For centuries, the Ottoman Empire had operated with many different ethnicities within its borders. These different ethnicities, or “millets”, had some autonomy and maintained their own religions and languages. During the First World War, a new government in Istanbul carried out attacks on Armenian communities, claiming that they were a threat to national security. The Ottomans forced Armenians to flee their homes and into labor camps, and systematically massacred their communities. The atrocities provoked international outrage. From 1915 to 1917, over one million Armenians died. Like what you see? This video is part of a comprehensive social studies curriculum from OER Project, a family of free, online social studies courses. OER Project aims to empower teachers by offering free and fully supported social studies courses for middle- and high-school students. Your account is the key to accessing our standards-aligned courses that are designed with built-in supports like leveled readings, audio recordings of texts, video transcripts, and more. Register today at oerproject.com! Website: https://www.oerproject.com/World-History Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OERProject Twitter: https://twitter.com/oerproject