Armenia

1
Armenia The Armenian Genocide and the War
with Azerbaijan -by Beth Peterson (http//www
.armeniaemb.org/DiscoverArmenia/Index.htm)
2
Physical Geography
Smallest Soviet Republic Called Island in the
Sky very high mountainous terrain Landlocked
no access to major body of water Historically
10X larger encompassed much of neighboring
countries especially Turkey
(CIA World Fact Book)
3
Religion- Armenian Apostolic Church
Trace heritage back to Noah 1st country to
formally adopt Christianity (331 AD)
93 of Armenians belong to Armenian Apostolic
church Church as cultural and social force
Karekin II, leader of the Armenian Orthodox
Church (Canadian Armenian Embassy)
(Canadian Armenian Embassy)
4
Demographics
Homogenous- Almost entirely ethnic Armenians
(93) 40 of Armenia lives in its capital,
Yerevan People are generally either urban or
farmers
(www.stonegardenproductions.com)
5
Brief Historical Timeline
-Brief indep., -Soviet rule, -lose Karabakh
territory
Turkey, Iran split Armenia
Regain Karabakh. region
Birth of Armenian nation
Genocide
Christianity
Independence
2100 BC 331 AD 1700s 1915
1918, 1920 1991 1993
6
(No Transcript)
7
History of Conflict with Azerbaijan
Buffer Nations both Armenia Azerbaijan were
tossed between major powers Three Major
Empires -Iran (Persian) -Turkey
(Ottoman) -Russia Series of Invasions
(http//www.bartleby.com/86/4804.html)
8
Alignments 1. Azerbaijan with Turkey 2.
Armenia with Russia These OPPOSITE ALIGNMENTS
cause MUCH TENSION Armenia saw Russia as
hope to carry them out of the Ottoman Empire
Azeris, Turks fight Turkish fire together,
1999 (http//www.fireworld.com/magazine/turkey.htm
l )
9
Azerbaijans Alignment with Turkey

• Many Ties
• 1. Historic since 1905 (Turkey fought for
  Azerbaijan and vice versa)
• 2. Cultural
• 3. Linguistic (Azeri Turkic spoken language,
  written with Roman alphabet)
• 4. Religious Islam
• Turkey 1st to Recognize Azerbaijans
  Independence (1991)

(http//www.ce.areur.army.mil/pages/AZERBAIJAN/Sit
e/images/teze20mecit.jpg)
10
Turkish Genocide of the Armenians
After their loss in WWI, Turkey has few
minorities Turkish nationalsits see Armenians
as a threat Turks make decision to wipe out
Armenian civilization April 24th, 1915, Turks
gather hundreds of Armenian leaders in Istanbul
and murder them
11
Turks first kill Armenian intellectuals in
Istanbul
(http//www.unr.edu/chgps/cn/sp01/03.htm
Armenians told they are being relocated- This
relocation is actually a death march. Along
the march, thousands die. Armenians who survive
are marched to the Syrian Desert and shot
12
April 24th, 1915 start Armenians declared
internal enemies Turkish leaders dont want
Armenians to rebel Most of the Turkish leaders
very anti-Christian
(http//www.unr.edu/chgps/cn/sp01/03.htm)

• Rape
• Starvation
• Murder

(http//www.armenianhistory.info/genocide.htm)
13
(http//www.armenian-genocide.org/curricula/contex
t.htm)
14
1.5 million Armenians killed
Adolf Hitler, when persuading the Nazi Party to
kill the Jews, said, Who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians?
15
Azerbaijan and the Genocide
Supported the Turks Called the Turks our
brothers Many Turks, some Azeris deny the
Genocide happened
16
SSR Territory
In 1920, the Soviets took over Armenia,
Azerbaijan became SSRs Tensions temporarily
lessened
(http//www.vintageposters.com.au/european/europea
n-Pages/Image300.html)  
17
Stalin and Nagorno Karabakh
(http//www.armenianhistory.info/ussr.htm)
Azerbaijan petitions for Nagorno- Karabakh
region Stalin gives it to Azerbaijan even
though it has an ethnic Armenian majority Time
Bomb
(http//www.redcross.org/news/in/health/010313nk.h
tml)
18
Fall of the Soviet Union-

• Visible ethnic tensions resume by 1988
  (Armenians in Azerbaijan are attacked and Azeris
  and Armenia are attacked)
• September 21, 1991, Armenia declares
  independence
• Problem of Nagorno Karabagh
• 1. Ethnically Armenian
• 2. Physically Azerbaijan

(http//armenianstudies.csufresno.edu/hye_sharzhoo
m/vol23/may2002/images/karabagh.jpg)
19
Nature of Armenian/ Azerbaijan Conflict
Centers around Karabakh Historic ties to
Genocide, alliances Warring begins in 1991 more
than 15,000 killed by 1994
Azeri soldier
20
Beginnings of War
Jan., 1990 -extremists in Azerbaijan seize
control of Baku, massacre 100s of Armenians
Spring, 1991 -Circle operation Soviets
Azeris checking passports kill more
Armenians, -Armenia appeals to the U.N.
Aug., 1991 -Soviet Empire falls
Sept., 1991 -Armenian independence
Dec., 1991 -98 of Nagorno Karabakh
votes for independence
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Nagorno Karabakh Region
Armenian language, culture, religion Karabakh
Committee central nationalist movement Importan
t folk region for Armenia
(http//www.roguetalent.com/karabagh6.html )
http//www.armenianhistory.info/artsakh3.htm
22
Armenian Invasion
(http//www.armenstamp.com/karabagh/karabagh.html
)
1993, invade Azerbaijan Take Back Nagorno
Karabakh Also occupy areas of Azerbaijan around
Nagorno Karabakh
23
Little Peace
Current president of Armenia, Ilya Klebanov
1994 truce
Popes visit to Azerbaijan
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Armenian Occupied Region
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Resources
http//www.armeniaemb.org/DiscoverArmenia/Index.ht
m CIA World Fact Book Canadian Armenian
Embassy www.stonegardenproductions.com http//www.
bartleby.com/86/4804.html http//www.fireworld.com
/magazine/turkey.html http//www.ce.areur.army.mi
l/pages/AZERBAIJAN/Site/images/teze20mecit.jpg ht
tp//www.unr.edu/chgps/cn/sp01/03.htm http//www.a
rmenianhistory.info/genocide.htm http//www.armeni
an-genocide.org/curricula/context.htm http//www.a
rmenians.com http//www.vintageposters.com.au/euro
pean/european-Pages/Image300.html
http//www.redcross.org/news/in/health/010313nk.h
tml http//www.armenianhistory.info/ussr.htm http
//armenianstudies.csufresno.edu/hye_sharzhoom/vol2
3/may2002/images/karabagh.jpg http//www.roguetale
nt.com/karabagh6.html http//www.armenianhistory.
info/artsakh3.htm http//www.armenstamp.com/karaba
gh/karabagh.html http//www.geocities.com/master8
885/Forces/fas.htm