In this deeply impactful episode of pplpod, we explore the harrowing history of the Armenian Genocide, a systematic campaign of destruction carried out within the Ottoman Empire during the shadows of World War I. We examine how the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)—often associated with the Young Turks movement—orchestrated the mass deportation, forced Islamization, and murder of an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians starting in 1915.

Listen as we break down the complex historical backdrop, from the shifting demographics of Anatolia and the losses of the Balkan Wars, to the tragic death marches into the Syrian desert. We discuss the multifaceted methods of ethnic cleansing utilize ...