Top 10 Genocides
Genocide is the intentional mass killing of a group, usually involving civilians, women, children and innocent people on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity or social economic status.
1. Genocide of people of CongoThe colonial administration of King Leopold II of Belgium was one of forced labour, mass murder and torture. Estimated range of victims was about 30 million, starting from 1885 and continuing into 20th century. The population of Congo declined from about 30 million to under 9 million during this time of atrocity.
2. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiDuring World War II, United States, conducted atomic bombing against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the first 2-4 months, the acute affects killed 90000-166000 in Hiroshima and 60000-80000 in Nagasaki. During the following months large numbers died from burns, radiation sickness and other injuries. Since then more have died due to Leukemia and Cancer.
3. The Nazi HolocaustApproximately six million European Jews, ethnic Poles, Romani, POWs and Soviet civilians were killed during World War II under a program of state-sponsored extermination by Nazi Germany. Hitler established concentration camps at places such as Auschwitz, Treblinka and Sobibor in which women, children and old people were executed and other inmates were used for slave labour, until they died of exhaustion and disease. The toll is estimated to be at 11 million to 17 million people.
4. Ukrainian FamineKnown as “Holodomor (murder by hunger)”, it was a famine in the Ukrainian SSR from 1932-33 during which millions of people starved to death as a result of the trade and economic policies of Joseph Stalin. It was the largest peace time catastrophe in the history of Ukraine. Estimates of the number of casualties ranged from 2.6 million to 10 million.
5. Bengal Famine of 19433 million people died from starvation and malnutrition due to this man-made famine. The British army stored all grains in anticipation of Japanese invasion and exported food to allied forces in middle-east and Europe while the local people starved to death.
6. Armenian Genocide (April 24,1915)It was a deliberate and systematic extermination of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. The Armenians were forced to march hundreds of miles without food and water to the Syrian Desert. 1 million – 1.5 million died due to starvation, sickness and disease.
7. The Rwandan genocide (1994)It was the mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda’s Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by the Hutu dominated government. In just 100 days, at least 500,000 -10, 00, 000, or as much as 20% of the total population were killed. It was one of the most intense killing sprees, possibly the worst in human history.
8. Leningrad, USSR(urban siege:8 September 1941-27 January 1944) Around 641000 Soviet civilians died in the siege. It was also known as the Leningrad Blockade and was a prolonged operation by the Axis powers to capture Leningrad. The siege and the subsequent evacuation took the lives of around 1 million people.
9. Nanjing, China (1937-‘38)Nanjing massacre or the Rape of Nanking as it is infamously called as, refers to the six week period, following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing. During this period, thousands of civilians including women and children were murdered by the soldiers of Imperial Japanese Army.
10. Manila, Phillipines: (1944-‘45)100,000 civilians were massacred by the Japanese troops who took out their anger and frustration on the Filipino civilians .They looted and burned and brutally executed and decapitated men and abused women and children alike, including priests. The Manila massacre was one of the major war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army.
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