Genocide Mid Term Study Guide
Tehcir Law
"Tehcir Law" ("Deportation Law") is the usual short-form title for the Dispatchment and Settlement Law that the Ottoman parliament has just passed, at the prompting of Talaat Pasha, the Minister of the Interior. One of the main planks of the Young Turks' regime is an attempt to save the Ottoman Empire from dissolution, by recasting the sprawling multi-ethnic empire of provinces and vassals as a unified nationalistic, Turkic, Muslim state.
Kristallnacht
(Night of the Broken Glass) November 9, 1938, when mobs throughout Germany destroyed Jewish property and terrorized Jews. Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses and killed close to 100 Jews. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, also called the "Night of Broken Glass," some 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. German Jews had been subjected to repressive policies since 1933, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) became chancellor of Germany
Nuremberg Laws
1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-German blood. These measures were among the first of the racist Nazi laws that culminated in the Holocaust.
We Charge Genocide
A Historic Petition to the United Nations for Relief From a Crime of The United States Government Against the Negro People (1951). is a record that calls aloud for condemnation, for an end to these terrible injustices that constitute a daily and ever-increasing violation of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It is important to know about "we charge genocide" because till this day, America does not consider the mistreatment of Indigenous and African American people a genocide despite the many factors that took place such as the relocation of children, to causing bodily & mental harm to even death. It is a very important part in African American history because it is one of the first stands against injustices in America
Red Sunday
April 24, known as Red Sunday, is commemorated as Genocide Remembrance Day by Armenians around the world. This day in 1915, is regarded as the starting point of the Armenian Genocide. The genocide was a series of massacres and deportations of Armenian citizens living in the Ottoman Empire, and occurred during (and just after) World War I. It is considered the first genocide of the 21st century, and an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians are thought to have died.
What do Curthoys and Docker say about how the historical context of post-war world shaped the definition of genocide? Provide some discussion of a few of the historical events or fears that influenced the construction of the UN convention definition in 1948.
Because of Lemkin's tireless efforts after the postwar for the UN circle to pass a convention banning genocide, the definition "genocide" came about to describe how many groups were targeted, maliciously in different ways. The concept of genocide was immediately recognized by the UN from Lemkin, worldwide to be of significance and future importance . Some influences that evolved to the construction of the definition genocide was there not being a law that protected from the atrocities that were committed before war.
Hernan Cortes
Born around 1485, Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who defeated the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain. Cortes Is mostly interested in the sources provided by the Aztecs . Cortes ordered a musket to be fired (signal) to kill the aztecs and burn many of them alive so that the Aztecs would gain nothing from their idols. They were beaten and without anything to defend themselves with, they were slain. Cortes claimed that his attack was in self defense. This is considered a massacre but in reality should be considered a cultural genocide. Doing this cortes rid many of artifacts of culture and Aztec history. It is important to remember what Cortes did because he did this with an intent to destroy and steal sources.
Joseph Goebbels
Chief minister of the Nazi propaganda, and organizer of Kristallnacht. A master orator and propagandist, he is generally accounted responsible for presenting a favourable image of the Nazi regime to the German people.
Munich Conference
Conference held in Munich on September 28--29, 1938, during which the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Italy agreed to allow Germany to annex certain areas of Czechoslovakia. The Munich Conference came as a result of a long series of negotiations. Adolf Hitler had demanded the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia; British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain tried to talk him out of it. When Hitler would not back down, and even extended his demands, Chamberlain decided to follow a policy of "appeasement" and give in to Hitler on this issue, in the hope that Hitler would not make any more demands. Czechoslovakia was not invited to attend
Conspicuous Destruction
Conspicuous destruction is used to intimidate. Conspicuous destruction is served to display the power of the perpetrators and to restore or enhance their status. Genocide as a whole contained fragments of conspicuous destruction because many who committed the acts of genocide pursued so with ruthless calculations. Those who aimed for the highest possible status in the world order were least able to tolerate any challenge to their honor and most willing to eliminate without a trace those who seemed to show insufficient respect. Genocide was always also, and sometimes mainly , an act of conspicuous destruction and that Is why It is very important to know in genocide studies.
