This review essay will compare and contrast, “From comparative to international genocide studies: The international production of genocide in 20th-century Europe” by Martin Shaw (European Journal of International Relations, 2011) and “Disconnecting the threads: Rwanda and the Holocaust reconsidered” by Rene Lemarchand (Journal of Genocide Research, 2002) in order to critically engage the concept of genocide, its multiple dimensions, and its domestic and international contexts. Martin Shaw’s article explores the inadequate international relations (IR) analysis of genocide and calls for a “critical” genocide studies that will be inclusive of sociological approaches of analysis. Shaw’s article was critical for review because it presents the setbacks …show more content…
Thus, he argues the need for IR analysis of genocide through a historical and sociological approach, in order to fully capture its complex, multi layered, and dynamic nature (Shaw 664). Furthermore, the concept of genocide is stripped, revealing its place in a complex set of international, military, political, cultural, and legal trends (Shaw 646). Shaw continues this discourse by arguing for the consideration of other groups, such as partisanship and social class, as to relieve genocide’s restrictive nature in order to go beyond ethnic, national, racial, and religious groups (649). Finally, Shaw’s main argument is that, “international relations are central for understanding the structural contexts which generate genocidal relations” which speaks to the fluidity of genocidal actors’ movement across interstate and state-society relations, in addition to the call for a comprehensive, multilayered, dynamic, non state-centric approach to IR and genocide …show more content…
Lemarchand’s overall aim with this article is to “place the concept of genocide in comparative discourse” by rejecting the Holocaust as the “paradigmatic” genocide as to allow the Rwanda Genocide to be assessed on its own terms (499). In Lemarchand’s unweaving of the tangled threads surrounding the Rwanda Genocide and Holocaust comparison, an intentionalist and functionalist analysis proved to be a sturdy instrument. Intentionalists find singular factors that explain situations/outcomes, whereas functionalist regard “circumstance” as essential for explanation (Lemarchand 506). Although noted that these concepts are not mutually exclusive, it was Hitler’s position--the central/primary instigator--that aligns the Holocaust in the intentionalist bloc, founded on deep seated anti semitic ideology (Lemarchand 506). In contrast, the Rwanda Genocide embodied what Lemarchand refers to as a “pragmatic dimension” where the Hutu, having enduring historical injustices by the Tutsi, felt threatened by interstate Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) transgressions that signaled potential Hutu subordination. This marked the Rwanda Genocide as functionalist and unfortunately, rather opaque
Stanton, Gregory H. "Genocides and Conflicts." World Without Genocide. World Without Genocide, 7 May 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .
The physical and mental intent to destroy another being often unveils the darkest side of human nature. In the memoir, “An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography” dedicated to the Rwandan genocide, war hero Paul Rusesabagina states: “A sad truth of human nature is that it is hard to care for people when they are abstractions, hard to care when it is not you or somebody close to you. Unless the world community can stop finding ways to dither in the face of this monstrous threat to humanity those words never again will persist in being one of the most abused phrases in the English language and one of the greatest lies of our time.” The United Nations promised never again would they allow genocide to occur after the Second World War. Unfortunately, less
Though the event occurred almost twenty-one years ago, the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has prompted much discussion about what truly caused the deaths of an estimated 800,000 civilians. Scott Straus, a political scientist and author of The Order of Genocide: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda, makes the claim that it is very difficult to precisely identify what began the genocide in Rwanda for a number of reasons, and also comments that many of the beliefs in regards to the causes and evolution of genocide in Rwanda are incomplete. In his book, Straus focuses on three main aspects: to look closely at the local dynamics of the genocide, to produce an assessment of explanations, and finally to develop a theory that would explain the genocide in Rwanda.
