Titre : | Smyrna 1922 - The Destruction of a City / auteur(s) : Marjorie HOUSEPIAN - With an introduction by C. M. Woodhouse |
Editeur : | Faber & Faber |
Année : | 1972 |
Imprimeur/Fabricant : | London |
Description : | 15 x 22 cm, 275 pages, couverture illustrée en couleurs |
Collection : | |
Notes : | |
Autres auteurs : | |
Sujets : | Armenian Genocide -- Smyrna 1922 |
ISBN : | |
Lecture On-line : | non disponible |
Commentaire :In September 1922 the Turks, following their defeat of the Greek armies in Asia Minor, set fire to and totally destroyed the city of Smyrna. The crisis in the Near East had widespread political repercussions—among other things, it brought about the downfall of Lloyd George's coalition government and forced the Greeks to abandon their hopes of re-establishing their capital in Constantinople. But the plight of the Armenians, the innocent victims of the tragedy, was either ignored or explained away as 'an incident'. The Western powers, anxious to avoid war with Turkey and to protect their oil and trade interests, condoned the massacre by their silence. Marjorie Housepian, herself of Armenian descent, has written the first account of events within the city, using as sources the diaries, letters and eyewitness reports of the participants themselves, chiefly Armenians and American diplomats and missionaries. The result is an authoritative piece of historical research, as vivid and compelling as a novel, told with restraint and dignity. As C. M. Woodhouse says in his Introduction, it is an unforgettable memorial to the guiltless victims of the fire. |