Since the beginning of the twelfth century, Armenians occupied the region of Caucasus in the combined continental landmass of Eurasia. For 3,000 years they lived as a separate nation known as Armenia. However, in the fifteenth century, this trend ended, and Armenia merged with the Ottoman Empire. Discord between the two entities arose as a result of the differentiating religions: the Islamic Ottoman Empire and the Christian Armenian Kingdom.

The Ottoman Empire had no tolerance for Christianity, and as a result treated Armenians atrociously by depriving them of basic rights, with the imposing of high taxes and a lack of political freedom. At the end of the nineteenth century, when the oppressed group fought for their basic rights Sultan Abdul Hamid II retaliated with the beginning of the first Armenian Massacre. Ordinary Muslim men would go into the “enemy’s” village and would wreak havoc. By the end, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were massacred.

Later, when the Young Turks came into power, Armenians became more hopeful because of the development of a more modern constitution; however, these beliefs were short-lived because the Young Turks made it a priority to purify the nation of all non-Turks, but especially the Armenians.

During World War One, the Turks sided with Germany, and thus declared jihad on all non-ally Christians. True genocide began on April 24, 1915, with the murder of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, and then the Turks moved on to civilians. Ordinary citizens were forced to go on death marches; they were stripped naked, starved, and shot if they stopped.

The Young Turks also created “Butcher Battalions:” groups of ex-convicts who murdered Armenians and then took over their villages. Prior to the Armenian genocide, there were two million Armenians, and after the end of it in 1920, only half a million of the subjugated group was left.

Almost 100 years later the Armenian genocide remains relatively unknown and extremely controversial. It is considered the third most horrific genocide to ever be committed, so why does it remain unrecognized?

Today, Turkey is a crucial ally for the United States, and other US-backed nations because it allows them to have geopolitical influence over the region and keep a close eye on possible enemies. This trend was established during World War 2 with the creation of the Marshall Plan: a way to combat communism by investing and rebuilding Turkey.

As a result of fear that Turkey will take offense and withdraw from partnership, allied countries are reluctant to recognize the true horror of what happened to the Armenians and call it as it is: a genocide.