8. Armenia
Armenia’s 20th-century history was marked by profound upheavals. In 1915, during World War I, the Ottoman Empire initiated the Armenian Genocide, resulting in the deaths of at least 664,000 and possibly as many as 1.2 million Armenians through massacres, systematic ill-treatment, exposure, and starvation (encyclopedia.ushmm.org). Following the genocide, Armenians faced displacement and sought refuge in various countries. The Soviet period introduced new challenges, including political repression and economic hardships, as Armenia became one of the Soviet republics. The legacy of these events continues to influence Armenia’s social and political landscape.
