The Tragedy of the Assyrians

The Tragedy of the Assyrians is the most extensive first hand account of the events that led to the massacre of Assyrians in Iraq in 1933. Although the author presents the British point of view, he is able to maintain a fairly even-handed attitude towards all parties in these tragic events. He provides thorough coverage of the important background issues: how and why so many Assyrians from Turkey and Iran ended up as refugees in Iraq; how their expectations to return to their original homelands and their desire to form a compact and autonomous nation were constantly frustrated; how the modern nation-state of Iraq was formed with all of its inherent weaknesses and how the fears and passions on all sides led to catastrophe for the Assyrians and the stunting of the growth of democratic political life in Iraq. The lessons that can be learned from these events in 1933 are still relevant today for both the Assyrians and the nation of Iraq.