In this video, we will provide an overview of one of three mass campaigns of extermination waged by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The Assyrian Genocide, which lasted between 1914 and 1918, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Assyrian tribesmen due to racially and religiously motivated atrocities, including executions, burning, demolition, and persecution. The Ottomans targeted Assyrians for their ethnicity, religion, and perceived foreign influence, which led to the destruction of the Assyrian culture, language, and social structure.
The video discusses the intense violence in the province of Di Beish, where thousands of Assyrian refugees attempted to escape from the Ottomans. Mahmmed Resid Bay Resid, an eager murderer and one of the most feared perpetrators of the Assyrian and Armenian genocides, led the violence in the valley of Ban, where hundreds of prisoners were killed. Despite persecution, the Assyrians managed to resist the Ottomans in the towns of Aan Vardo and Aizza. The Assyrian Genocide, which was mostly complete by late 1915, resulted in the deaths of around 300,000 people. Despite a higher estimated death toll, accountability for the genocide was never sought, and only a few people were ever charged or convicted of their crimes. Today, the Assyrian community continues to seek acknowledgment of the atrocities committed against them in Turkey.
