Genocide
Raphael Lemkin
Coined the term Genocide, and fought to make it an international crime.
Article 2
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
ICC
International Criminal court. Used to try people of genocide, crimes against humanity, and other international crimes.
Madrid Conference
Lemkin's Genocide proposal read aloud, but idea refused because thought to be rare and unnecessary.
Article 1
The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.
Preamble
The Contracting Parties, Having considered the declaration made by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 96 (I) dated 11 December 1946 that genocide is a crime under international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the United Nations and condemned by the civilized world, Recognizing that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity, and Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such odious scourge, international cooperation is required, Hereby agree as hereinafter provided:
Article 3
The following acts shall be punishable: (a) Genocide; (b) Conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) Attempt to commit genocide; (e) Complicity in genocide.
Ethnic Cleansing
To clean an ethnicity; to remove it. Synonym for genocide.
Nuremberg Trials
Trials of 24 Nazi War Criminals following WWII. Charged with crimes against humanity.
Bosnian Genocide
Who: Muslim and Croat civilians By Who: The Serbs Where: Throughout former Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Montenegro) When: 1992-1995 How Many: 200,000 Why: Yugoslavia fell apart and Milosevic wanted to rekindle Serbian nationalism
The Holocaust
Who: The Undesireables (including Jews, Gypsies, and the physically and mentally ill) By Who: Hitler and the Nazi party Where: Germany When: 1933-1945 How Many: 11 million Why: Hitler believed that Germany was the master race and the the Undesirables (specifically the Jews) were preventing Germany from reaching it's full potential
Rwandan Genocide
Who: Tutsi By Who: Hutu Where: Rwanda and Brundi When: 1994 How Many: 1 million Why: Always tensions between the higher class Tutsi and the lower class Hutu
Genocide
Widespread murder and other acts committed by governments or other groups with the intent to destroy—in whole or in part—a national, racial, religious or ethnic group.
League of Nations
Created in the 1920's with the intent of holding states accountable for conduct. Dissipated by WWII because of exclusion and other problems.
Article 4
Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article III shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.
State Sovereignty
The right of a state to govern it's people without outside interference.
The Genocide Convention
The treaty made genocide a crime and obligated its signers to prevent, suppress, and punish genocide. The treaty held violators responsible whether they attacked another state or acted inside their own borders. Has made people more apprehensive to declare genocide.
Cambodian Genocide
Who: Cambodians By Who: Khmer Rouge Where: Cambodia When: 1975-1979 How Many: 1.7 million Why: Pol pot imagined a perfect communist society and attempted to carry that out
Somali Syndrome
US troops killed in Somali and bodies dragged through the streets for all to see. Made the US hesitant to send troops into genocides.
Auto-Genocide
When the group kills people of the same ethnicity, religion, etc. (EX the Cambodian Genocide)
Armenian Genocide
Who: Armenians By Who: The Young Turks Where: The Ottoman Empire When: 1915-1917 How Many: 1.5 million Why: Elected on equality platform which switched to nationalism. Armenians thought to be block to "Turkism"