The British Murder of the Armenian Nation

[Eddie]

I have just read two fine volumes by John Kirakossian entitled 'Bourgeois Democracy and Armenia' the first covering the decade begining 1870, the second 1880. Here a first impression.

 

 

The British Murder of the Armenian Nation

 

 

Often it is German Imperialism that is charged with complicity and even critical responsibility for the Ottoman-Turkish Genocide of Armenian people. The German state, its political and military officials certainly played their role, especially during World War One. However as John Kirakossian, a fine, fine historian shows in his two volume study of Bourgeois Diplomacy and Armenia’, the real culprit was British Imperialism.

 

Britain is primarily responsible for the murder of the Armenian nation, for the slaughter, the Genocide and the destruction of the Armenian people living in their western homelands occupied by the imperial Ottoman-Turkish state. Kirakossian’s volume’s are rich in many ways, but this the most visible central pillar reinforced beyond any toppling.

 

In the wake of 18th and 19th century global industrialisation, the Ottoman Empire failed to keep pace with European imperial states. Lacking elites capable of taking the lead in reforming a decaying, corrupted and violent state the Empire began to fall foul of the voracious appetites of European imperialism that prepared to plunder and seize whatever they could.

 

Within the Ottoman Empire, failure of reform gave rise to competing nationalisms, among them Greek, Balkan, Armenian and other movements. But besides these nationalisms of oppressed peoples there also rose a virulent, savage Turkish nationalism, bent on two things: protecting the Ottoman Empire both from European plundering and the destroying, by any means it had available all internal resistance from nations it had for centuries oppressed and plundered.

 

The Armenian case was here unique. Unlike Greek and other Balkan nations Armenian national development took a somewhat extraordinary path that denied it independent economic foundations within Armenia upon which to found a nation state could arise and in the same measure prevented the evolution of a domestic, native elite with the economic means and the political confidence to lead the struggles of an overwhelmingly backward peasantry, to challenge Ottoman power and negotiate with Europe from a position of strength.

 

Based in the Diaspora, in Istanbul and Izmir Armenian elites lacked a popular, native base that would give them independent political muscle. In the same measure the people in the homeland, the peasantry and artisans lacked the economic and political muscle that would drive their struggles for emancipation. The emerging Armenian nation as a result lacked the where-with-all to withstand the assaults of Turkish nationalism. It also lacked the means to negotiate independently with Europe that was steadily encroaching upon the dying Ottoman Empire.

 

The Armenian people thus, in comparison to the Greeks, Bulgarians and other Balkan nations were utterly powerless. Without the necessary social, economic and political pillars they inevitably gravitated to a policy of reliance on imperialist powers for the resolution of their national oppression. This could not be otherwise. Yet the Armenians and their plight counted for nothing, all of these powers – British, French and Russian. When it suited them they all, without hesitation or humanity, abandoned Armenians to the Turkish murder machine.

 

For Armenians, a temporary reprieve, a breathing space opened up with the possible expansion of the Tsarist imperial state into Armenia, with the prospect of the annexation of portions of western Armenia by the Russian state. The history of eastern Armenia so annexed had generated a modicum of security and along with it the possibility of economic development that could contribute significantly to nation formation. Though under no illusions about the Tsarist State, annexation by Russia would have at least halted Turkish nationalism’s murderous assault

 

The Russian state never was a friend of the Armenian people. Yet in the face of relentless and growing barbarism of Turkish nationalism occupation by Russia would provide Armenians with a critical breathing space.

 

British imperialism denied the Armenian people this breathing space.

 

As Kirakossian, shows British imperialism stopped at nothing, not lying, not hypocrisy, not deceit nor the threat of war to prevent Tsarist expansion into western Armenia. It devoted all its economic and military, all its political and diplomatic advantage to protecting the territorial integrity of an Ottoman Empire that was a prison for oppressed nations. So it preserved not just the Ottoman Empire but gave Turkish nationalism the means to wage its war against the Armenian people with impunity.

 

British imperialism understood well the consequences of its policy of at all costs blocking any Russian advance into western Armenia. It knew full well of the massacres, the slaughter, the violence, the forced religious conversion, the prohibitions on the Armenian language. It knew of the very core and essence of Ottoman state policy to annihilate the Armenians in their western homelands. But for British imperialism this was all positive! The British state regarded Armenians as enemies, as hostile agents of the Russian state. An independent Armenia was perceived as an anti-British ally of Russia’s. The Armenian elite in Istanbul, Izmir and Cilicia was glanced at suspiciously as vehicles for a competing French Empire. A Turkish annihilation of the Armenians would be a boon for the British.

 

So during the period after the 1877/8 Russo-Turkish war, during the negotiations preceding the San Stefano Treaty and the Berlin conference Britain did everything to force Russian forces out of western Armenia and so cut off the supply of oxygen to the Armenian nation. So they gave Turkish nationalism the succour and support to set about the eradication of the Armenian people with no fear of any challenge. Britain would be there to protect the territorial integrity of an Empire it had its eyes on.

 

Armenians may of course, and should, criticise their elites for their abject genuflection before imperialist power, for their stupid faith in imperialist policy, for their reliance on others to solve the Armenian national question. Such a criticism is urgent for Armenian policy today. Yet this willingness of the Armenian elites to become slaves of foreign imperial powers does not absolve European imperialism of responsibility, and particularly British imperialism, for it was their policy that enslaved them.

 

Within the emerging Armenian nation very significant efforts were made to set pillar and foundation for Armenian nation development, economic, political and cultural within the Armenian homelands itself. But at every step these measure fell foul, of an aggressive and repressive Ottoman Turkish state. But what allowed this state to be, to act, to destroy the emergence of a stable and secure Armenian nation was British imperialism. It protected the Red Sultan, preserved the Ottoman state and so enabled the state to uproot a people from their ancient homelands.

 

Perfidious Albion, untrustworthy yesterday, today the same! From such power I want no recognition of the Armenian Genocide. It would if it ever happens be only an anti-Armenian diplomatic ploy. Keep out! Let Armenians and Turks resolve their problems amongst themselves.

 

Eddie Arnavoudian

23 January 2011

[Ashot]

It would if it ever happens be only an anti-Armenian diplomatic ploy. Keep out! Let Armenians and Turks resolve their problems amongst themselves.

 

 

Yah aha, sure - there would be only one way to resolve this matter if no one interfered - either no more Armenia or no more furkey.