Belgian Congo
From 1885 to 1908, Belgian King Leopold II took control of the Congo. He turned the nation into a money making machine by farming ivory and rubber and building a fortune on the labor of the people who lived there. Things quickly got out of control. Leopold's harsh policies to keep people working turned into a brutal reign of mutilations and terror that led to the deaths of an estimated 10 million people in a few short years. Leopold was determined to make it profitable. He turned two-thirds of the country into his own private land. The people there were forced to work for him. Their quotas were huge. The average person had to work 20 days per month just to meet his rubber quota, and they weren't paid for it. They would have to meet their quotas first, Their quotas were huge. The average person had to work 20 days per month just to meet his rubber quota, and they weren't paid for it. They would have to meet their quotas first.If the workers fell short by a small amount, they would get 25 lashes with a whip. In harsher cases, they might get 100. These beatings were done with a strong whip made of hippopotamus hide that could break the skin quickly. Sometimes, the victims died. It is important to view this as a genocide because of the many deaths and mass enslavements that occurred during this time.
How did the 1948 UN Convention define genocide? What Elements would you change/add to improve this definition. Reference one of the readings from class to help support your answer.
Genocide is defined in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) 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 1 ; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group." There are many conspiracies in the UN's convention of what genocide is and I think that that is unfair. Leo Kuper records many of them which regard the groups to be protected, the question of intent (yes or no, was it intentional/ facts/ proof), the inclusion of cultural genocide, the problem of enforcement and punishment, the extent of destruction which would constitute genocide and the essential nature of the crime (Found in Defining Genocide piece). The UN convention should define genocide as described by Lemkin because it is the most fairest definition that allows the crime to be punishable without any of the conspiracies in the way. Genocide is not only inflicting harm onto individual people or groups. Genocide can be economic, social, religious and cultural as well. The definition of genocide should not be limited to purely murder.
Rape of Belgium
Germany marched through Belgium on their way to France, destroying everything in their way.. The "Rape of Belgium" was one of the most prominent examples of German cruelty that the Committee on Public Information used to motivate Americans to support the war effort. It refers to the German occupation of the small, neutral nation of Belgium, wherein war crimes against innocent citizens were committed on a grand scale. The German army burned entire cities and carried out mass executions. It is important to genocide studies because of the many factors that can be used to say that the rape of Belgium was indeed an act of genocide.
Gestapo
Gestapo, abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei (German: "Secret State Police"), the political police of Nazi Germany. The Gestapo operated without civil restraints. It had the authority of "preventative arrest," and its actions were not subject to judicial appeal. Thousands of leftists, intellectuals, Jews, trade unionists, political clergy, and homosexuals simply disappeared into concentration camps after being arrested by the Gestapo. The political section could order prisoners to be murdered, tortured, or released. Together with the SS, the Gestapo managed the treatment of "inferior races," such as Jews and Roma (Gypsies). During World War II the Gestapo suppressed partisan activities in the occupied territories and carried out reprisals against civilians. Gestapo members were included in the Einsatzgruppen ("deployment groups"), which were mobile death squads that followed the German regular army into Poland and Russia to kill Jews and other "undesirables
Aryan
Hitler argued that the German (he wrongly described them as the Aryan race) was superior to all others. Hitler was obsessed with 'racial purity'. He used the word 'Aryan' to describe his idea of a 'pure German race' or Herrenvolk. The 'Aryan race' had a duty to control the world. The Nazis believed that the Aryans had the most "pure blood" of all the people on earth. The ideal Aryan had pale skin, blond hair and blue eyes. Non-Aryans came to be seen as impure and even evil. Hitler believed that Aryan superiority was being threatened particularly by the Jews. But a league table of 'races' was created with the Aryans at the top and with Jews, Gypsies and black people at the bottom. These 'inferior' people were seen as a threat to the purity and strength of the German nation.The term Aryan originally meant something completely different. This term is important to genocide studies because it was the development of this word that created more anti-semitism in germany.
1933 Reichstag fire
In Germany on February 27, 1933, when a sizeable portion of the parliamentary building in Berlin, the Reichstag, went up in flames from an arson attack. It was the canary in the political coal mine—a flashpoint event when Adolf Hitler played upon public and political fears to consolidate power, setting the stage for the rise of Nazi Germany. Since then, it's become a powerful political metaphor. razed the building that housed the Reichstag (German parliament) in Berlin. Claiming the fire was part of a Communist attempt to overthrow the government, the newly named Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler used the fire as an excuse to seize absolute power in Germany, paving the way for the rise of his Nazi regime.
