What were the major causes of the Armenian Genocide and how did it impact Turkish history?

The Armenian Genocide was a tragic event in which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The causes of the genocide were rooted in a complex set of factors, including political, economic, and religious tensions between the Armenian Christian minority and the Ottoman Muslim government.

At the time, the Ottoman Empire was in decline and facing significant territorial losses, and many Ottoman leaders saw the Armenians as a threat to their rule. The Young Turk government, which came to power in 1908, sought to create a more homogenous Muslim state and believed that the Armenian population posed a hindrance to that goal. They used the cover of World War I to carry out a campaign of mass murder and forced relocation, which became known as the Armenian Genocide.

The impact of the Armenian Genocide on Turkish history has been significant. The Turkish government has long denied that the events of 1915 constituted genocide, instead characterizing them as a necessary response to Armenian rebellion and Russian intervention. The issue has remained a sensitive topic in Turkish politics and society, with some Turkish nationalists viewing any recognition of the genocide as a threat to the country's sovereignty and national identity.