Armenians and Turks lived together in a relatively peaceful state throughout most of the Ottoman Empire. However, Armenians were never considered equals and had to live by a certain set of laws that prohibited them from doing normal every-day activities. Throughout this time, there was very little conflict, and the laws were for the most part accepted. However,  things began to change when the Ottoman Empire began to lose power. The Turks started becoming extremely nationalistic and ethnic groups began to feel more oppressed than before.

The Armenians became extremely isolated, and they were one of, if not the only Christian group left in the Ottoman Empire with limited rights. Some Armenians began to call for their own independent nation. The Turks, however, wanted something entirely different. They wanted to create a new Turkish empire that stretched all the way to Turkish speaking regions in Asia. The Armenians were the only Christian group in between these two Turkish-speaking areas and the nationalist Turks wanted to eliminate them.

Even though many European powers called for assurances that Armenians be treated better, the government began to treat them even worse than before. In the late 19^th century, thousands of Armenians were killed in pogroms ordered by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In 1908, a coup led by the “Young Turks” to replace the Sultan and his form of government was supported by the Armenians. Almost as soon as the Turks took control, they formed an oppressive, dictatorship. These extreme nationalists began to start a plan to eliminate the Armenian race in order to expand their future empire.