When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact… I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the enormity of the atrocities committed against the Armenian people during the deportations of 1915.
Henry Morgenthau, Sr. reflects on the systematic deportation and annihilation of the Armenian people by Turkish authorities, characterizing it as a significant and unprecedented tragedy in human history. He emphasizes the intentional nature of these actions and the profound suffering endured by the Armenian race, suggesting that such acts of genocide overshadow past atrocities and have left an indelible mark on human history.
In practice
During a speech about human rights, one could reference this quote to underline the importance of remembering historical injustices.
Vietnam was the defining event for my generation. It spilled over into all facets of American life - into music, into the pulpits, in churches of our country. It spilled over into the city streets, police forces. And even if you were born late in the generation, Vietnam was still part of your childhood.
All national histories are partisan and designed to give us a good conceit of ourselves.
The March on Washington was a defining moment in the history of this country and a great example of our nation truly living up to its creed.
I cannot write about the past unless I go where history happened. Some make very good armchair historians, I'm not one of them. If you're going to inhabit someone else's world, the very least you can do is to spend a little time in it.
The historical profession is nowhere famous for its tolerance, but there are not many countries where historians can expect to pay for their opinions with penal servitude or the firing squad.
My original interest in the Nazi holocaust was personal. Both my father and mother were survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Nazi concentration camps. Apart from my parents, every family member on both sides was exterminated by the Nazis.
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