Top10MostHorrificGenocidesinHistory

Thetermgenocideisoneofthose
controversial
termsthatcanleadtoallkindsofproblems.
Theproblemisthatthetermhasbeensopoliticized,andfrequentlyusedtoattackleadersor
countriesthatonedislikes,thatithascometomeandifferentthingstodifferentpeople.For
instance,thetermhasfrequentlybeenusedtodescribewhatwhitesettlersdidtotheNative
Americansoverthelastfewcenturies,whenmuchoftheindigenouspopulationoftheUnited
Stateswaswipedout.However,theoverwhelmingmajorityofthosedeathsweredueto
smallpoxbeinginadvertentlyintroducedintoanativepopulationthatlackedthebiological
meanstoresistitwhich,whiledevastating,wasnotagenocideasitwasnotdone
intentionally.
Forsomethingtoqualifyasgenocide,ithastobeadeliberate,calculateddecisionbya
particularethnicorreligiousgroup,leader,oragovernmenttoexterminate,orotherwise
destroy,aspecificgroupofpeopleforreligious,cultural,racial,orpoliticalreasons.Thiscan
bedoneeitherthroughdirectaction(murder)orthroughindirectmeans(deportationor
starvation).Usingthisgeneraldefinition,then,whatwerethemosthorrificactsofgenocide
committedthroughouthistory?Itwillalwaysbesomethingofanexerciseinsubjectivityto
determinewhichweretheworst,ashowdoesonegoaboutmeasuringsuchathing?Isita
matterofsheernumberofvictims?Duration?Politicalramifications?Nevertheless,hereismy
attempttolistthetenlargest,mosthorrific,orbestknowngenocidesinhumanhistory.

10. Genocides of the Amalekites and

Midianites

Lestanyoneimaginethatgenocideisauniquelymodernphenomena,itshouldbeknownthat
itwasnotonlycondoned,butevensupposedlyorderedby,GodHimselfagainsttwoof
ancient
Israels
archenemies,theAmalekitesandtheMidianitesatleastaccordingtothe
OldTestament.Whileextremelylocalized,andprobablyresultinginthedeathsofno
morethanafewtensofthousandsofpeopleoveranumberofdecades,itdoestestifytothe
factthatthedesireofonegrouptoexterminateanotherforanynumberofreasonshasbeen
aroundaslongascivilizationitself.Theonlydifferenceisthat,today,humanitypossessesthe
technologyrequiredtocarryitoutonatrulymassivescale.

9. North Korea (1945-present)

Howmanypeoplehavediedinsidetheworkersparadisewillprobablyneverbeenknown
withanythingapproachingcertainty,butthefactisthatPyongyanghasbeenatwarwithits
ownpeoplesinceTheGreatLeader,KimIlSung,firstassumedpowerin1945.Certainly
severalmillionpeasantshavediedofstarvationsincethemid1990s,withaidandhuman
rightsgroupschargingthatNorthKoreahassystematicallyanddeliberatelypreventedfood
aidfromreachingtheareasmostdevastatedbyfoodshortages.Andofcourse,thisdoesnt
includethenearlyonemillionpeopleincludingwomenandchildrenaccusedofthemost
superficialcrimeswhohavediedinNorthKoreaspolitical
prison
campsoverthelast65
years.Wereitnotbeingproppedupbyitsloneally,China,itwouldhavelikelyimplodedlong
ago.Asitis,itremainsatickingtimebomb,waitingtoexplode.

8. Expulsion of Ethnic Germans after World

War II (1945)

Manyscholarsconsiderthismoreofa
population
transfer,ratherthanatruegenocide.
However,theforceddisplacementofsome14millionethnicGermansandalliedSlavsfrom
SovietRussia,fromoccupiedareasofEasternandCentralEuropeintheaftermathofWorld
WarII,hastogodownassomethingprettyclosetogenocide,especiallywhenoneconsiders
thatbetweenhalfamillionandtwomillionofthemdidntsurvivethejourney.Whilemostof
thesedeathswerefromfamineanddisease,manyGermancivilianswerealsoexecuted
outright,orsenttointernmentandlaborcampsbytheSovietsespeciallythoseknowntoor
suspectedtohavehadNaziassociations.Whatmakesitgenocidalinnaturewasthatonly

Germansweretargeted,andthatthebrutalpolicyofforcedrelocationwasorderedbyStalin
himself,specificallyasameansofretribution.

