U2L3 Crimes Against Humanity
| Site: | MoodleHUB.ca 🍁 |
| Course: | Social 20-2 RVS |
| Book: | U2L3 Crimes Against Humanity |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, 11 November 2025, 3:57 PM |
Description
U2L3
Introduction
Ultranationalism and Crimes Against Humanity
Key Issues
To what extent can the pursuit of ultranationalism lead to crimes against humanity?
Some people are so proud of their country that they are willing to die for it! Is this type of nationalism, often called ultranationalism, taking it too far?
As you watch the following short video, consider the following questions:
- What type of commitment does it take to do what these young kamikazes did? Or, did they have much choice?
- Have you ever believed in a cause enough to even consider giving your life for it?
The development of nationalism in historical times resulted in some leaders and groups taking national pride too far. That threshold, once crossed, led to ultranationalism with resulting horrific crimes such as slavery, persecution and ultimately genocide. In this lesson we will study some of the worst examples more closely to try to determine what that threshold is.
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genocidecrimes against humanity |
Lesson
RESOURCES
Read and refer to Chapter 7 as your resource for completing this lesson's assignment.
Ultranationalism and Crimes Against Humanity Summary
What are Crimes Against Humanity?
Genocide
International Criminal Court
LESSON
The link between ultranationalism and genocide is evident in modern society. In the modern age people kill each other for various reasons, whether it be for land, resources, ethnicity, etc. However, more frequently, the world is seeing the systematic destruction of a group of people; an act of genocide. Entire groups of people are wiped out because they differ slightly in idea or appearance in comparison to a radical, ultra nationalist party. Often genocide is carried out because of ultranationalism that is present in a group of people, such as the Nazi Holocaust of World War Two, Stalin's inflicted famine in the Ukrainian, and the Hutus executing the genocide in Rwanda.
Famine in Ukraine - 1932-33
1900's Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire and later the
Soviet Union in 1922
Ukrainians, primarily wealthy farmers, wanted independence for their nation
In the 1920's Joseph Stalin ordered the farmers to give their land to the Communist government and become labourers, but the farmers resisted.
Stalin created a famine by shipping Ukrainian wheat to Russian and then sealing the Ukrainian borders and ensuring no one could get out to buy food.
Soldiers also seized all the seeds so that farmers could not plant from the following season. Those caught hiding grain were executed.
By 1933 up to seven million Ukrainians had died. The Soviets kept this famine out of the news.
Read through the Eight Stages of Genocide presentation and complete your own notes
Armenian Genocide
Bombing of Hiroshima
In May 1945, Germany surrendered and World War II ended in Europe. But Japanese troops were still fighting in the Pacific. American leaders were preparing to invade Japan. The knew the Japanese military's reputation for not giving up, and many believed that Japanese soldiers would fight to the death - so the war would go on and on. Many people on both sides would die.
So on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki - and Japan surrendered. World War II was over.
Holocaust, A Call to Conscience
Assignment
1. Open a new Powerpoint or create a link to a prezi presentation. Label it SS20U1L3.surname
In this powerpoint, complete the following outlined below.
Submit this assignment using the Assignment Folder for U2L3 Crimes Against Humanity.
In addition to your notes and text reading, use the following resource to help you complete the Genocide Project. Other resources are also listed at the beginning of the lesson. (under RESOURCES)
Evaluation and Conclusion
Evaluation - Click on the following Rubric to view the detailed version.
Content (demonstration of understanding) - 20
Quality of presentation - 20
Captions/paragraphs (source based questions) - 10
- Why did the genocide occur? What reasons did the aggressor state hold as justification of the genocide?
- What are some of the factual details or outcomes of the genocide?
- How did the genocide end? When did it end? What consequences (if any) were forced upon the aggressor state/leaders? Did anything positive come out of this atrocity? (political activities/laws/policies/community action, etc?)
Total - /50
Online assignment to be graded directly in moodle.
Conclusion
Is it likely that future societies will adopt ultranationalist groups and their activities? We would like to believe not, but historically we can see that there are situations, or conditions, such as hard economic times and weak leaders, that lend themselves to the uprising of ultranationalist governments.
As we explore this topic, it is important that we understand the causes, effects and solutions to race-based and ethnicity-based hate crimes. The more we, as a society, understand the causes, the better we can implement interventions that promote equality, social justice and reconciliation across cultures.