The Confirmation of the Worst Fears: James Bryce, British Diplomacy and the Armenian Massacres of 1894-1896

Abstract

The diplomat, jurist and historian, James Bryce (1838-1922), the “Byron” of Armenia, as one Armenian text referred to him, was the greatest advocate for the Armenian cause in Britain for over four decades. Although Bryce attempted to influence British policy from the late 1870s, he only enjoyed partial success. Following the massacre of Sasun (1894), a certain change occurred when Bryce’s unceasing pleading for the Armenian communities received greater support in Britain. During the 1894-1896 period, maybe for the first time since the “Bulgarian Horrors” of 1876, there were calls in Britain for substantial action against the Sublime Porte due to its ill-treatment of the minorities living under its rule. Relying on vast archival material, this essay explores Bryce’s view of the internal British political, diplomatic and public spheres in the years preceding the massacres and especially between 1894 and 1896. During these three years, Bryce adopted a different course of action and began to turn his efforts to the American public in the hope that American intervention would be more effective than the ongoing, futile European actions.