20th Century Genocide

7th Grade HumanitiesMr. Hardy

RMS IB Middle School

1948 the United Nations defined the Crime of Genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Armenian Genocide 1915-1923

• Turkey kills over 1 million Armenians. • Several hundred thousand more are deported. 400,000 of the

deported die from disease and starvation. • 200,000 are forced to convert to Islam from Christianity.

Turkey still refuses to admit the genocide took place, and the U.S. GovernmentRefuses to call it a genocide, because modern Turkey is a key U.S. ally.

Cambodia• Controlled by the French

during the Imperialist Era• Claimed independence in

1954, created a monarchy• 1970 monarchy removed• Khmer Rouge government

takes over– New political party has little

trust in western ideas– Khmer Rouge slogan- “To spare

you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss.”

Pol Pot and Cambodia

• Pol Pot- leader of the CPK– Educated in Paris

• Cambodia turns to Isolationism• “Apocaloypic Program”- 1975,

start over for Cambodian history (Year 0)

• Wished to become “untainted” by foreign influence

Genocide in Cambodia• Targets- those who opposed the Khmer Rouge’s

policies, educated people• Goal- Have the entire country operate as

farmers, removal of modern cities• Children were removed from the parents care

and kept at separate labor camps• All people who were educated to be doctors,

lawyers, teachers, and scientists were executed immediately (along with their family)

• Banned items- religion, music, radio, technology• Over 2 million people killed

Rwanda• From 1890 to 1916 controlled by

Germans.• 1916 to 1962 controlled by Belgians.• Hutu people- farmers• Tutsi people- herders• During colonialism, unfair advantage

was given to the Tutsi– Looked more aristocratic to the

Europeans (Tall, landowners)• Independence in 1962

– Hutus against the Tutsi having any power in the government

• 1990- civil war broke out over power

• 1993- cease fire signed (Negotiated by the UN)

• 1994- Rwanda’s president was assassinated (Plane shot down)– Hutu’s blamed the Tutsi’s for the

assassination– Trigger for the genocide to begin!

“The Final Solution”• Hutu’s plan to eliminate the Tutsi

people• Killers many times knew their victims• Was not a “hidden” genocide

– Killers covered bodies with tree leaves to hid the bodies from the world press

• UN had troops in Rwanda but would not allow them act militarily to stop the genocide – 'We have no mandate to intervene.'

UNAMIR did their best to protect trapped foreigners, until they were pulled out of Rwanda altogether.

UNAMIR- United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda.

Canadian General Romeo Dallaire commanded the 2,548 man UNAMIR force. His UN superiors in New York ignored his pleas to be allowed to intervene and requests for better troops.

Conflict in Sudan

• North- Arab Muslim vs. Non- Muslim/ Non- Arab south

• Led to Civil War• Darfur- separate conflict in western region of

Sudan, 2003– Arab herders (helped by military govt.) vs. Non-

Muslim ethnic groups – Tens of thousands died or forced from their

homes

Journal:

• What creates hate in people?– Can you make someone hate another person?

• What are basic human rights? – Do you think they are or are not important?

Lost Boys of Sudan Video

• After viewing the video clip, talk about the following questions as a class…

• Who are the Lost Boys of Sudan?• Why did these young boys have to flee their

homeland?• What were some of the difficulties the boys

faced on their journey?• What are the hopes and goals for the future

the young men have?

Survivor Stories• With your team, read the assigned survivor

story.• Discuss the following questions with your

team and be prepared to present your findings to the class…– How do the survivors feel about the genocide?– What memories do they keep from their time

during the terror and before?– Why do these survivors tell their story? – What are the characteristics of the survivors?