Crimes Against Humanity Flashcards
Understand: RWANDAN GENOCIDE (Hutus vs Tutsis)
Rwanda is home to two ethnic groups: Hutus and Tutsis. When Rwanda gained independence, a power struggle erupted between the two groups. The majority Hutus finally gained control of the country but the hard feelings between the two groups did not go away.
Many Rwandans cannot read or write so radio is the most popular form of mass communication. Hutu ultranationalism used radio broadcasts to spread hate propaganda against Tutsis. Some broadcasts urged Hutus to kill all Tutsis and successful killers were often congratulated on the air.
The UN sent a small force of soldiers to keep the peace, but when an airplane carrying Rwandan president was down down, the situation exploded. The president was Hutu and the Hutu extremists blamed Tutsis for the president’s murder. A killing spree followed. An estimated 800 000 people were killed. The UN peacekeepers could not stop the slaughter and became one of the greatest failures of the UN.
Understand: NAZI GENOCIDE (Holocaust vs Jews)
The Nazis blamed Jews for many of the problems in German society. Nazis passed racist laws that limited the rights of Jews. These laws became more sever and more inhumane. Then the Nazis began rounding up Jews and transporting them to concentration camps, where they were forced to work as slave labor. Finally, the Nazis began executing Jews in death camps. This period of time is known as the Holocaust.
Understand: SOVIET GENOCIDE (Holodomor vs Ukrainians)
In Ukraine, many wealthy farmers wanted independence for their nation. But when Joseph Stalin emerged as the Soviet leader, he had other plans. He ordered the farmers to give up their land to the government. Many of the farmers resisted and to crush this resistance, Stalin created a famine to raise cash to build the Soviet army. Stalin then sealed Ukraine’s borders so no one could get out to buy food and no food could get in. Soviet troops seized the seeds farmers had saved and took all remaining food. Anyone caught hiding grain was either executed or sent to forced-labor camps. Although Soviet granaries were full, three to seven million Ukrainians had starved to death or been murdered. This time frame was known as Holodomor.
Define: WAR CRIME. Give examples
War crimes refers to willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment; willfully causing great suffering; and, intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population or against those who are involved in a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission.
Define: CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Crimes Against Humanity are widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population. These crimes include murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, kidnapping and the crime of apartheid.
Define: GENOCIDE
Genocide refers to the killing of members of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious groups; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; and, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction.
Understand: GENOCIDE IN TURKEY (aka: Armenian genocide)
In the early 20th century, Turkey was still part of the Ottoman Empire. Islam was the dominant religion, but there were many Armenians and most Armenians were Christian and had kept their national identity, language and culture. As a result, they often suffered discrimination.. By the late 1800s, some Armenian nationaiists began fighting for self-determination. They lost this fight. During WWI, the Turks fought on the side of Germany. So when some Armenian nationalists sided with Russia, the Turks viewed them as traitors. In 1914, the Young Turks ordered the murder of Armenians. These orders are often called the “Ten Commandments”. The orders told Turks to:
- kill all Armenian men under 50, as well as priests and teachers.
- forced girls and children to become Muslims.
- carry away the families of all Armenian men who had escaped.
- kill all Armenians in the army.
