Armenian Genocide - Impact on Hitler

The Armenian Genocide in Turkey during World War I was the first modern genocide resulting in the death of over one million ethnic Armenians, more than half of the Armenian population within the country. The genocide in large part was due to centuries of hostility between the minority Christian Armenians and the majority Muslim Turks who ruled the region. World War I brought an agreement between the "Young Turks" who championed a Pan-Turkisim, strong Nationalism/desire to create a unified country of Turkey as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing, and Germany. Germany would support their efforts if Turkey allied themselves with Germany during World War I.

The Armenians were seen as an obstacle to the Pan-Turkish movement and they were seen as "traitors" and possible allies neighboring Russia. The extreme nationalism coupled with centuries of mistrust set the stage for what was to come.

When we think of Genocide, the massacre of Armenians are often over looked. It was the first modern genocide and its important to study it, along with all other human rights violations, to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

The lessons of the Armenian Genocide were not lost on Adolf Hitler. The following is from the Armenian Genocide Resource Library for Teachers:

On August 22, 1939, in preparation for the impending invasion of Poland, Hitler stated to Reichmarshal Hermann Goering and the commanding generals at Obersalzberg...

"Our strength consists in our speed and in our brutality. Genghis Khan led millions of women and children to slaughter - with premeditation and a happy heart. History sees in him solely the founder of a state. It's a matter of indifference to me what a weak western European civilization will say about me.

I have issued the command - and I'll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad - that our war aim does not consist in reaching certain lines, but in the physical destruction of the enemy. Accordingly, I have placed my death-head formations in readiness - for the present only in the East - with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space (lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

Source: http://www.teachgenocide.org/background/hitler.htm

Answer the following questions based on the document:

1. What are two ways Hitler justifies his actions in August 1939?
2. What is your reaction to the final sentence of the passage?

Please answer these questions in the comments.