Explain in much detail as possible the arguments of internationalists and functionalists. What evidence does each side point to in order to provide this is right? Where does Browning stand in this debate—i.e. what is his main thesis/argument? Which side do you find more convincing and why?
Internationalists believe that Hitler is the primary motivator, his anti-Semitism is eliminationist and his drives his subordinates and the path to genocide. Internationalists also believe that Hitler's intention was genocide from the earliest years of his political career. Evidence can be found for this in his speeches of 1920s found in Mein Kampf. Internationalists believe that Hitler decided on mass murder of the Jews in 1920s and thereafter worked with consciousness and calculation towards that goal. Functionalists believed there was a "twisted road" that led to genocide but much of the initiative for genocide comes from bureaucracy of party. Genocide was unplanned , however, anti-Semitism made it a possible option when other options had failed. They argue that Hitler's' Initial plans were to relocate. Browning attempted to articulate a middle position in which he called "moderate functionalism" he makes an argument that Hitler had not decided on the Final solution as the highest point (culmination) of any long- held or premeditated plan, but that he indeed made a series of key decisions in 1941 that ordained that mass murder of the European Jews. He says that his point was that Hitler made a decision in the euphoria of victory against Russia. I find that Browning's side is more convincing because he knows that Hitler was in charge in making the decisions but that he was so excited over the victory against Russia tempted Hitler to create more drastic policies. His point is not ENTIRELY functionalist, but can be a mixture of both intentionalism and functionalism.
Why is it difficult to make a determination about Ancient genocide? What were more likely options for conquering groups to use and why did they usually prefer this to genocide? Describe the events of one example of a destruction that Van Wees says qualifies as ancient genocide. How does this example fit his theory of conspicuous destruction?
It is difficult to make a determination about genocide because of its laconic (using very few words) notices about the destruction of cities, highly rhetorical celebrations or the condemnations of the annihilations of an enemy. In ancient genocide, words like "utterly destroyed" could've meant c9a boast of victory but it can also hint towards an act of genocide. What about the phrase 'razed to the ground"? It's things like this that allow us to remain skeptical about the determination of genocide in the ancient world. On December 19, 51 BC, Cicero who was the governor of Cilicia wrote to a friend a jocular account of enslaving a small town in his province. He believed he had to give no explanation in his reasoning for selling the population into slavery or for attacking the town, except to hint at their refusal for submitting to roman authority. Cicero was well aware that his victory was insignificant but he wanted public recognition. He set his sights on a triumphal procession which is the highest military honor and he even recorded the detail of his campaign in which he sent to Cato one of the most powerful men in Rome. Profit was such a big deal in Cicero's case. The ultimate result of this action was a genocide. This fits the conspicuous destruction theory because Cicero wanted his actions to be noticeable and visible. Conspicuous destruction is used to intimidate which is what Cicero had intentions of. Conspicuous destruction is served to display the power of the perpetrators and to restore or enhance their status.
Paragraph 175
Law from the 1871 German criminal code outlawing sexual relations between men. Paragraph 175 was the national German law that prohibited sex between men. It was incorporated into the German penal code in 1871. The Nazi government arrested gay men, sending them to jail or concentration camps,
Lucy Dawidowicz
Lucy Dawidowicz was an Intentionalist and extremist who's most important works are about Eastern European Jewry and the Holocaust, but she also wrote about contemporary issues and Jews in America. All of her works reflect her deep love of the Jewish people as well as her fierce and uncompromising opinions
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf, which means "My Struggle" or "My Fight" is Hitler's autobiography in which he outlines his ideology and political plans for Germany. Hitler describes at length how he became increasingly anti semitic during his early years in Vienna, Austria and expresses his belief of the world's two major evils - Communism and Judaism.Mein Kampf contains chilling allusions to the frame of mind which led to the Holocaust, the genocide which cost the lives of around six million Jews during World War II. The autobiography, Mein Kampf, basically foreshadowed the holocaust which is why it is so important o genocide studies.
