvirate; Talaat, Enver and Djemal, abruptly resigned their government posts and fled to Germany where they had been offered asylum. -
World War I ends
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Requests for Young Turks to face trial
In the months that followed, repeated requests were made by Turkey's new moderate government and the Allies asking Germany to send the Young Turks back home to stand trial. However all such requests were turned down. -
Assassination of Young Turks
Armenian activists took matters into their own hands, located the Young Turks and assassinated them along with two other instigators of the mass murder. -
Rejection of guardianship of Armenia
Armenians asked their allies to have their historic lands back that were taken from Armenia. The allies gave back the land and asked America to take guardianship of Armenia. President QWilson hoped this would pull through but it was rejected by congress. -
Treaty of Sevres
Wilson did not give up on Armenia. As a result of his efforts, the Treaty of Sevres was signed on August 10, 1920, by the Allied Powers, the Republic of Armenia and the new moderate leaders of Turkey. The treaty recognized an independent Armenian state in an area comprising much of the former historic homeland.
