Armenological Issues
P-ISSN: 1829-4030
E-ISSN: 3045-3062
Vol. 2 No. 1(29) (2025): 2025-1
Full Issue
Articles
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Articles
ARMIN T. WEGNER, SCHÖPFER DES BEGRIFFS „VOLKSMORD» FÜR DIE VERNICHTUNG DER ARMENIER IM OSMANISCHEN REICH
AbstractThis essay sheds light on an almost unknown aspect of the work of the German writer Armin T. Wegner (1886-1978), namely his legal training in Breslau and Berlin, his doctorate in criminal law and his legal qualification of the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. As a medical officer during the World War in Turkey and an eyewitness, Wegner described the extermination of the Armenians with the term “Volksmord”, which he coined in 1916, whereas Raphael Lemkin coined in 1944 for the extermination of the Armenians in the First World War and of the European Jews by the Nazi regime in the Second World War the term “genocide”. The term defined by Lemkin became part of public international law and has been binding worldwide since 1948.
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THE INVISIBLES: HIDDEN CHRISTIAN NATION(S) IN 20TH-CENTURY TÜRKIYE
AbstractThis article discusses the fate of survivors of the Young Turk and Kemalist genocide against the indigenous Christians of the Ottoman Empire (1912-1922). Although the phenomenon of Ottoman Christians converting to Sunni or Shiite Islam or Alevism has existed in the Ottoman Empire since the 17th century, the genocide in particular significantly accelerated Islamization and thus also the phenomenon of crypto-Christianity in various regions of present-day Republic of Türkiye that were previously predominantly Christian.
However, Islamization did not protect Armenian and Greek genocide survivors from further discrimination. In addition to a comparative consideration of the affected regions – Sasun, Pontos, Hamshen, Cappadocia and Dersim – the analysis focuses on the Dersim region, whose Armenian inhabitants were affected by genocide no fewer than twice: in 1915/16 and in 1938.
At the same time, I examine the effects of Kurdish tribality and the associated granting of protection at the price of serfdom. My empirical basis is the interviews conducted by Avedis Hadjian and Kazım Gündoğan in the 2010s with people of Armenian descent – defined as descendants of at least one Armenian grandparent or great-grandparent. These interviews confirm the fact, also known in other post-genocidal contexts, that the experience of genocide silences the survivors for at least two generations and socially marginalizes those affected. It was only in the generation of grandchildren that the crypto-Christians and Alevized Armenians were able to overcome their invisibility and confront the public with the demand for equal treatment and acceptance.
What price did the crypto-Christians pay for remaining in their homeland? Despite the often-praised good relations between Armenians and Dersim Alevis, the price seems to have been particularly high in this region, because the forced adaptation to regional Alevism led not only to a change of faith, but also to linguistic assimilation into the Turkish and Iranian languages of the region (Kurdish, Kırmanc(k)i or Zazaki). If we consider language and religion to be essential components of collective and individual identity, then the preservation of an Armenian consciousness in this region is all the more remarkable. In other regions examined here, especially in Pontos and Hamshen, the Islamized Greeks and Armenians at least retained their language.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PARIS-BASED ZHOGHOVURD (PEOPLE) DAILY NEWSPAPER IN RESEARCHING THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE FRENCH RESISTANCE (1941-1945)
AbstractThe participation of the Armenian Diaspora in the French Resistance has been the subject of various historical studies. Numerous documentaries and feature films have been made on this topic, generally focusing on the famous Armenian fighter Missak Manouchian and his heroic group. Over recent years, the memoirs of Armenian Resistance heroes such as Meline Manouchian, Mihran Mavian, Arsène Tchakarian, and others have been published.
However, the Armenian Diaspora in France, the majority of whose members were survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, wrote many heroic pages in the history of the Resistance. Unfortunately, many of these events, their participants, and the heroes of those victories remain largely unknown to this day. There are numerous unexplored sources, including Armenian newspapers published in France during the war and the post-war period. One such publication is the Zhoghovurd newspaper, which was issued in Paris under the editorship of Shahe Tatourian from 1943 to 1948. The pages of this newspaper contain many materials written by the participants and witnesses of the events, which could be of significant importance for studying the involvement of the Armenian Diaspora in the French Resistance.
