ABSTRACT
Any discussion of genocide against Armenians during World War I and after must begin with the caveat that it was part of an overarching genocidal process targeting Greeks, Assyrians, and Armenians. Due to geographical, political, ideological, and practical variations, the treat ment of the different groups was not identical; but, be that as it may, there are sufficient parallels to justify some generalizations in terms of the impacts on victims. For instance, while their uses and contexts differed, one can draw a parallel between the effects of the Greek labor battalions and the reduction of Armenian soldiers to slave-like labor and conditions, as well as forced labor on the Baghdad Railroad. That said, regarding the fate of children, the main distinction now is that the fate of Armenian children has become the topic of focused academic analysis and documentary filmmaking, while the treatment of the other groups’ children largely remains integrated in the broader literature as it is in the primary sources. Even this, though, is beginning to change, especially with Australian scholar Panayiotis Diamadis’s (2012) new article on “Children and Genocide,” which includes an extended sec tion on “The Hellenic, Armenian and Assyrian Genocide.” While most of the scholarship discussed in this chapter focuses on Armenians, much of what is developed can be applied to Greeks and Assyrians without significant qualification. W hat is more, the author expects
that in coming years a more integrated approach to these three victim groups will become the norm and that comparative work on the fate of children will be part of this trend.
