This chapter explores the final years of the Ottoman Empire, emphasising the systematic violence, forced displacement, and dispossession endured by Greek, Assyrian, and Armenian communities in the early twentieth century. It contextualises their historical presence in Anatolia and Eastern Thrace, examining their political mobilisation and aspirations for reform within the framework of Ottoman rule. The discussion interrogates the mechanisms of ethno-religious violence that culminated in the 1923 population exchange. Furthermore, it engages with contemporary scholarly discourse on genocide, critically assessing debates surrounding victimhood, historical memory, and the contested historiographical interpretations of these transformative and traumatic events.