Armenia Pre-Genocide 2

1908: The Young Turks

In 1908, a coalition known as the Young Turks came to power in the Ottoman Empire, forcing the sultan's authoritarian regime out and restoring the constitution of 1876. The Young Turks promised to modernize, strengthen, and "Turkify" the empire to help return it to its former power.

They were able to catalyze industrialization and institute reforms of the legal system and the schools, but their poor execution of foreign policy would eventually cause the empire to collapse. Their modernizations also did not include significant improvements for the dhimmi, including the significant Armenian population of about two million.

1909: Massacre in Adana

In 1909, reactions to the takeover of the Young Turks turned violent in the coastal region around the city of Adana, a historically Armenian area. Over 4,000 Armenian houses were torched and 20,000-30,000 people were killed in Adana, which led to a series of violent incidents in the surrounding region.

Though the government, led by the Young Turks, opened an investigation into the massacre, no real action was taken. This incident was a precursor to the genocide of 1915, as it demonstrated a growing Turkish nationalist sentiment, and that the general population would tolerate mass violence against the Armenians.