The valuable content of this periodical could be divided into several groups. The first group includes the memoirs of the Armenian participants of Resistance about various actions and their friends who lost their lives during different operations. Among this it’s important to note the names of notorious Armenian fighters M.Mavian, A.Konstandinian, D. Davitian and others. The second group contains several components, including information about the number of Armenians who participated in various actions and operations, their biographies, and posthumous commemorations. Particularly interesting is the third group of information from the pages of the Zhoghovurd newspaper. This group includes data on Armenians returning from Nazi death camps, as well as the efforts of the Armenian community to reintegrate and rehabilitate former prisoners.
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MAINTAINING POWER THROUGH AGGRESSION: THE AZERBAIJANI EXAMPLE
AbstractThe takeover of power by Ilham Aliyev over 20 years ago contains all the elements of a non-democratic system. The power thus assumed is perpetuated by so-called elections, which were and are neither free nor fair. The regime arbitrarily disregards the law and citizens are exposed to state attacks without protection. Critical voices from civil society, freedom of the press and freedom of opinion are systematically suppressed on an ongoing basis. The system is not afraid to persecute critical citizens abroad, too. Criticism by foreign powers has been and continues to be mitigated/suppressed by offering lucrative business opportunities and corrupting foreign, predominantly Western politicians.
An essential feature of this system without checks and balances is the plundering and distribution of the people’s wealth among a few groups close to the rulers, while at the same time disadvantaging the majority of the population. This system of self-enrichment of those in power can also be observed in the so-called „liberated regions“. Here, too, critical discourse is undesirable. Critics are arrested and imprisoned on trivial pretexts, sometimes even kidnapped from abroad. Some become victims of assassination attempts.
This system is not interested in democratic reforms, as they would massively curtail the power of those in power and put a stop to their self-enrichment. Instead of implementing reforms, the system is constantly fuelling a very aggressive nationalism, hatred of its neighbor Armenia and thus distracting from the obvious demands of civil society. The constant territorial demands (West Azerbaijan, Zangezur Corridor, etc.) directed at Armenia have proven to be particularly effective in keeping its own population at bay and avoiding a regime change.
It is a widespread phenomenon that autocrats do not renounce their rule and the economic and other advantages associated with it. In the case of Azerbaijan, this forms an important pillar in the continued aggression against Armenia.
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HETEROTOPIAS IN THE FORESTON THE PERCEPTION OF MEMORIAL DAYS (USING THE EXAMPLE OF BUCHENWALD, BERLIN AND YEREVAN)
Abstract2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar/Germany and the victory of the Allies over Hitlerite fascism. The interference caused by the current war in Ukraine with regard to the evaluation of commemoration days for their implementation provided an opportunity to resume and expand on an essay published a few years ago comparing the memorials in Buchenwald and on Tsitsernakabert in Yerevan.
The results of wars not only have potential consequences for the further course of history, but also for the ideational content of monuments referring to them, which, if they are allowed to remain, can change the direction of their interpretative content.
This is illustrated by the cursory history of the memorials near Weimar (Buchenwald) and Tsitsernakabert and their use in comparison with the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park/Berlin and Red Square in Moscow.
The monuments under discussion and the events that revolve around them are placed in the three-way relationship between past and present (Benjamin) and the respective changes in perspective are observed, taking into account the relationship between the individual and the collective.
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THE DYNAMICS OF FRANCE - TURKEY RELATIONS FROM 1995 TO 2007
AbstractThis paper offers a comprehensive examination of France-Turkey relations during the 1990s, with a particular focus on the critical period from 1995 to 2007. The study identifies this era as a phase of continuous and stable development, which both consolidated the achievements of prior historical phases and laid a solid foundation for subsequent dynamic interactions. The analysis situates bilateral relations within the broader context of Turkey’s evolving political and economic relationship with the European Union, emphasizing the significant and influential role played by France. The paper highlights how France acted as a key interlocutor and strategic partner, fostering political dialogue and reinforcing a complex web of legal and institutional frameworks governing mutual obligations and responsibilities. Although the relationship faced notable obstacles and challenges, it demonstrated resilience and a shared commitment to advancing common interests and strategic goals, reflecting an increasing degree of interdependence between the two countries.
To explore these dynamics, the study employs a multidisciplinary methodological framework centered on strategic analysis. This approach is supported by event analysis, which enables the identification and examination of key turning points and critical developments influencing bilateral relations. Additionally, content analysis is utilized to systematically evaluate diplomatic communications, policy documents, official statements, and media coverage, providing insight into the narratives and discourses shaping Franco-Turkish interactions. This combined methodological approach allows for a nuanced understanding of the political, diplomatic, and legal factors that drove the evolution of relations between France and Turkey over the examined period.
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