Armenia
The Forgotten-The Armenian Genocide
Armenian National Committee of America. (2012). The Armenian genocide. Retrieved from http://www.theforgotten.org
This website provides several important resources pertaining to the Armenian genocide. There is a detailed timeline of events that took place during the genocide, a collection of images from that time period, and a number of personal accounts from survivors, which you can listen to on the site or download to your computer. The multimedia resources found on the site are a good way to supplement books on the topic, such as The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response.
The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response
Balakian, P. (2004). The burning Tigris: The Armenian genocide and America’s response. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
This book provides an in-depth account of the Armenian genocide, when more than one million Armenians were systematically murdered in Turkey in 1915. Balakian tells the story of the genocide with archival documents and first-person accounts, bringing to light atrocities often overshadowed by World War I. In addition to providing important information on a lesser-known occurrence of genocide, this resource is also useful for examining the response of the United States to instances of genocide.
Armenian National Committee of America. (2012). The Armenian genocide. Retrieved from http://www.theforgotten.org
This website provides several important resources pertaining to the Armenian genocide. There is a detailed timeline of events that took place during the genocide, a collection of images from that time period, and a number of personal accounts from survivors, which you can listen to on the site or download to your computer. The multimedia resources found on the site are a good way to supplement books on the topic, such as The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response.
The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response
Balakian, P. (2004). The burning Tigris: The Armenian genocide and America’s response. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
This book provides an in-depth account of the Armenian genocide, when more than one million Armenians were systematically murdered in Turkey in 1915. Balakian tells the story of the genocide with archival documents and first-person accounts, bringing to light atrocities often overshadowed by World War I. In addition to providing important information on a lesser-known occurrence of genocide, this resource is also useful for examining the response of the United States to instances of genocide.
The Balkans
Balkan Genocides: Holocaust and Ethnic Cleansing in the Twentieth Century
Mojzes, P. (2011). Balkan genocides: Holocaust and ethnic cleansing in the twentieth century. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
While many people know about the conflicts that occurred in the 1990s in the former country of Yugoslavia, fewer are aware that this region was mired in conflict for much of the 20th century. This book provides an interesting perspective on genocide in the region because in addition to providing a detailed account of the conflicts in the 1990s, the author also focuses on two previous waves of genocide in the Balkans. Mojzes discusses the “unrecognized genocide” in the years preceding World War I and the multiple genocides that occurred during World War II before detailing the conflicts of the 1990s. He includes definitions of genocide and ethnic cleansing, looks at the roles of religion and ethnicity in the conflicts, and provides information on the International Criminal Tribunal, as well as an update on the current state of the Balkans. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the long history of conflict and genocide in the Balkan region.
Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave
Woodhead, L. (Producer & Director). (1999). Srebrenica: A cry from the grave [Documentary]. United States: Antelope Films.
As the former country of Yugoslavia disintegrated in the 1990s, there were many instances of conflict in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, but none were more atrocious than Srebrenica. In 1995, Bosnian Serbs separated and systematically executed over 7,000 Bosnian Muslims, while UN peacekeeping forces stood by and watched the events unfold. This documentary presents firsthand accounts from both witnesses and officials, and features footage shot by soldiers, civilians, and peacekeepers. This is not a complete account of all of the atrocities that occurred during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, but it is an in-depth look at one particular genocidal event in this region.
Mojzes, P. (2011). Balkan genocides: Holocaust and ethnic cleansing in the twentieth century. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
While many people know about the conflicts that occurred in the 1990s in the former country of Yugoslavia, fewer are aware that this region was mired in conflict for much of the 20th century. This book provides an interesting perspective on genocide in the region because in addition to providing a detailed account of the conflicts in the 1990s, the author also focuses on two previous waves of genocide in the Balkans. Mojzes discusses the “unrecognized genocide” in the years preceding World War I and the multiple genocides that occurred during World War II before detailing the conflicts of the 1990s. He includes definitions of genocide and ethnic cleansing, looks at the roles of religion and ethnicity in the conflicts, and provides information on the International Criminal Tribunal, as well as an update on the current state of the Balkans. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the long history of conflict and genocide in the Balkan region.
Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave
Woodhead, L. (Producer & Director). (1999). Srebrenica: A cry from the grave [Documentary]. United States: Antelope Films.
As the former country of Yugoslavia disintegrated in the 1990s, there were many instances of conflict in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, but none were more atrocious than Srebrenica. In 1995, Bosnian Serbs separated and systematically executed over 7,000 Bosnian Muslims, while UN peacekeeping forces stood by and watched the events unfold. This documentary presents firsthand accounts from both witnesses and officials, and features footage shot by soldiers, civilians, and peacekeepers. This is not a complete account of all of the atrocities that occurred during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, but it is an in-depth look at one particular genocidal event in this region.
Cambodia
The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power, and Genocide in Cambodia Under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79
Kiernan, B. (2008). The Pol Pot regime: Race, power, and genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79, third edition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Ben Kiernan, one of the foremost scholars on Cambodia, interviewed hundreds of survivors to create this comprehensive look at the Pol Pot regime. Kiernan details Pol Pot’s quest for ethnic purity and attempts to eliminate all of the ethnic minorities in Cambodia, one region at a time. This book does not include information on the more recent tribunals, and would therefore need to be supplemented with other resources for the most current information, but it is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the Cambodian genocide available.
