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America's First Humanitarian Organization.
Fine propaganda poster attempting to raise funds for relief efforts in the Middle East following the end of the First World War.
The Turkish mass deportations and organized famines that occurred during the First World War were most heavily felt by the Armenian populations of eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus. The Armenian population was systematically dismantled in one of the deadliest early genocides of the 20th century. Following the losses of Ottoman territory to independence movements in the Balkans, Ottoman authorities were wary of the domestic Armenian populations and pursued policies of relocation, forced Islamisation, and extermination. An estimated 600,000 to 1,500,000 Armenians died during this period.
This poster expands the view past Armenia to other regions in the Middle East that suffered due to Ottoman rule. Statistics are given throughout the map. An interesting focus is placed on people of non-Muslim faith. While they were the unquestionably hardest-hit groups in the region, stating that these people were mostly Christian likely helped fundraising efforts. The poster mentions the "Campaign for $30,000,000," which was achieved in 1920.
Originally founded as the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, the Committee was soon renamed. It started its work during the First World War, but its efforts were hampered by the ongoing conflict and effectively stopped after the US entered the war. However, following the conclusion of the war, the Committee provided much-needed relief to the region and promptly commenced its work. The committee was later renamed Near East Relief and is today known as the Near East Foundation.
![[Cyprus, Holy Land, Syria Middle East] Tabula Asiae IIII](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/84169.jpg)
