Historical Atrocities

Armenian Genocide (1915-1923): The Ottoman Empire, during World War I, systematically exterminated approximately 1.5 million ethnic Armenians through mass killings, forced labour, and deportations. It is widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Nanking Massacre (1937-1938): Often referred to as the Rape of Nanking, this was a mass atrocity committed by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Estimates of the number of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers killed range from several hundred thousand to over 300,000.

Holocaust (1941-1945): Perhaps the most infamous genocide in history, the Holocaust was the systematic extermination of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. The Nazis also targeted other groups, including Romani people, Poles, Soviet POWs, disabled individuals, and others.

Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979): Under the rule of the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot, an estimated two million Cambodians (25% of the population) were killed through executions, forced labour, and starvation. The goal was to establish an agrarian socialist society.

Bosnian Genocide (1992-1995): During the Bosnian War, Bosnian Serb forces engaged in widespread ethnic cleansing and mass killings targeting Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) and Bosnian Croat populations. The Srebrenica massacre in 1995, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed, is particularly infamous.

Massacre of Prisoners in Iran (1988): After an increase in the number of protests across Iran the supreme leader Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious decree) that resulted in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners within a matter of 6 weeks. The perpetrators of this heinous crime hold powerful positions in the current Iranian regime.

Rwandan Genocide (1994): In just 100 days, an estimated 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis, were brutally massacred by ethnic Hutus in Rwanda. The international community faced criticism for its slow response and failure to prevent the genocide.