SJS3- “The Young Turks' Crime against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire”

SJS3- “The Young Turks' Crime against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire”

Source:

Klein, Janet. "The Young Turks' Crime against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire." Journal of World History, vol. 24, no. 4, 2013, p. 908+. World History In Context

Author Credentials:

Dr. Janet Klein is a part of the University of Akron History Department. Her research focuses on state-society relations, nationalism, identity, and gender dynamics, and late-Ottoman Kurdistan.

Summary:

Klein analyzes a book written by Taner Akcam on the Armenian Genocide. Klein states that Akcam’s work makes a complex case for analyzing the Armenian Genocide with respect to the important events that occurred before it within the Ottoman Empire. Akcam argues that genocide is not only the killing of people, but the dynamic process of population transfer, annihilation, and assimilation. Klein approves of Akcam’s work and commends his use of Ottoman sources as well as Armenian sources.

Analysis:

Klein mostly agrees with Ackam’s work, stating that, “Thanks to Akcam's work, the field of Armenian genocide research has indeed reached ‘the end of the beginning.’” The argument that genocide is a dynamic process rather than a singular event as the original meaning implies is presented well, as well as the perspectives of Ottoman leaders on the Armenian Genocide. The inclusion of Ottoman perspectives is important because it offers a point of view that is not seen in solely Armenian sources.