Kiernan, B. (2008). The Pol Pot regime: Race, power, and genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, 1975-79, third edition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Ben Kiernan, one of the foremost scholars on Cambodia, interviewed hundreds of survivors to create this comprehensive look at the Pol Pot regime. Kiernan details Pol Pot’s quest for ethnic purity and attempts to eliminate all of the ethnic minorities in Cambodia, one region at a time. This book does not include information on the more recent tribunals, and would therefore need to be supplemented with other resources for the most current information, but it is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the Cambodian genocide available.
Rwanda
We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families
Gourevitch, P. (1999). We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda. New York, NY: Picador.
This book is an excellent resource on the genocide in Rwanda because the author does more than just detail the events of the genocide. Gourevitch provides historical background important to understanding the context of the genocide and talks to witnesses, survivors, and participants of the genocide to present a complete picture of the horrifying events, including origins of and personal motivations for the genocide. This book provides a complete picture of the Rwandan genocide without personal or political judgments on the part of the author.
Gourevitch, P. (1999). We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda. New York, NY: Picador.
This book is an excellent resource on the genocide in Rwanda because the author does more than just detail the events of the genocide. Gourevitch provides historical background important to understanding the context of the genocide and talks to witnesses, survivors, and participants of the genocide to present a complete picture of the horrifying events, including origins of and personal motivations for the genocide. This book provides a complete picture of the Rwandan genocide without personal or political judgments on the part of the author.
Soviet Union
The Harvest of Sorrow: Soviet Collectivization and the Terror-Famine
Conquest, R. (1987). The harvest of sorrow: Soviet collectivization and the terror-famine. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA.
In comparison to Norman Naimark’s book on Stalin and genocide, which offers a broad look at Stalin’s many atrocities, Conquest’s book focuses on one particular aspect of Stalin’s genocide: forced collectivization and the ensuing manufactured famine. This book examines in detail the history of collectivized farming in the Soviet Union, the events leading up to the famine, and how Stalin’s required collectivization, unrealistic agricultural quotas, and elimination of other food sources led to large numbers of deaths in Ukraine, and, to a slightly lesser extent, Central Asia. In this book, Conquest brings to light a genocide many people do not realize occurred, and exposes Stalin as a perpetrator of that genocide.
Stalin's Genocides
Naimark, N. M. (2011). Stalin’s genocides. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
There are scholars who argue that the atrocities committed by Stalin do not constitute genocide, as they were not aimed at a particular religious or ethnic group, but rather political enemies, class enemies, and others Stalin didn’t like. In this book, Naimark refutes those claims, aiming to illustrate that Stalin’s systematic executions, forced famines, and forced removals of certain nationalities, among other crimes, do, in fact, qualify as genocide. Naimark brings to light some of Stalin’s most significant crimes, including a manufactured famine in Ukraine and the forced deportation of multiple ethnic groups such as the Crimean Tatars, in an effort to prove that genocide did occur during Stalin’s reign. This book broadens the definition of genocide in comparison to the legal definition used by the United Nations, but is a useful resource for those interested in Soviet history or lesser-known genocides.
Conquest, R. (1987). The harvest of sorrow: Soviet collectivization and the terror-famine. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA.
In comparison to Norman Naimark’s book on Stalin and genocide, which offers a broad look at Stalin’s many atrocities, Conquest’s book focuses on one particular aspect of Stalin’s genocide: forced collectivization and the ensuing manufactured famine. This book examines in detail the history of collectivized farming in the Soviet Union, the events leading up to the famine, and how Stalin’s required collectivization, unrealistic agricultural quotas, and elimination of other food sources led to large numbers of deaths in Ukraine, and, to a slightly lesser extent, Central Asia. In this book, Conquest brings to light a genocide many people do not realize occurred, and exposes Stalin as a perpetrator of that genocide.
Stalin's Genocides
Naimark, N. M. (2011). Stalin’s genocides. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
There are scholars who argue that the atrocities committed by Stalin do not constitute genocide, as they were not aimed at a particular religious or ethnic group, but rather political enemies, class enemies, and others Stalin didn’t like. In this book, Naimark refutes those claims, aiming to illustrate that Stalin’s systematic executions, forced famines, and forced removals of certain nationalities, among other crimes, do, in fact, qualify as genocide. Naimark brings to light some of Stalin’s most significant crimes, including a manufactured famine in Ukraine and the forced deportation of multiple ethnic groups such as the Crimean Tatars, in an effort to prove that genocide did occur during Stalin’s reign. This book broadens the definition of genocide in comparison to the legal definition used by the United Nations, but is a useful resource for those interested in Soviet history or lesser-known genocides.
Sudan
Darfur: A 21st Century Genocide
Prunier, G. (2008). Darfur: A 21st century genocide, third edition. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
This book on Darfur sheds light on the recent conflict in this region. Prunier is a prominent Africa analyst, and delves into the history of the region, including colonialism and the different groups living in the region, to help explain why genocide occurred in Darfur. The book also provides information on the world’s response to the conflict, from media coverage to humanitarian efforts, and the most recent edition contains information on the events in the region up to 2008.
Prunier, G. (2008). Darfur: A 21st century genocide, third edition. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
This book on Darfur sheds light on the recent conflict in this region. Prunier is a prominent Africa analyst, and delves into the history of the region, including colonialism and the different groups living in the region, to help explain why genocide occurred in Darfur. The book also provides information on the world’s response to the conflict, from media coverage to humanitarian efforts, and the most recent edition contains information on the events in the region up to 2008.