United States and the Armenian Genocide

JULIEN ZARIFIAN is Professor in U.S. History and Civilization at the University of Poitiers, France, and fellow at the Institut Universitaire de France. He is the author of two books in French and has published dozens of academic articles in journals such as Society and European Journal of American Studies.

"The seminal text on the US relationship with the Armenian Genocide. Through a meticulous historical analysis of events and primary and secondary resources, combined with semistructured interviews with decision makers and lobbyists, Zarifian walks readers through more than a century of history, a history that ultimately culminated with formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States. . . . A must-read book for scholars and students interested in the Armenian Genocide, historical cases of genocide, genocide denial, the intersection of US foreign and domestic policies, and the role of civil society in pursuing change." (Peace & Change) "Zarifian's book effectively explains why the past and present treatment of the issue by politicians, political interest groups, and citizens remains an important strand of US foreign policy in a time when genocide remains a very real threat." (Diplomatic History) “Amazingly well written. . . . Zarifian’s scholarship is sound and impressively comprehensive. His engagement with a diversity of sources, from historical archives and news media to interviews with contemporary actors is truly astounding and indeed exemplary. His methodology could be used as a model in the exercise of linking together various data sources for advanced-level history students. . . . A most beneficial reading for scholars of genocide and (the politics of) collective memory across various disciplines and fields.” (H-Diplo) "Julien Zarifian's study sheds light on much more than the question of the Armenian Genocide: it sheds light on an American political class and a federal administration that have long been susceptible to outside pressure from pro-Turkish lobbies, revealing a political culture that is relatively untouched by ethical questions. The author's methodical dismantling of this process is an essential tool for understanding the inner workings of the American state." - Raymond H. Kévorkian (author of The Armenian Genocide: A Complete History) "Julien Zarifian has produced a masterful account of the domestic and international “politicking” that led to the decades-long delay in America’s recognizing as genocide the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, perpetrated during the era of the First World War. His skillful assessment of the cross-cutting pressures that were brought to bear upon Washington decisionmakers from both foreign and domestic sources establishes The United States and the Armenian Genocide as the definitive work on the topic.” - David G. Haglund (professor of Political Studies, Queen's University (Canada))

• Introduction Part I. The United States, the Armenians, and the Armenian Genocide before the Genocide Convention1. The United States and the Armenians Prior to the Genocide: The Emergence of Certain Bonds2. The United States and the Massacres of 19153. From Hope to “Memory Erosion:” The United States and the Armenian Matter in the Interwar Period Part II. The United States and the Post-WWII Armenian Awakenings4. The United States and the Armenian Awakening of the Late 1940s5. The United States and the Armenian Awakening of 1965 6. The United States and Turkish-Armenian Extreme Polarization in the 1970s-1980s  Part III. The First Steps of a Decades-Long Struggle for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. Government (1970s/1980s)7. A Sinuous Road: The Matter of Recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the United Nations, at the White House, and in Congress in the 1970s8. Progress and Setbacks During the Reagan Administration9. A Case Both Emblematic and Unique: Bob Dole and Senate Joint Resolution 212 (1989-1990) Part IV. Intensification and Diversification of the Opposition Between the Pro- and the Anti-Recognition Factions (1990s/2000s)10. The Armenian Genocide and the U.S. Post-Cold War Context11. George W. Bush’s First Mandate: Between Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Illusions and Armenian Efforts in Congress12. George W. Bush’s Second Mandate and the Difficult Progress of U.S. Recognition of the Genocide Part V. Toward Full Recognition of the Genocide: The Obama, Trump, and (Early) Biden Eras13. High Hopes and Immense Regrets: The Genocide (Non) Recognition during the Obama Era 14. Toward Full Recognition of the Genocide in Congress-Despite the Trump Administration’s Opposition  15. “Finishing the Job”: President Biden’s Historic Recognition of the Genocide   Part VI. Why It Took the United States Fifty Years to Recognize the Armenian Genocide  16. Turkey, Geopolitics and Nonrecognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States17. The Nonrecognition of the Armenian Genocide: A Matter of Lobbying?18. The Armenian Genocide and Memory Issues in the United States Conclusion NotesBibliography  Index