Melos
Melos was an ancient city in Greece that was completely destroyed. by the Athenian Empire in 416 BCE during the grinding Peloponnesian war with Sparta which lasted from 431 BCE to the Athenian's eventual defeat in 404 BCE. Melians refused to submit despite the overwhelming superiority of Athenian force. When Melos eventually had to surrender to the besieging army, its men were killed and its women and children sold into slavery. This attack on the city of Melos is considered a genocide because of the many factors that took place within the war.
NSDAP
National Socialist German Workers' Party, political party of the mass movement known as National Socialism. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the party came to power in Germany in 1933 and governed by totalitarian methods until 1945. The program called for German abandonment of the Treaty of Versailles and for the expansion of German territory.
Mischlinge
People who had both Christian and Jewish ancestors. In these people's case depending on how many were of their grandparents were Jewish or Christian was how they were deemed Aryan or Jewish. As defined by the Nuremberg laws in 1935, a Jew was somebody who had at least three Jewish grandparents --- regardless of religious affiliation or self-identification. The latter did matter for people with two Jewish grandparents: if they belonged to the Jewish religion or were married to Jews, they were classified as Jewish; if neither, they were considered Mischlinge of the first degree. Somebody with only one Jewish grandparent was classified as a Mischlinge of the second degree. It is of note to mention that in practice any Mischlinge could be deported if they simply appeared to be or looked Jewish.
Ethnic Cleansing
Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region. Techniques used in an ethnic cleansing involve killing, torture, rape, arrest, detention, deportation, destroying homes and cultural celebrations. However, the intent is to remove and not to eliminate. This is a very relevant piece to Genocidal History because there are many countries that don't want to admit that they have committed a genocide so instead, it is called a "cleansing". Some confirmed and possible examples of Ethnic Cleansing can be found in the Armenian Genocide and some more examples are the forced removal of Native Americans to reservations, Japanese internment camps. Expulsion of Jews from England in 1300s.... etc.
Raphael Lemkin
Raphael Lemkin is best known for creating the word Genocide in 1944. The term GENOCIDE is defined as the destruction of a nation or ethnic group. Lemkin claims that the objective of such a plan would have the aim to destroy the political and social institutions of culture, language , national feelings, religion and economic existence. Lemkin coined the term GENOCIDE to help others see what he had seen in human history and was now seeing again. Lemkin, seeing huge numbers of mass killings, had seen something else that overlapped with mass killings but was not the same thing. It was to highlight the destruction of social groups, as distinct from the killings of individual persons, that he coined the term. He was able to create a concept that genocide had two phases. He recognizes the vital role of culture and considered the destruction of culture a genocide as well. Because of his definition, The General Assembly of the United Nations was able to create their own definition. The general Assembly maintained Lemkin's core conception that genocide involves the destruction of a group as a group but limits some points made by him. Without Lemkin's definition of what a GENOCIDE was, many would not be able to distinguish what individual killings are to the destruction of a nation as a whole social group (culture, people, religion... etc)
Identify one "contested genocide" that we discussed in class and explain why you believe it should be considered genocide or not. Use at least one reading from class to support your answer.
Slavery in any time at any place is known as a "contested genocide" , however, should be considered a genocide. If an institution is deliberately maintained and expanded by discernible agents, though are all aware of the hecatombs of casualties it is inflicting on a definable human group, then why should this not qualify as a genocide? In a specific case, during the sixteenth and nineteenth century, Atlantic slavery resulted in massive mass mortality. About 15 to 20 million estimated people were dead caused by this institution. The amount of people killed ruined the chances of cultural, social and economic differences in the West African society. What many tend to overlook is that The Atlantic slavery met every other requirement of the UN Genocide Convention definition so why isn't it considered a genocide if it meets the requirements of one? ( Found in Origins of Genocide piece)
Subaltern Genocide
Subaltern Genocide is the reverse killing of the dominant power by rebels. Subaltern Genocide are not often included as a Genocide because the public is a lot more sympathetic towards them. It is important to know what a sulbaltern Genocide is because it exists. Regardless of the group of people or persons comitting the act, when the intent to create harm is evident and lives are lost, cultures are ruined and for better or for worse, it is still a genocide
Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Aztec Empire from the middle of the 1300s to the early 1500s. n 1521 the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes led an army of Spanish and native forces against the city of Tenochtitlan, the spectacular island capital of the Aztec civilisation. The city was destroyed when the Spaniards took over. It is important to remember this name because it is where an unjust genocide took place.
