Genocide

Lore & Background

The term genocide was coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin between 1941 and 1943. His interest was initially sparked by the Armenian genocide. He submitted the manuscript for his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe in early 1942, published in 1944. Lemkin's central definition was 'the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group' in which members were targeted as members of the group, not as individuals. He saw genocide as an inherently colonial process and considered it to have occurred since the beginning of human history.

Lemkin lobbied for genocide to be outlawed by international treaty. The Genocide Convention, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 and effective 12 January 1951, restricted his initially broad definition to five specific acts 'committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such.' Lemkin privately considered the convention a failure, as his anti-colonial conception was transformed into one that favored colonial powers. Cultural genocide and the forced migration of populations were omitted.

Genocide has occurred throughout human history, including prehistoric times. Most genocides have occurred during wartime, particularly in situations of imperial expansion and power consolidation. It is associated with colonialism, both world wars, and repressive governments. The colloquial understanding is heavily influenced by the Holocaust as its archetype. After genocide, denial and impunity for the perpetrators are common.

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