Changes

With the advent of [[World War I]] the situation became much worse.  As Christians in an Empire of Muslims that was now at war with Christian nations, especially Russia, the Armenians were viewed by the Ottoman government as a threat and potential subversive allies of the Russians.  The Ottomans first disarmed the Armenian population, and then sought to destroy them starting in 1915.  A massive [[genocide]] occurred, consisting of the deaths of 600,000 or more Armenian men, women and children. Most died by starvation in the desert. Turkey has never admitted the deaths were a premeditated genocide, and the topic is generally not discussed in Turkey.

With the advent of [[World War I]] the situation became much worse.  As Christians in an Empire of Muslims that was now at war with Christian nations, especially Russia, the Armenians were viewed by the Ottoman government as a threat and potential subversive allies of the Russians.  The Ottomans first disarmed the Armenian population, and then sought to destroy them starting in 1915.  A massive [[genocide]] occurred, consisting of the deaths of 600,000 or more Armenian men, women and children. Most died by starvation in the desert. Turkey has never admitted the deaths were a premeditated genocide, and the topic is generally not discussed in Turkey.

==Russian control of Eastern Armenia==

===Russian control of Eastern Armenia===

The Armenians, divided under the rule of the  Ottoman Empire and Persia and ravaged by the  fighting between them, turned for military assistance and political protection in the 18th  and 19th centuries to [[History of Russia|Russia]]. The Russian advance  along the Caspian and the expansion into Georgia  encouraged requests for help. When a 70,000 strong  Persian army entered Transcaucasia in 1804, the Russian general Tsitsianov began his advance on  Erevan. Many Armenians joined the Russians  captured in 1808. In 1810 the Turks and Persians  invaded the area, but the Russian commander M. I. Kutuzov routed the Ottoman army on the Danube.  Turkey recognized Russian rule in Transcaucasia in the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812. Resounding  defeats imposed on the Persians forced the shah to agree in 1813 to the incorporation of a large part  of Transcaucasia into the Russian Empire. Russian victories over renewed war with Persia led to the  unification of Transcaucasia with Russia, 1829.  

The Armenians, divided under the rule of the  Ottoman Empire and Persia and ravaged by the  fighting between them, turned for military assistance and political protection in the 18th  and 19th centuries to [[History of Russia|Russia]]. The Russian advance  along the Caspian and the expansion into Georgia  encouraged requests for help. When a 70,000 strong  Persian army entered Transcaucasia in 1804, the Russian general Tsitsianov began his advance on  Erevan. Many Armenians joined the Russians  captured in 1808. In 1810 the Turks and Persians  invaded the area, but the Russian commander M. I. Kutuzov routed the Ottoman army on the Danube.  Turkey recognized Russian rule in Transcaucasia in the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812. Resounding  defeats imposed on the Persians forced the shah to agree in 1813 to the incorporation of a large part  of Transcaucasia into the Russian Empire. Russian victories over renewed war with Persia led to the  unification of Transcaucasia with Russia, 1829.