The Armenian diaspora has been present for over 1,700 years . The modern Armenian diaspora was formed largely after World War I as a result of the Armenian Genocide . According to Randall Hansen , " Both in the past and today , the Armenian communities around the world have developed in significantly different ways within the constraints and opportunities found in varied host cultures and countries . " In the fourth century , Armenian communities already existed outside of Greater Armenia . Diasporic Armenian communities emerged in the Sassanid and Persian empires , and also to defend eastern and northern borders of the Byzantine Empire . In order to populate the less populated areas of Byzantium , Armenians were relocated to those regions . Some Armenians converted to Greek Orthodoxy while retaining Armenian as their language , whereas others stubbornly clung on to remain in the Armenian Church despite pressure from official authorities . A growing number of Armenians voluntarily migrated or were compelled to move to Cilicia during the course of the eleventh and twelfth centuries . After the fall of the kingdom to the Mamelukes and loss of Armenian statehood in 1375 , up to 150,000 went to Cyprus , the Balkans , and Italy . Although an Armenian diaspora existed during Antiquity and the Middle Ages , it grew in size due to emigration from the Ottoman Empire , Iran , Russia , and the Caucasus
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Armenian diaspora