Holocaust - Genocide Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is the definition of genocide?
The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group in part or in full.
What is the classification stage of genocide?
The differences between people are not respected, creating a division of ‘us’ and ‘them’ using stereotypes or exclusion.
The Nazis classified Jews as an inferior race and a threat to German society, leading to systemic discrimination.
What is the purpose of classification in genocide?
To create social divisions that justify future actions against a particular group.
What is symbolisation in the context of genocide?
A visual manifestation of hatred, such as Jews being forced to wear yellow stars to show they were ‘different.’
Increased public identification led to social exclusion and later persecution.
What is the purpose of symbolisation in genocide?
To visibly mark and isolate the targeted group, reinforcing their ‘otherness.’
What does discrimination mean in the context of genocide?
The dominant group denies civil rights or citizenship to identified groups, such as the 1935 Nuremberg Laws stripping Jews of their German citizenship.
Jews lost their jobs, homes, and basic rights, leading to widespread poverty and hardship.
What is the purpose of discrimination in genocide?
To remove legal protections and ensure the targeted group is vulnerable.
What is dehumanisation in genocide?
Those perceived as ‘different’ are treated with no human rights or dignity, such as Tutsis in Rwanda being referred to as ‘cockroaches’ and Jews as ‘vermin.’
This encouraged public indifference to Jewish suffering and allowed for extreme violence.
What is the purpose of dehumanisation in genocide?
To justify extreme mistreatment by portraying the victims as less than human.
What does organisation mean in the context of genocide?
Genocides are always planned, with regimes training those who carry out the destruction.
The Holocaust became an efficient, industrialized process of mass murder.
What is the purpose of organisation in genocide?
To coordinate and prepare for mass killings.
What is polarisation in genocide?
Propaganda is spread by hate groups, such as the Nazis using Der Stürmer to incite hate against Jews.
Public sentiment shifted further against Jews, increasing violence and support for their persecution.
What is the purpose of polarisation in genocide?
To intensify divisions and encourage violence against the target group.
What does preparation mean in the context of genocide?
Perpetrators plan the genocide using euphemisms to cloak their intentions, such as ‘The Final Solution.’
Deportations and the construction of extermination camps began.
What is the purpose of preparation in genocide?
To formalize plans and justify actions as ‘necessary.’
What is persecution in the context of genocide?
Victims are identified by ethnicity or religion, leading to segregation, deportation, or starvation.
Millions suffered starvation, disease, and abuse before mass killings began.
What is the purpose of persecution in genocide?
To weaken the target group before extermination.
What does extermination mean in genocide?
The hate group murders their identified victims in a systematic campaign of violence.
Over six million Jews were murdered, along with millions of other targeted groups.
What is the purpose of extermination in genocide?
To eliminate the target group entirely.
What does denial mean in the context of genocide?
The perpetrators or later generations deny the existence of any crime.
Efforts to distort history and undermine remembrance and justice.
What is the purpose of denial in genocide?
To escape accountability and prevent historical justice.
