Hennesis CastilloEssay 2Genocide is the deliberate killing of all or part of a racial, ethnic, or religious group. Genocide is carried out through ruthless acts of violence and oppression. Many acts of genocide have been documented throughout history. In this essay I will focus on the Armenian Genocide, specifically how it was carried out and how the Ottoman Empire rationalized its actions. The preservation and purity of one's race were important factors that ultimately led to the Armenian Genocide. The concept of “race” is a classification system used to classify humans into large groups based on cultural, ethnic, genetic, geographic, linguistic, and/or religious affiliation. It was believed that only people of the same race made up what we considered a nation. However there is a visual difference between the two. In “A Century of Genocide” by Eric D. Weitz, he describes the differences between race and nation using examples throughout history. “Race and nation, far from being timeless concepts, represent modern ways of understanding and organizing human difference.” (Weitz, page 17) The difference between race and nation is very permeable; so it is very easy to confuse the two. During the period in which the Armenian Genocide took place, people shared the thoughts of Arthur De Gobineu, who believed that racial mixing was harmful to society. “Laws against intermarriage helped define racial boundaries and contributed to the very meaning of “race.” (Weitz, page 25) The Ottoman Empire, ruled by the Young Turks, a Turkish nationalist reformist party, supported the reform of the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Empire. That feeling of reform meant the purification of the Turkish nationalists... middle of paper... their sufferings were less known...." (Balakin, page 372) Attempts were made to downplay the number of Armenian casualties and also corruption by the Turkish government in the form of large sums of money was a tactic used to convince people to support the Turkish side. In conclusion, the organized manner in which the Armenian Genocide was carried out made it easy for the Empire Ottoman rationalize their actions. Since an act of genocide is very calculated, only one government has the resources to carry it out. The Ottoman Empire's strong army facilitated the murders that occurred as preservation and purification of Turkish nationalism Most Armenian diaspora communities are the result of the Armenian Genocide Denial of the Armenian Genocide is still a problem today.