The Sarıkamış campaign, Enver Pasha and Armenians

This article examines the frequently cited assertion that the Ottoman leadership, specifically War Minister Enver Pasha, used Armenians as scapegoats to deflect responsibility for the Sarıkamış defeat. According to this narrative, Enver Pasha attributed the crushing defeat to Armenian treachery and initiated an empire-wide propaganda campaign labelling Armenians as traitors. Although this argument lacks a foundation in Ottoman sources, it has become a standard narrative. Following an overview of the Sarıkamış Battle and the role of Armenian volunteers, this article demonstrates that Ottoman propaganda did not scapegoat Armenians but tried to promote solidarity with them. The narrative also overlooks the strict wartime censorship that kept the Ottoman public largely unaware of the defeat until the Armistice of 1918.