7. Partition of India (1947)

Thisisoneofthefewgenocidesinhistorythatwasnotpoliticallymotivatednororchestrated
byanygovernment,butratheroccurredspontaneously.Allofitwastheresultofthepartition
ofGreatBritainslargestandmostimportantcolony,India,in1947.Thepowersthatbe
decidedtopartitionthemassivestateintoHinduandMuslimsections(creatingmodernday
IndiaandPakistanrespectively),adecisionwhichleftmillionsof
Muslims
,Hindus,andSikhs
onthewrongsideofthenewlyformedborder.Thisresultedinmillionsbeinguprootedfrom
theirhomesandbeingforcedtowalkhundredsofmilestotheirnewhomesduringthisgreat
exodus,however(whichaffectedupwardsof14millionpeople),escalatingviolencebrokeout

betweenthevariousreligiousfactions,leadingtouptoonemilliondeaths(mostofitcentered
aroundthedenselypopulatedPunjabregion).
Ineffect,manyMuslimswerekilledbySikhandHindumobs,whilemanySikhsandHindus
sufferedatthehandsofMuslimmobsinPakistan.Itsdifficulttolabelthisatrueactof
genocide,however,asitwasnotspecificallyinstigatedbyeitherthePakistaniorIndian
governments.However,theirinabilitytostopwhatwasbasicallyaspontaneousoutburstof
brutalityonbothsidescontributedgreatlytothecarnage.Thiseventspecificallystandsoutas
beingoneofthefewgenocidestobealmostentirelyreligionbased,andtobeengagedby
severalreligionssimultaneously.

6. The Rwandan Massacre (1994)

Whileweliketoimaginethatgenocidesaregenerallypoliticallymotivated,Rwandaisan
exampleinwhichitwasmostlytheresultof
tribal
differences.Theshortlivedkillingspree,
whichleftbetween500,000and1,000,000peopledead,wastheculminationoflongstanding
ethniccompetitionandtensionsbetweentheminorityTutsi.ItseemsthattheTutsihad
controlledthecountryforcenturies,lordingtheirpositionofpoweroverthemajorityHutus,
untiltheywereoverthrownina1962Huturebellion.Tensionsremainedhighafterthatand
eventuallyeruptedintofullblownwarwhen,inAprilof1994,HutuPresidentHabyarimana
diedundermysteriousconditionsinaplanecrash.ThiselicitedbloodyreprisalsbyHutus
againsttheirTutsineighborsinretaliation.
ADVERTISEMENT

WhilenotspecificallyorchestratedbytheHutuledgovernment,scholarsmaintainthatthe
spontaneous,andviolent,reactiontotheassassinationwasencouragedbytheRwandan
armedforcesandlargelycarriedoutbyHutumilitias,withthefullknowledgeandblessingof
thegovernment,makingitdirectlyculpable.Alsoresponsibleforthemassacrewasthe
unwillingnessoftheUN,orotherwesternpowers,totakedecisiveactionearlyon.TheUN
evenwentsofarastoevacuatewhatfewtroopsithadinthecountry,topreventharmfrom
befallingthem!PresidentBillClintonhassinceadmittedthathislackoftimelyactionin
RwandaremainsthegreatestmistakeofhisPresidency.Howdifferentthingsmighthave
been,hadonlytheworldhadthebackbonetohavedonesomething.

5. The Armenian Genocide (1915-1923)

Whiletheyareloathetodiscussittoday,theOttomanTurks,undertheleadershipofWar
MinisterEnverPasha(18811922),mayhaveconductedthefirstlargescale,organized
genocideofthe20thcentury.DuringandimmediatelyaftertheFirstWorldWar,Turkeykilled,
deported,andstarvedtodeathasmanyas1.8millionArmenians,alongwithhundredsof
thousandsofothernonTurks.TheOttomansmayhavealsobeenthefirsttointroducethe
conceptoftheconcentrationcamp,thoughmostofthesecampswereshortlived.

