http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_V... April 20-May 16 1915.
"On April 15, around 500 Armenians were killed by the Turkish authorities in the village of Akants near Van. Massacres took place in 80 villages in the environs of Van resulting in the deaths of 24,000 Armenians over the course of 3 days. On April 20, having swept through the villages in the environs of Van, Turks reached the city and the heroic battle of Van began. It lasted until May 16, 1915. [when the Russians relieved the defenders]"
The defenders were Armenians who resisted the Turkish onslaught bent on their destruction and liquidation.
The 1966 "Burning Orchards" is a classic that sets the stage by describing the rich life of Van before the Turks set its sights on its destruction. Van largely escaped the genocide that consumed many other Armenian enclaves, the people still lost their homes, livlihoods, and homeland.
"In the early stages of World War I, in 1915 Russian armies advanced on Turkey from the north and the British attempted an invasion from the Mediterranean. Citing the threat of internal rebellion, the Ottoman government ordered large-scale roundups, deportations, and systematic torture and murder of Armenians beginning in the spring of 1915. Over 1 million deaths out of the prewar population of about 2.5 million Armenians. By 1917 fewer than 200,000 Armenians remained in Turkey."
One of the ironies is that the Russians had shown what they would do given free reign over Armenians. In 1905 Tatars were allowed to slaughter Armenians in several towns and villages. The response? The Tsarist government executed 52 Armenian leaders after a show trial on charges of underground activities. 1st quote from:
http://www.genocide-museum.am/chronology...
2nd quote from:
http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?ti...