1903
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12
April
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Mar
Benyamin Shimmun is consecrated as the 117th Patriarch of the Church of the
East.
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1907
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Russian
control Iranian Azerbaijan (Urmia).
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1908
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In
Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey) the Committee of Union and Progress leads a
rebellion against Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II. The Comittee of Union and
Progress (The Young Turks) is formed.
The
Ottoman government declares Turkish as the only language allowed in schools.
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1909
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In
Iran Mohammad Shah is deposed; succeeded by his 12-years-old son Ahmad Shah.
In Turkey, Sultan Abdul Hamid II is deposed by Young Turks; succeeded by his
brother Mohammad V.
Germans
and British officials discuss control of the Baghdad Railroad.
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1911
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Russian
troops enter northwest Iran.
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1913
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29
January
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In
Turkey, the triumvirate of Enver Pasha, Talaat Pasha and Jemal Pasha heads
the government.
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1914
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British
forces in Basra move to protect oil pipelines in Iran from Ottoman/German
capture.
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June
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World
War I begins
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1
August
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Germany
declares war on Russia.
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2
August
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A
secret treaty of alliance is signed between Turkey and Germany virtually
placing the Turkish armed forces under German command.
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3
August
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The
Turkish government sends sealed envelopes containing a general mobilization
order to district and village councils, with the strict instructions that
they were not to be opened until further notice. Two weeks later, with the
approval of the Ittihad Committee, instructions are issued to open the
envelopes.
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18
August
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Over
one thousand Christian shops are destroyed in Diyarbakir.
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30
October
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Bashkala
massacre of 50 Gawarnai Assyrians by Muslim mob.
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2
November
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Russia
declares war on Turkey.
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4
November
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Fatwa
for Jihad declared in Istanbul against Christians.
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18
November
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The
Jihad Proclamation against Christians is read in all the provinces of the
Ottoman Empire.
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1915
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Year
of the Sword (Seyfo - Sepah)
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January
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Turkish
War Minister Enver Pasha is disastrously defeated in at the hands of Russian
troops, marking a failure of his Pan-Turanian plans. The Turkish authorities
decree the demobilization and disarmament of the Ottoman Christians. The
Armenians are grouped into small work battalions used for garbage details and
similar tasks. The Armenian soldiers in the Turkish army, under the pretext
of work details, are marched and killed in cold blood or used for target
practice.
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26
February
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Enver
Pasha convenes 75 top ranking Ittihadists (unionists). This secret meeting
finalizes the details of the plan to carry out a genocide of the Ottoman
Christians. Evidence indicates that the decision to carry out the Seyfo
Genocide was made some years earlier.
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March
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Turks
arrest Mar Shimmun’s brother, Hormiz, who was then murdered.
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15
April
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Order
from the Committee on Union and Progress to rid eastern Turkey of
Christians: A secret decree is sent out by Talaat, Enver and Nazem to
the local governments for the removal and extermination of the Ottoman
Christians.
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24
April
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800
Armenian leaders, writers and intellectuals are arrested in Constantinople
and murdered.
Ottoman
Assyrians flee to Russia,Iran, Aleppo and Jerusalem in wake of the genocide.
Local Muslims attack and kill Bishop Mar Dinkha and 60 men in Golpashan.
700,000 Assyrians, 1.5 Million Armenians, & 300,000 Pontic Greeks perish
between 1915 and 1919.
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24
May
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Russians
defeat Turks in Sarikamish, killing 70,000 Turkish soldiers. Russians re-occupy
Urmia.
The
governments of England, France and Russia jointly warn the Turkish government
publicly that "They will hold personally responsible... all members of
the Ottoman government and those of their agents who are implicated in such
massacres".
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26
June
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The
removal of the Christians of Kharput are commenced by the Turkish army.
Photocopy of the original deportation order (written in old Turkish with
Arabic characters) is to be found in the Archives of the United States State
Department in Washington, DC.
