The Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide: Essays on Asia Minor, Pontos, and Eastern Thrace, 1912-1923 Hardcover – January 1, 2012

By Robert J. Pranger Contributors: Tessa Hofmann, Taner Akcam, Matthias Bjornlund, Harry J. Psomiades, Constantine Hatzidimitriou, Alexander Kitroeff, Van Coufoudakis (Contributor), George N. Shirinian (Editor)

This book is a compilation of innovative papers given by scholars at two academic conferences organized by the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Center in Chicago. Its careful treatment of the Greek experience within the broader genocide of the Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire aims to fill a gap in the scholarly literature on the Greek Genocide and is one of the first to treat the genocidal experiences of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks in a comparative manner and as an integrated history. As Prof. Roger W. Smith, Chair of Zoryan’s Academic Board, has written, “Only the comparative approach can yield carefully delimited generalizations about the nature and mechanics of genocide as a general problem of humanity.” The studies presented in this groundbreaking book are thoroughly documented and include revealing and previously unpublished American diplomatic reports on the destruction of Smyrna. In addition to the historical chapters, essays explore such subjects as the multigenerational effects of the Greek Genocide and the difficulties of Asia Minor refugee identity in Greece, Turkey’s present day obligations under the Treaty of Lausanne, and the challenges of obtaining recognition for the Ottoman genocides. Professor Vahakn N. Dadrian, Zoryan’s Director of Genocide Research, writes, “This book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Greek experience of genocide during the early part of the twentieth century and its aftermath. It shows how interrelated were the experiences of the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks during the end of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.”