The Ottoman Empire systematically killed 1.5 million Armenians between 1915-1923 in what is considered the first genocide of the 20th century. The Young Turks of the Ottoman government orchestrated the genocide by conscripting Armenian men then killing them, and forcing Armenian women and children on death marches through the Syrian desert. While most historians and genocide scholars consider it a genocide, Turkey still denies it occurred and refuses to apologize. The United States took until 1987 to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.