Final answer:
The Armenian Genocide was caused by the 'Young Turks' who desired a homogeneous Turkish state and subscribed to Pan-Turkic ideology. Armenians faced mass murder, forced deportation, and systemic atrocities. The genocide's legacy persists in Armenian culture and remains a sensitive topic due to denial by the Turkish government.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rights of Armenians were severely abused during the Armenian Genocide, which was orchestrated by the 'Young Turks', a nationalist party that seized power in the Ottoman Empire. Specific mistreatments included the mass murder of unarmed Armenian men and the forced deportation of women, children, and the elderly across the desert, leading to death by dehydration, starvation, or violence. The 'Young Turks' were driven by a Pan-Turkic ideology, which aimed to create a homogeneous Turkish state by asserting Turkish hegemony and eliminating the empire's Christian minorities, including Armenians.
On April 24, 1915, the arrest and subsequent murder of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders started the systematic campaign, which extended to the annihilation of over 1.5 million Armenians. Men were separated from their families and killed, while women, children, and the elderly were marched to the desert to die. More than half of the Armenian population at the time was eradicated, making it one of the most tragic atrocities of the early 20th century. The impact on Armenian culture, identity, and diaspora continues to be profound, and the topic of the genocide remains sensitive, largely due to persistent denial by the Turkish government.