Verdun and Somme
The Battle of Verdun in 1916 was the longest single battle of World War One. The casualties from Verdun and the impact the battle had on the French Army was a primary reason for the British starting the Battle of the Somme in July 1916 in an effort to take German pressure off of the French at Verdun. It is said that the French lost over 360,000 and the Germans nearly 340,000.
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign was a series of armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, including Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Central Caspian Dictatorship, between 1914 and 1917. The main objective of the Ottoman government in the Caucasus campaign was to retake the territories lost to Russia in the war of 1877. These territories were Artvin, Ardahan, Kars And, and the port of Batumi. A large number of soldiers were killed during this war.
1948 UN Convention
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 as General Assembly Resolution 260. Because of Lemkin's many discussions about the term genocide , the convention came into full for in 1951. The 1948 convention is an important part of history and should be studied in genocide because without the passing of the law that prosecutes any form of genocide, the act would probably still be committed today despite Lemkin's efforts of making the word relevant.
Carthage
The Genocide took place during the 3rd Punic War from 149-146 VCE. Carthage was the capital city in Tunisia. Rome declared war on Carthage 3 times which were called the Punic War. It took over 100 years to fight and in the end resulted in the intentional destruction of Carthage . The siege of Carthage resulted in mass death by starvation, death from fighting and final slaughter once the Roman army won. The city which was populated with 700,00 reduced to 50,00 which were sold into slavery. The city burned for weeks . This is a form of ancient genocide because not only were lives lost but cultures were destroyed and the rest of the inhabitants were sold into slavery being forced to part from their lifestyle.
Medieval Jewish Badges-
The Jewish badge, a patch of fabric Jews were required to wear to visually identify themselves as distinct from, and less than, Christians. The principal objective in introducing distinctive signs for the Jews was to erect a barrier between them and non-Jews and to restrict their movements. It is an important piece of information to Genocide because it shows how badly jews were mistreated. Jews were not even considered people to some and that's why they were required to wear badges so that non-jews could easily identify and stay clear away from them.
Discuss a variety of reasons that anti-Semitism, more so than other persecutions, may have been seen as useful by the Nazis in building public support. What arguments against the Jews does Hitler introduce in Mein Kampf (be specific and list several different points)? How does he contrast this with the idea of the Aryans? How are these ideas supported by the film The Eternal Jew.
The Nazis used Anti-Semitism as a propaganda tool in order to gain support for their Party. Jewish communities around the world had suffered from religious persecution for thousands of years, and were frequently blamed for society's ills. Hitler considered Jews to be an inferior race of people, who set out to weaken other races and take over the world. Hitler believed that Jews were particularly destructive to the German 'Aryan' race, and did not have any place in Nazi Germany. Hitler also wanted to rid Germany of the disabled, homosexuals, Roma and Sinti, and other minorities that did not fit in to his idea of an Aryan race. Hitler believed that the German 'Aryan' race should dominate. He introduces all these ideas in Mein Kampf. In the film the eternal Jew which was an anti-semitic propaganda film, Hitler's ideas are defended by claims that included the Bible mentioning that in the book of Moses, a Jew is not considered a "brother". Additionally, it is mentioned in the film that Jews are seen as vermin and are considered words such as cruel, cowardly and sneaky.
Discuss briefly several reasons that the Armenians were targeted by the Ottoman Turks in the late 19th and early 20th century? What happened to the Armenians in 1915 and would you consider this a genocide of an act of necessity in war? What does Vahakn Dadrian say about this question—i.e. was it genocide? What arguments and evidence does he use to make his point (explain both the significance of the type of evidence he is using and also explain several specific arguments that he makes.)
The Ottoman authorities were waiting for a suitable opportunity to undertake the wholesale liquidation of the empire's Armenian population, and the outbreak of the World War I provided that opportunity. The CUP (controls the ottoman government) maintains that Armenian acts of disloyalty, subversion and their insurrection (violent uprising against government) in wartime forced the central government to order, for purpose of relocation, the deportation of large sections of the Armenian population. The ottomans felt like they had to protect themselves which is why the Armenian losses resulted from the severe hardships associated with poorly administered measures of deportations including exhaustion, sickness, starvation, and epidemics. Dadrian concludes that this is a genocide.
