Conclusion

This concluding chapter explores why the declining American and British political interest in the Armenians during the early 1920s signifies a critical juncture in the history of both nations’ history of humanitarian engagement. It explores the legacy of the debate over an American mandate for Armenia and its impact on the history of humanitarian intervention, the formation of the post-Ottoman Near East, the development of the League of Nations, the postwar strategy of the British Empire, and the shaping of broader ideas about America’s place in the world. The debate over protecting the Armenians elucidates the ideals and interests that shaped US foreign policy in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. It also demonstrates dilemmas in humanitarian politics that continue to confront contemporary policymakers.