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1
July
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Christians
are deported from Tur-Abdin, cities of Nisibin, Bitlis, Mardin..
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July
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Russians
retreat again and 18,000 Assyrians & Armenians follow them into Russia.
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12
December
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Talaat,
Minister of the Interior, sends a telegram to the Prefecture of Aleppo in
Syria. He states that in view of the rather compassionate attitude of certain
local chiefs with respect to the Christian orphans, the order is given that
the orphans be sent away with the caravans, with the exception of the very
young ones unable to remember the atrocities.
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19
August
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Deportation
of Christians from Urhai (Urfa) in Tur-Abdin begins.
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1916
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Beginning
of Arab revolt against Ottoman Turks in Hijaz. Hussein proclaims himself King
of the Arabs.
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9
February
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U.S.
President Woodrow Wilson designates August 21 and August 22 for making
contributions for the suffering Armenians.
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7
March
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Talaat,
Minister of the Interior, sends a cable to the Aleppo Prefecture in Syria, ordering
the extermination of children at military installations.
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The
Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain, France, and Russia to divide Ottoman
Empire after WWI. Hussain is proclaimed king of Arabs.
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1917
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Russian
revolution leads to dissolution of Russian military in Iran.
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1918
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8
January
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President
Wilson’s Declaration of Fourteen Points is published. The 12th Point extends
promise to the Armenians of security of life and an unmolested opportunity
for autonomous development.
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Enver
Pasha's troops enter Iran as all Assyrians join to defend themselves.
Combined local Muslim & Turkish troops capture Urmia.
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16
March
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Kurdish
chief, Simko, assassinates Mar Benyamin Shimmun in Salamas, Iran. Pillage of
Assyrian villages in Iran and attempt to cleanse area of Christians begins.
British truck fleeing Assyrians to refugee camps.
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15
April
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Mar
Polous Shimmun is consecrated as the 118th Patriarch of the Church of the
East in Urmia, Iran.
October 1918 Ottoman Empire disintegrates.
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30
October
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The
Armistice of Moudros ends the war between the Allies and Turkey. Global
estimates of the campaign of extermination: 1,500,000 Armenians, 750,000
Assyrians, 350,000 Pontic Greeks.
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1919
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Treaty
of Sevres officially ends the war between Allies and Turkey. League of
Nations is formed. British use Assyrian refugees to enforce occupation of
Mesopotamia. Assyrians are denied representation at Paris Peace Conference
due to British. Under French protection, the Assyrian Protectorate in Jazirah
(Khabour area of Syria) forms under Malik Kambar d-Malik Warda of Jelu.
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1920
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Mar
Polous Shimmun passes away in the Bakuba refugee camp in Iraq.
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10
June
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Treaty
of Sevres is signed by Turkey. Provides for Kurds, Arabs, Armenians but not
Assyrians. Formation of Mesopotamia as British mandate. Assyrians return to
Hakkari but accept draft into British Levies to guard Mosul from Turks on
promise of homeland.
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20
June
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Mar
Shimmun Ishaya, 13, is consecrated as the 119th Patriarch of the Church of
the East.
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24
July
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French
forces occupy Damascus. The French Mandate over Syria begins.
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1921
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Patriarchal
family with British refuse French-backed offer to move Assyrians to Jazira,
Syria. British use Assyrian Levies to guard Kirkuk oil fields. Kurdish Iraqi
revolt under Sheikh Mahmud.
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27
August
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The
British install Faisal as king of Iraq.
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1923
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Mesopotamia
officially becomes "Iraq". Treaty of Lausanne leaves Mosul issue
for League of Nations to settle.
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1924
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League
of Nations assigns most of oil-rich Mosul Velayat to Iraq.
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1925
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Kurdish
uprising against Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The constitution of 1925 guarantees
all minorities in Iraq equality before the law, including civil and political
rights, and rights to practice their language and religion.
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1926
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Turkey
agrees to giving up Mosul after initial protest
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