Armenia:
Description:
On April 24, 1915, Grigoris Balakian was arrested along with some 250 other leaders of Constantinople’s Armenian community. It was the beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s systematic attempt to eliminate the Armenian people from Turkey—a campaign that continued through World War I and the fall of the empire. Over the next four years, Balakian would bear witness to a seemingly endless caravan of blood, surviving to recount his miraculous escape and expose the atrocities that led to over a million deaths.
Armenian Golgotha is Balakian’s devastating eyewitness account—a haunting reminder of the first modern genocide and a controversial historical document that is destined to become a classic of survivor literature.
Armenian Golgotha is Balakian’s devastating eyewitness account—a haunting reminder of the first modern genocide and a controversial historical document that is destined to become a classic of survivor literature.
Bullet points are back in full force, because that's the only way I can think of to let you know how phenomenal this book is. Balakian seems like a cross between a historian and a novelist and I love it.
- The book starts with the author studying in Berlin, and he talks about the German people's treatment of Russians. It's the same thing they'll do about 20 years later to the Jews. And it's just like wtf, Germany? Come on, get your heads out of your asses. You JUST did this. How'd that go for ya? NOT WELL. But what's really sad is this sort of thing continues to happen. And it's almost fascinating, albeit terrifying, how fear turns people into absolute monsters.
- So, off Balakian goes to Constantinople. He's a pretty observant, level-headed guy, so he sees the need for a bit of discretion, but the Armenian people are like #TeamRussia. And he's like "well, we're fucked." And he was right.
- This group of 250 was taken by train to some sort of military bunker, and he's still pretty much the only one who thinks it might be a good idea to mind his Ps and Qs and try not to be noticed. The rest of them are all YOLO! And guess what? MURDERED.
- At one point one of the people in exile is in a local official's office and sees an official document: "Without mercy and without pity, kill all from the one-month-old to the ninety-year-old, but see to it that this massacre is not conducted in the towns and in the presence of people."
- WHAT?! Just...WHAT!? Just straight up, hey kill this ENTIRE RACE of people but...you know...don't make it obvious.
- He goes through each section of the journey and holy shit. Part of me has a morbid fascination with stuff like this--how can people possibly commit these atrocities? How do they justify it to themselves? I still don't have an answer for that. I won't go into any of the details because spoilers, and also it's horrendous, but it's also unimaginable.
- Balakian has a pretty raw deal...maybe because he speaks German, or maybe because he's a clergyman, but the rest of the exiles pretty much make him to everything. Get us bread. Take care of us. Get us out of here. Bribe them to let us stay. Do something. Do other things. Dance, monkey!
- On the other hand, there were so many people that risked their lives to keep him alive. It's pretty incredible.
This is honestly one of the most amazing, devastating, mesmerizing books I've ever read. It shows the worst and best sides of humanity and it's unbelievable how this man survived. It's devastating that people keep doing this shit to each other for what? Power? Money? Stuff? Because they're different? It's sickening, but it's something that people need to know and be outraged about.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. After telling you once more to go READ THIS BOOK.
