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I'm going to answer differently. Despite protests by the Turkish government today (http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-25-voa15.cfm), it was the American government that first recognized the genocide in Armenia, even before Rafael Lemkin coined the term genocide in the 1940s.
In describing what happened, the US ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, wrote: "When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact."
American Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, wired U.S. Ambassador Morgenthau to continue the strongest possible protests to the Ottoman government on behalf of the Armenians. An image of the State Department telegram from 1915 can be found at http://www.armenian-genocide.org/us-5-29-15.html
In 1918, Teddy Roosevelt wrote: "...the Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war..."
In describing what happened, the US ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, wrote: "When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact."
American Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, wired U.S. Ambassador Morgenthau to continue the strongest possible protests to the Ottoman government on behalf of the Armenians. An image of the State Department telegram from 1915 can be found at http://www.armenian-genocide.org/us-5-29-15.html
In 1918, Teddy Roosevelt wrote: "...the Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war..."
source(s):
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/facts/answers.html
http://www.armenian-genocide.org/roosevelt.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgenthau,_Sr.
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/facts/answers.html
http://www.armenian-genocide.org/roosevelt.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgenthau,_Sr.
As of now Ronald Reagan was the last to use his speech on April 22, 1981, observing "Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust." to acknowledge the killings. "Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it -- and like too many other such persecutions of too many other peoples -- the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten," Reagan said.
(http://www.rferl.org/Content/Will_Obama_Recognize_Armenian_Genocide/1615459.html)
On October 10, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution "says the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians was genocide and that it should be acknowledged fully in U.S. policy toward Turkey, along with "the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution.""
George W. Bush led the charge against this resolution stating that it would do serious harm to U.S. standings with Turkey.
(http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1078929.html)
President Obama, though he stated he would acknowledge the genocide back-peddled today and only stated "he had not changed his view from the campaign, even as he declined to state it, and added: "My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts."" THis happened even though he "strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106)" while he was Senator.
(http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ippNTe9MrowEHklMvM9OUQdDXpaAD97P28J00)
(http://www.rferl.org/Content/Will_Obama_Recognize_Armenian_Genocide/1615459.html)
On October 10, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution "says the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians was genocide and that it should be acknowledged fully in U.S. policy toward Turkey, along with "the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution.""
George W. Bush led the charge against this resolution stating that it would do serious harm to U.S. standings with Turkey.
(http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1078929.html)
President Obama, though he stated he would acknowledge the genocide back-peddled today and only stated "he had not changed his view from the campaign, even as he declined to state it, and added: "My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts."" THis happened even though he "strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106)" while he was Senator.
(http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ippNTe9MrowEHklMvM9OUQdDXpaAD97P28J00)
Voted as best: bbrookin
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