Echoes of Darkness: Unveiling Parallels in the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenians had lived peacefully in the Ottoman Empire until the year 1908 when the Young Turk movement took over the government by overthrowing the government. They encouraged an Islamic religion-state and a nationalistic spirit. Their entry into World War I came to their leverage, and they started deporting Armenians from their land. This led to the killing of many Armenian leaders, and in 1915 others were sent away, leading to over one million deaths of the Armenians.

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The Armenian Genocide is one of the causes of the Nazi's lousy treatment of the Jews. The Armenians practiced Christianity until the takeover by the Young Turk government. They wanted to wipe away the Armenians. They used the world war as a cover, removed the Armenians from their homes, relocated them to labor camps, and starved them to death. In 1915 Armenians were deported through Erzeroum, comprising mostly women, older men, and children. The governor murdered an Armenian bishop. The deportation order (Imperial Iradeh) saw many Armenians killed, terming it as lawful. They sorted the abled men and left the women and children who were later killed. The women and children were later killed in cold blood. Every Armenian woman, man, child, and infant was dead ( Bloxham, 2017). The women were raped and killed. The Turks massacred Armenian traveling bands and threw them to the river. There were officials in charge of deportation and extermination who even boasted of the many Armenians they had killed.

The Holocaust

It entailed the killing of over six million European Jews in Germany by the Nazi regime. In 1935, laws were passed restricting Jews from holding office, intermarrying, and forbidding them from government service. By 1942, the Nazi leaders were discussing the extermination of the Jews using any means possible. Many Jews were removed from their villages and towns and placed in camps Europe in Europe. The Jews in German-occupied Poland were overworked and then exterminated. The spring of 1942 saw the first lot of Jews eliminated in Upper Silesia. The Jews were lured into German trap chambers and killed through suffocation and annihilation. They calmed the masses and drew them into the rooms, telling them that it would disinfect them for the job positions. The entire process was to be calm and quick so that the victims would have little time to know what was going on.

Women hid their babies, but the officers were keen to see the women go into the chamber with their babies. Children were lured to the chamber by the particular detachment member through toys and encouragement. Some people knew what was going on, and never the less went inside the gas chambers. Those who effused to enter the chambers were shot secretly. The spring of 1942 saw many Jews gassed and killed. Men, women, and children were transported secretly to these chambers. The selection of the Jews was made, and this brought confusion. At some time, this process was repeated.

The dead bodies were dragged from the gas chambers after the extraction of the gold teeth and cutting of the hair and carried to the pits or cremated. In the holes, the bodies were burned.

Similarities of the two Genocides

Some similarities between the two genocides include the mass killing of millions of people. The Armenians killed in the Armenian genocides totaled over one million, and the Jews in Germany over six million. Another similarity is the use of war to cover the evil deeds done to the victims. The Turks used the First World War while the Germans used the Second World War. The killing of the inferior groups is evident in the two genocides where the Armenians and the Jews were killed. The use of force in the killings was also prominent, and treachery was meant to lure the victims into the trap. The separation of victims from their families and being killed secretly is seen in both genocides ( Kopstein & Wittenberg, 2018).

Differences between the Genocides

The number of lives claimed in both genocides is not the same, citing that Germany claimed six million Jews and the Ottoman Empire claimed one million Armenians. The killing of the victims in the two genocides deferred citing that Germany employed the use of gasses while the Ottoman Empire employed the use of starvation.

The difference in ideologies driving the two Genocide

There was a difference in the ideologies running the two genocides. The use of the special detachment team in making sure that the process was a success was used in Germany, while a member of the 'Shotas' who was an armed band killing the Armenians was employed in the Ottoman Empire.

Reasons why the Holocaust is known compared to the Armenian Genocide, which is nearly forgotten.

The Holocaust is known by many as the primary victims claimed, which is over six million, which is a large number, while that of Armenians have one million. The use of gas in the Holocaust even makes it known to many people because it is inhumane (Paldiel, 2017). The events also make a big difference in that people will always remember a recent event (Holocaust) rather than an old one(Armenian Genocide). Germany's involvement in the Holocaust makes it known to many compared to the Ottoman Empire's Armenian massacre.

References

Bloxham, D. (2017). Determinants of the Armenian Genocide. In Looking Backward, Moving Forward (pp. 23-50). Routledge.

Kopstein, J. S., & Wittenberg, J. (2018). Intimate violence: Anti-Jewish pogroms on the eve of the Holocaust. Cornell University Press.

Paldiel, M. (2017). Saving One's Own: Jewish Rescuers During the Holocaust. U of Nebraska Press.