The Armenian genocide of 1915 was one of the most brutal extermination attempts in modern world history. In this lesson, we looked at the history, causes, and effects of the systematic killing of over 1.5 million people. Unfortunately, genocides, or the systematic extermination of a group of people, have been a part of the human experience since civilization began. The 1915 Armenian genocide is not as well-known as genocides like the Holocaust, and that's partly because some in the international community do not even acknowledge that it occurred. But it was, in fact, one of the most horrific mass exterminations in history. From 1915 to 1918, the Turkish government deported, enslaved, tortured, and killed 1.5 to 2 million Armenians in an effort to ethnically and religiously "cleanse" the Turkish nation. Whether it's called a genocide or not, it's clear that the 1915 Armenian genocide was not in fact an isolated incident; instead, it was the culmination of several years of oppression at the hands of the Islamic-Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Young Turks ruled the Ottoman Empire at the time, and they used the brutal Special Organization to murder up to two million Armenians. The Armenian people were nearly wiped out. But some did survive, and today, after enduring multiple massacres, Armenia exists as an independent nation.