Genocide History
While the term genocide had not been coined until 1943, the practice is ancient with cases dating back to 146 BC. The goal of this section is to offer a few examples of past genocides that have torn through population leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. In Raphael Lemkin's fight for justice and human rights during and after the Holocaust he pointed out early cases of genocide such as the Roman destruction of Carthage (146 B.C.E.) and the conquest of Jerusalem by Titus (C.E. 72). Furthermore, it is often argued that the practices of colonialism and expansionism are colored with genocide on both sides of the Atlantic. For example, it has been argued that fifteenth century Spanish colonialism in the New World had often been genocidal whether by deliberate conflict with indigenous peoples or by the unintentional transmission of European diseases such as smallpox, against which many indigenous peoples had no immunity. Some estimates state that many indigenous groups lost ninety percent or more of their population. For instance, after a few decades of Spanish rule the indigenous people on the island of Hispaniola (currently Haiti) had been reduced from about 400,000 to 200.
Current examination of the westward expansion of the United States, frequently considered a form of colonial expansion, has been the cause of debate and controversy among scholars. The conflict resides in whether or not U.S. government policies toward
Native North American peoples were deliberately genocidal. However, regardless of intent by the federal government, many policies
put forward during the period of westward expansion had a genocidal outcome. One example provided by African and the Americas: Culture, Politics and History perfectly depicts such policies:
In 1824 President James Monroe created the Office of Indian Affairs (later the Bureau of Indian Affairs) within
the Department of War. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, and the first major task of the Office
of Indian Affairs became the removal of Native Americans from the southeastern United States. A well-known
example of the removal process was the forced relocation of the Cherokee people from their land in Georgia in
1838, resulting in what has become known as the “Trail of Tears.” Several thousand died en route. Other
destructive policies included the extermination of the buffalo, a central part of the economic and cultural life of
the Lakota, and the erasure of Native American cultures through Indian boarding schools and other educational
institutions, from the 1880s to the 1930s, that severed the ties of Native American children to their cultural,
religious, and linguistic heritage. Because these policies entailed the destruction of group identities, as well as
the loss of life, some scholars classify them as genocidal in their consequences.
Current examination of the westward expansion of the United States, frequently considered a form of colonial expansion, has been the cause of debate and controversy among scholars. The conflict resides in whether or not U.S. government policies toward
Native North American peoples were deliberately genocidal. However, regardless of intent by the federal government, many policies
put forward during the period of westward expansion had a genocidal outcome. One example provided by African and the Americas: Culture, Politics and History perfectly depicts such policies:
In 1824 President James Monroe created the Office of Indian Affairs (later the Bureau of Indian Affairs) within
the Department of War. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, and the first major task of the Office
of Indian Affairs became the removal of Native Americans from the southeastern United States. A well-known
example of the removal process was the forced relocation of the Cherokee people from their land in Georgia in
1838, resulting in what has become known as the “Trail of Tears.” Several thousand died en route. Other
destructive policies included the extermination of the buffalo, a central part of the economic and cultural life of
the Lakota, and the erasure of Native American cultures through Indian boarding schools and other educational
institutions, from the 1880s to the 1930s, that severed the ties of Native American children to their cultural,
religious, and linguistic heritage. Because these policies entailed the destruction of group identities, as well as
the loss of life, some scholars classify them as genocidal in their consequences.
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Armenian Genocide still impacting the world Today |
The Young Turks saw their opportunity to solve the “Armenian
question” with the beginning of World War I.
With all eyes on the war, no one would notice any unusual measures taken
by the government. With big plans ahead,
the Turks confiscated all Armenian weapons under the pretense that the people
were naturally sympathetic toward Christian Russia. The genocide began in the fall of 1914 and
continued in waves first targeting Armenian men serving in the Turkish army.
The men were stripped of their weapons and sent into slave labor battalions
building roads or working as human pack animals. Conditions were beyond unbearable resulting
in the intented high death rate. Any who
survived were shot.
The next stage involved the armed roundups of 300 Armenian political leaders, educators, writers, clergy and dignitaries in Constantinople on April 24th, 1915. All 300 were removed from their homes, jailed, tortured then hanged or shot. This was followed by the mass arrest of Armenian men across the country by Turkish soldiers, police agents and bands of Turkish volunteers. Finally, Armenian women, children and the elderly were given a short notice to pack a few items and be ready to relocate to a non-military zone for their own safe. The Armenians were actually directed south to the Syrian Desert on a death march where an estimated 75% of those on the march died. Unsurprisingly, the Turkish countryside became littered with decomposing corpses. During the genocide Turkish guards encouraged hardened criminals and Kurdish bandits to attack, kill, rape or torture anyone they wished including defenseless people. Furthermore they encouraged the Kurdish bandits to raid caravans and steal anything they wanted. The massacre continued almost until the end of World War I; however shortly before the war ended the You Turk triumvirate abruptly resigned their government posts and fled to Germany where they had been offered asylum.
Armenians received virtually no help during this time of genocide and little justice in the aftermath. To this day Turks reject the conclusion by historians that what occurred in 1915 was genocide arguing that the deaths had not been premediated and there was no systematic attempt to destroy a people.
The next stage involved the armed roundups of 300 Armenian political leaders, educators, writers, clergy and dignitaries in Constantinople on April 24th, 1915. All 300 were removed from their homes, jailed, tortured then hanged or shot. This was followed by the mass arrest of Armenian men across the country by Turkish soldiers, police agents and bands of Turkish volunteers. Finally, Armenian women, children and the elderly were given a short notice to pack a few items and be ready to relocate to a non-military zone for their own safe. The Armenians were actually directed south to the Syrian Desert on a death march where an estimated 75% of those on the march died. Unsurprisingly, the Turkish countryside became littered with decomposing corpses. During the genocide Turkish guards encouraged hardened criminals and Kurdish bandits to attack, kill, rape or torture anyone they wished including defenseless people. Furthermore they encouraged the Kurdish bandits to raid caravans and steal anything they wanted. The massacre continued almost until the end of World War I; however shortly before the war ended the You Turk triumvirate abruptly resigned their government posts and fled to Germany where they had been offered asylum.
Armenians received virtually no help during this time of genocide and little justice in the aftermath. To this day Turks reject the conclusion by historians that what occurred in 1915 was genocide arguing that the deaths had not been premediated and there was no systematic attempt to destroy a people.
Genocide in Cambodia 1975-1979
It is estimated that the Khmer Rouge killed between 1.5 and 1.7
million people, approximately 20% of the population within four
years.
million people, approximately 20% of the population within four
years.