Today, we stand united, hearts intertwined, as we remember the sacred memory of our Holy Martyrs, the brave souls of the Armenian Genocide. These were men, women, and children who, amidst the darkest hours, held onto their faith with unwavering love and dedication to our nation and homeland. They accepted the crown of martyrdom, and in doing so, they left us a legacy of indomitable spirit and courageous faith.
Unlike the mastermind of the Armenian Genocide, Talaat, Ismail Enver Pasha was a military officer, born in Constantinople on November 22, 1881. He studied in different military schools and graduated in 1903 with distinction. In 1906 he was sent to the Third Army, stationed in Salonica. He became a member of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) during his service.
The Nemesis Operation, approved by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in its 9th World Assembly, held in Yerevan in September-October 1919, had a long list of Turkish leaders responsible for the Armenian Genocide among its targets. One of them was Ahmed Jemal, minister of Marine of the Ottoman Empire and member of the leading triumvirate of the Committee of Union and Progress (Ittihad), together with Talaat, minister of Interior, and Enver, minister of War.
A plan to massacre the Armenians of the provinces of Nukhi, Aresh, Shamakh, and Baku was prepared at a secret meeting of the government of Azerbaijan and the leaders of the ruling right-wing Musavat Party. Before the massacres, a secret order sent by Behbut Khan Jivanshir, Azerbaijani Interior Minister, to the mayors of Nukhi, Shamakh, and Baku, instructed: “It is necessary to exterminate the Armenians to achieve our goals crossing over their corpses. Do not spare anyone and execute faithfully the orders given to you.”
On Sunday, April 24, 2022, the Southeast Wisconsin Armenian Churches gathered to celebrate Martyred Saints of the Armenian Genocide, with a joint Divine Liturgy at St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church in Racine.
Henry Morgenthau, Sr., was the Ambassador of the United States to the Ottoman Empire. He was born in Mannheim (Germany) on April 26, 1856.
