Lesson

RESOURCES

Read and refer to Chapter 7 as your resource for completing this lesson's assignment.

Chapter Seven Highlights

Ultranationalism and Crimes Against Humanity Summary

What are Crimes Against Humanity?
Genocide

International Criminal Court

Kamikaze Pilots

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.

Read through the Eight Stages of Genocide presentation and complete your own notes.


Genocide in Turkey - 1915

Early 1900's, Turkey was still a part of the Ottoman Empire

The Empire included Islams and Armenians (mostly Christian)

Armenians kept their national identity, language and culture, often facing discrimination

During WW1, the Turks fought with Germany while Armenian nationalists sided with Russia

The Turks viewed them as traitors



Famine in Ukraine (Holodomor Genocide) - 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.


Warning: this video contains discussion of graphic content. 
I encourage you to watch this, but you are not required to if you find it too upsetting.

Click on the following link and read:
Holocaust, A Call to Conscience
    
https://youtu.be/qItm2nu-Dos

Ethnic cleansing in Myanmar - https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/922421160070938624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Brutality of North Korean Prisons





Worse Than War

As you watch the film, consider how genocides could be prevented in the future.  Does the international community have a responsibility to intervene in a suspected genocide?