8 Stages of Genocide

Classification

Categories to distinguish people by ethnicity, nationality, ideology, or religion

What are the eight stages?

Classification, Symbolization, Dehumanization, Organization, Polarization, Preparation, Extermination, Denial

U.S. & International Response to the Holocaust

-ignored early signs of the Nazi fanaticism -didn't want to get involved because the resources could be used for war missions instead -some countries supported Hitler -allowed Germans to enter their country -remained uninvolved since the Great Depression just ended -many thought it was fake or made up

Denial example

Armenian- nobody talks about it in Armenia and if you do, you're arrested; they pretend it didn't happen and that they didn't do it

Dehumanization

A group that denies the humanity of the group (equated with animals, vermin, insects, diseases)

Polarizarion

Creates large social and political divide between us and them by using propaganda, laws may forbid intermarriage, social interaction, political participation, intimidation

Organization

Genocides are generally organized by the state, military units, militia's, or mobs. They are often trained & armed

Classification example

Holocaust- Germans vs. minority groups such as Jews, gypsies, etc

Symbolization example

Holocaust- Hitler forcing all Jews to wear the Star of David

Organization example

Holocaust- Hitler had an organized plan on how he was going to exterminate Jews

Dehumanization example

Holocaust- Jews were known as "rats" and were also treated like them as well; stripped them from their basic human rights

Polarization example

Holocaust- propaganda was used often to blame the Jews for the past and putting hate on them

Preparation example

Holocaust- separated the Jews into concentration camps and ghettos

Extermination example

Holocaust- using gas chambers, starvation, forced labor to kill Jews; these were all mass killings

Symbolization

Names or symbols that are used to classify and distinguish groups from the majority

Extermination

The mass killing legally called "genocide" and is considered extermination because the killers don't believe their victims to be fully human

Denial

The perpetrators (killers) of genocide attempt to destroy or cover up the evidence and deny that they committed any crimes or often blame what happened on the victims

Preparation

When victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic, national, or religious identity and often segregated into ghettoes, forced into concentration camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved