Genocide refers to the complete or partial demolition of a group. The destruction is always deliberate and systematic. The groups demolished may be ethnic, racial, Caste, religious, or national. However, different legal scholars have defined genocide in their own ways. Any of the acts that results in the destruction of an ethnic, racial or national group can be termed as genocide for a simple understanding. There has been much genocide since the inception of the world. These genocides have changed the face of the world for ever. Genocides have been occurring since time immemorial till now.
Let us discuss few of the genocides that have affected the world the most.
The Holocaust
Hitler’s “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” has been the most horrible genocide that has ever been reported in world history. Though the Jews have been massacred by the Egyptians, Romans, and the Christians since ancient times, the Nazi Holocaust has been well conceived and executed. Germany was in a massive debt after the First World War and forced war damages completely destroyed their economy. At this crucial time, Hitler announced the Jews to be the reason for the downfall of the Germany economic downfall. This announcement resulted in the mass killing of the Jews. By 1945, almost six millions Jews were killed.
Bosnian Genocide
Bosnian genocide occurred in 1990 in the newly formed Bosnia. When the country was split to republic, there was a huge disturbance as far as ethnicity and population displacement in Bosnia. To ethnically cleanse Bosnia, General Ratko Mladic of the Army of Republika Srpska led the execution of thousands of Muslims and Serbs from Bosnia. The execution reported in around 20 thousand causalities that included murders, rapes, beheadings, and fires and so on.
Armenian Genocide
The Ottoman Empire, whose center point was Turkey, is still notorious for the human rights violations occurred in 1915. During the First World War, the Ottomans started massacring the Armenians. The Armenians were Christian minority. In this horrible incident, the able-bodied people were brutally slaughtered and women and children were made to do a death march towards Syrian deserts. Entire villages were burnt where Armenians used to reside.
Native American Genocide
It is still believed that there were varieties of natives present in America before Columbus reached there. After the Europeans arrived in the American continent in 1492, they wanted to own the natural resources of the place completely. However, the natural inhabitants of America were the only barriers in front of them. Francisco Pizarro slaughtered the Inca in South America and Herman Cortés destroyed the Aztecs in Mexico. Now, actual natives of America are scattered and many tribes are extinct for good.
Pygmy Genocide
The Pygmy tribes reside in the Central Africa and they are less than fifty nine inches in height. They usually stay in forests and they have suffered a lot during the rebels such as the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo. The tribal people opine that the rebels treat them as wild animals and cannibalize on them.