Bloxham's book ‘The final solution: A genocide’ has brought about much criticism and debate. In this book Bloxham “seeks to situate the mass-murder of European Jewry between 1941 and 1945 within the broader history of European genocide from 1875 to 1945” . In this, he challenges the uniqueness of the holocaust, and presents the argument that the full meaning of the holocaust and final solution can only be completely understood, if it is placed in the larger context of genocide. Bloxham argues that “the history of the holocaust is itself an international history, and international history always has comparative dimensions” . Furthermore, in the forum Bloxham states that the aim of the book was to bring the holocaust into a wider history of genocide and bridge together the holocaust and genocide studies. This analysis will look at each review in order of appearance in the forum, and the comments Bloxham reports back in reaction. However in light of this analysis, not all points that were raised will be able to be commented on, instead this analysis will focus on the key point’s aspect of each review.
Spangenburg, Ray, and Diane Moser. The Crime of Genocide: Terror against Humanity. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2000. Print.
When a group feels as if their existence is threatened by another group, the only solution to their problem is the extermination of the opposing group. Genocide is also used to carry out systematic efforts in destroying enemies which will send out warning to other potential enemies. Acquiring economic wealth by destroying a group which stands in the way of that benefit is also another reason genocide is carried out. Finally, to create a “pure race” which means everyone practices the same way, follows the same culture, and the group who does not fit the guidelines, will be exterminated. The Center on Law and Globalization is a charitable organization which presents news about devastating problems in countries across the world. Its authors are reporters and journalist who experience firsthand the problems these countries are facing. In the article, Why Do Genocides Occur? Published by the Center on Law and Globalization, the conditions under which genocide usually occurs includes: when the victims are excluded, which means they have lost their citizenship and denied their rights, in crisis, when their government is in ruins, or in a dictatorial
From a number of past genocide examples, historians have discovered the relationship between genocide and modernity, however since the word modernity comprises a vast range of aspects about the new changes and developments in a society, therefore it is hard to pin point the link between the two and thus making the term more ambiguous when attempting to explain. Nevertheless, what we are certain is that the significance of modernity that acts as a fuse in genocides that had cost millions of lives and this explains their strong association with each other evidently. Looking ...
History aims to examine the actions and legacy of mankind. The past is filled with the achievements that humans have reached, however, history also shows us the evil that man is capable of. No atrocity against mankind is more heinous than the act of genocide. Genocide is the aim to destroy all (or part of) of a racial, religious, ethnic, or national group of people. This paper will examine two famous cases of genocide in history: The holocaust of Jews and other groups in Nazi Germany, and the destruction of the Congolese people under Belgian colonialism. The Holocaust remains as one of the main legacies of Hitler and the Nazi party, who claimed an estimated 11 million victims, 6 million of which were Jews. Comparatively, the Congolese Genocide
"Rwanda Genocide." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
As the news reported that Islamic State committed genocide against Christians and other minorities had suffered serious defeats from recent battles against the allied forces, the images of piles of dead bodies shown to the world in Rwanda about a couple decades ago emerge once again and triggers an interesting puzzle: why did the Rwandan Genocide happen in one of the smallest nations in the African Continent? The documentary film, Rwanda-Do Scars Ever Fade?, upon which this film analysis is based provides an answer to the puzzle.
Paradigms of Genocide: The Holocaust, The Armenian genocide, and Contemporary Mass Destructions, 156-168. Sage Publications Inc., 1996. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1048550
Various schools of thought exist as to why genocide continues at this deplorable rate and what must be done in order to uphold our promise. There are those who believe it is inaction by the international community which allows for massacres and tragedies to occur - equating apathy or neutrality with complicity to evil. Although other nations may play a part in the solution to genocide, the absolute reliance on others is part of the problem. No one nation or group of nations can be given such a respo...
SAINATI, TATIANA E. "Toward A Comparative Approach To The Crime Of Genocide." Duke Law Journal 62.1 (2012): 161-202. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Nov. 2013
When the Rwandan Hutu majority betrayed the Tutsi minority, a destructive mass murdering broke out where neighbor turned on neighbor and teachers killed their students; this was the start of a genocide. In this paper I will tell you about the horrors the people of Rwanda had to face while genocide destroyed their homes, and I will also tell you about the mental trauma they still face today.
Print. The. Hymowitz, Sarah, and Amelia Parker. " Lessons - The Genocide Teaching Project - Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law." American University, Washington College of Law. American UniversityWashington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, 2011.