The Poisonous Mushroom
The Poisonous Mushroom: A children's book pub. in 1938 in Germany by Ernst Hiemer. The Poisonous Mushroom was an anti-Semitic children's story for German youth, demonstrates how the Nazis sought to essentially brainwash their children, predisposing them against Jews from such early ages. Ex: (Jews are the most dangerous poisonous mushroom in existence; the Jew is the cause of misery and distress, illness and death.... The Jew is ... the Devil in human form.) Ex: ("Yes, my child! Just as a single poisonous mushroom can kill a whole family, so a solitary Jew can destroy a whole village, a whole city, even an entire Volk.... ) Genocide would become the key focus of Nazi anti semitism which led into the most world renown form of genocide, The Holocaust. Which is why this book is essentially important to genocide studies because of its reference to how Anti-semitic Germany was to the point that even children were brainwashed before and after the Holocaust took place.
Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the most notorious and widely distributed anti semitic publication of modern times. Its lies about Jews, which have been repeatedly discredited, continue to circulate today, especially on the internet. The individuals and groups who have used the Protocols are all linked by a common purpose: to spread hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism plays a huge role when it comes to the holocaust, the worst genocide known.
Intentionalism
The general term "intentionalist" is typically defined as a person who "essentially constructs a case around the decisive impact of particular individuals or events". Therefore when speaking of the Holocaust, intentionalist historians focus completely on Hitler. They believe that it was his idea (or intention) all along to preserve the Aryan race by exterminating Jews and other racial and ideological groups that the Germans saw as enemies. Most intentionalists claim that his plan was written out in his autobiography, "Mein Kampf" or "My Struggle", where he says a few lines which give away his plan, proving that his intentions stemmed long before he came to power, and that it was as if Hitler fantasized of murder.
The Eternal Jew
The use of propaganda and laws to define the enemy as a cohesive group was a key factor in achieving the goals of the Nazi regime. These campaigns incited hatred or cultivated indifference to it. They were particularly effective in creating an atmosphere tolerant of violence against Jews. In November 1937 'The Eternal Jew' exhibition opened in Munich, and ran until 31 January 1938, claiming to show the 'typical outward features' of Jews and to demonstrate their allegedly Middle Eastern and Asiatic characteristics. The exhibition also attempted to 'expose' a world-wide 'Jewish-Bolshevik' conspiracy. The exhibition attracted 412,300 visitors, over 5,000 per day. The Secret Police reports claimed that it helped to promote a sharp rise in anti-Semitic feelings, and in some cases violence against the Jewish community. Anti-Semitism plays a huge role when it comes to the holocaust, the worst genocide known.
Versailles Treaty
Treaty of Versailles, peace document signed at the end of World War I by the Allied and associated powers and by Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, France, on June 28, 1919; it took force on January 10, 1920. This is an important piece to Genocide studies because if we look at what Hitler did throughout his reign in germany, in many forms did he go against what the treaty of versailles stated.
CUP
Turkey undergoes a political revolution in 1908 and set up a reform government in Turkey known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), which advocated a program of orderly reform under a strong central government and the exclusion of all foreign influence. The CUP push for the exclusion of non-muslims as well as envision the Turks as a "Blood and a Race" that are superior. The leaders of the CUP are main contenders of the Armenian and Greek genocide.
Negationists
a person who denies or refutes something. When used historically, historical negationism is an illegitimate distortion of the historical record. A person who describes themselves as a negationist is someone who for example, denies the holocaust after the numerous amounts of evidence found to conclude that the historical event did exist. This term is important to know because to this day, there are people who are negationists and it is imperative to know who they are and how to prevent historical negationism from expanding.
Cultural Genocide
an extreme form of ethnocentrism in which the people of one society define the culture of another society not as merely offensive, but as so intolerable that they attempt to destroy it. This term is relevant to genocide studies because of the fact that till this day, it is still not included in the UN's definition of the word genocide due to the fact that the United States can actually be hurting themselves if cultural genocide was included in the definition.