ModernTurksgenerallyrefusetoacknowledgewhathappenedtohavebeengenocide,
consideringitsimplyamassdeportationofpeoplewhohadalliedthemselveswiththe
Russians(anationTurkeywasatwarwithatthetime),andwholargelydiedfromexhaustion
orneglectduringforcedmarches.Mostgenocidescholars,however,considerittohavebeen
an
orchestrated
effortatexterminatinganunwantedethnicgroupthathadlivedwithinthe
bordersofthecrumblingOttomanEmpireforcenturies.Notsurprisingly,itremainsatouchy
subjectamongmodernTurkstothisday,nottomentionangry
Armenians
withguitars.

4. The Killing Fields of Cambodia (1975-1978)

WhentheKhmerRougeoverthrewthegovernmentofCambodiain1975,andestablisheda
Communistutopiainitsplace,itsfirstactwastoannihilateanyoneitdeemedtobean
enemyofthestate.Thisincludednotonlyformermembersoftheoldregimeandmilitary,
butjournalists,teachers,businessmen,intellectuals,Buddhists,andevenpeoplewhosimply
woreglasses!Whilethetotalnumberofpeoplewhodiedinthisshortlived,butgrisly,purge

willneverbeknown,itisestimatedthatnofewerthantwomillionpeople(nearly20%of
Cambodiaspopulation)diedatthehandsoftheKhmer.Haditnotbeenfora
Vietnamese
invasionin1979thattoppledtheKhmerandsentthemintohiding,thetollwouldundoubtedly
hadbeenhigherstill.Youknowyourebadwhenyourgovernmentisoverthrownbyafellow
Communistregime!

3. The Holocaust (1939-1945)

Nogenocideisaswellknown,orascarefullydocumented,astheeffortsoftheNazisto
exterminatenotonlytheJewsfromcontinentalEurope,butmillionsofothersitdeemed
undesirable.Bythetime
Hitler
shothimselfinhisBerlinbunkerinAprilof1945,someeleven

millionpeopleoverhalfofthemJewshaddied,eitherthroughmassextermination,
deportation,orstarvationandoverworkinhisprisoncamps.Thiswasallpartofabrutalpolicy
thatmuchoftheworldeitherrefusedtobelievewashappening,orchosetoignoreuntilthe
firstcampswereliberatedbytheAlliesinthespringof1945.
Whatsespeciallyinterestinginthiscaseisthat,unlikeRussiaandChina,Germanyhadno
historyofsuchcrueltybeforehand(atleastonsuchalargescale),andwasevenconsidered
tohavebeenoneofthemosteducatedandculturedsocietiesintheworldatthetimeitfell
underHitlersspell.Thisshouldserveasawarningthatnocountryisimmunefrombecoming
akillingfieldundertherightcircumstancesandwiththerightleader,asmillionsofGermans
hadtolearnthehardwayinWorldWarII.

2. The Stalinist Era in the USSR (1929-1953)

WhilemostpeopleimagineAdolfHitlertohavebeenthegreatestmassmurdererofthe20th
century(theaforementionedMaoZedongnotwithstanding),theprizeactuallygoestoJoseph
Stalin,themanwhoturnedhisentirenationintoonemassiveprisoncampandextermination
center.Howmanydiedunderhisdirectinstructions,ormerelyasaresultofhisfailed
agriculturalpolicies,willneverbeknownwithcertainty,butsomeestimatesputitashighas
twentymillion.TheSovieteliminationofasocialclass,theKulaks,andthesubsequentkiller
famineamongallUkrainianpeasants,killedatleasttwomillionalone,whileStalinsnotorious
1937OrderNo.00447,thatcalledforthemassexecutionandexileofsociallyharmful
elementsasenemiesofthepeople,decimatedthemilitaryandintelligentsiaofRussia,
leavinghundredsofthousandsdead,andmillionsmorelanguishinginStalinsmassivegulag.
Hadhenothadthegoodmannerstodiein1953beforehecouldinstituteanotherpurgeof
JewsandotherenemiesoftheState,thenumbersofdeathwouldhaveswelledevenmore.
Curiouslyanddespiteallofthisthemanwasmuchadmiredbypeoplewholivedoutsideof
Russiaduringthistime,andthealwayssmilingandbenevolentlookingUncleJoeeven
madeitontothecoverof
Time

magazine
nofewerthaneleventimes.

1. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural

Revolution in China (1949-1976)

Whileitsalmostimpossibletodeterminepreciselyhowmanypeoplediedatthehandsofthe
Communistswhentheycametopowerin1949andinthedecadesthatfollowed,estimates
rangeanywherefrom45to70millionpeople,dependingonwhomyouask.Whilesomeof
theseoccurredwhenCommunistforcesfinallyvanquishedtheNationalistArmyofChang
KaiShek,mostofthemtookplacelaterandcamelargelyintwomainwavesthefirstwas
duringtheGreatLeapForward,whenChinasleaderMaoZedongsattemptatagricultural
modernizationandsocialengineeringledtomassstarvationbetween1958and1961,andthe
deathofmanyformerlandowners.Whilenotaspecificefforttoeradicateapopulation,what

madeitgenocidalinnaturewasthefactthatMaocontinuedhispolicieslongaftertheywere
obviouslyproventobedisastrous,therebydoomingmillionsofpeasantstostarvation.
ThesecondgreatgenocidewasaresultofwhatwascalledtheCulturalRevolutionof1966
to1976abloodypurgeofantigovernmentelementsthatleftmillionsdeadorlanguishing
inprisoncampsthroughoutChina.ItwasonlyuponthedeathofMaothattheworstofthe
killingsended,thoughthebrutalcrushingoftheTienanmenSquareprotestersin1989
demonstratedthat
Beijings
violenttendenciesdidnotentirelydiewiththeman.
OtherNoteworthyExamples:
TheDestructionofCarthageduringtheThirdPunicWar(146
BCE)isoftenconsideredthefirsthistoricallyrecordedgenocideinhistoryTheforced
repatriationoftheCherokeeIndiansfromFloridain1830resultedinthedeathofsome4,000
Indiansoutof17,000whomadethetripduringthefamousTrailofTearsincidentGenghis
KhansMongolhorsemenofthe13thcenturywerewellknowngenocidalkillers,knownfor
wipingoutentirenationsintheirquesttoexpandtheirempireGermanGeneralLotharvon
Trothawipedoutsome100,000nativetribesmeninSouthwestAfrica(modernNamibia)
between1904and1907inwhatisoftenconsideredthefirstorganizedstategenocideand
SaddamHusseinseffortsatexterminatingtheKurdsduringthe1980s,whichincludedusing
chemicalagentsagainstKurdishtowns.
JeffDanelekisaDenver,Coloradoauthorwhowritesonmanysubjectshavingtodowith
history,politics,theparanormal,spiritualityandreligion.Toseemoreofhisstuff,visithis
websiteat
www.ourcuriousworld.com
.

History
Alistoftheworstgenocidesinhistory,with
picturesofthemenresponsible.WhileHitler
wasamonster,hisinfamyunfortunately
overshadowstwomenwhoweremuch
worseintermsofthesheernumberoflives
lost.AsawfulasHitlerwas,hewassmall
potatoescomparedtothelikesofJoseph
Stalin,andMaoZeDong,thelatterhaving
killedasmanyas78millionpeople
comparedtoHitler's12million.Arecent
studysuggeststhatHitlersnotorietywas
enhanced,becauseinsteadofkillinghisown
peopleingeneral,hesingledoutselect
ethnicgroups.Inotherwords,manyconsider
itworsetoperformgenocideonagroup
differentfromyourown.Thislistincludesall
methodsofextermination,fromthosesentto
concentrationcampstothecivilians
individuallypurgedforvariousreasons.We
canatleasttakesomesolacethatthe
majorityofthemenonthislistaredeadand
burninginHell.Notethatthislistdoesnot
includewarcasualties.

Source:
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html
more
THELIST
COMMENT
EMBED
OPTIONS

AgeBirthplaceProfessionDiedCauseOf
DeathPlaceOfDeathBornMedicalConditions

MaoZedong

JosephStalin

AdolfHitler

LeopoldIIofBelgium

Diedat83(18931976)
Number of People Killed: 78,000,000

Diedat75(18781953)
Number of People Killed: 23,000,000

Diedat56(18891945)
Number of People Killed: 12,000,000

Diedat74(18351909)
Number of People

Killed: 8,000,000

HidekiTj

EnverPasha

PolPot

KimIlsung

MengistuHaileMariam

Diedat64(18841948)
Number of People Killed: 5,000,000

Diedat41(18811922)
Number of People Killed: 2,530,000

Diedat73(19251998)
Number of People Killed: 1,700,000

Diedat82(19121994)
Number of People Killed: 1.6 million

age77
Number of People Killed: 1,500,000

10

YakubuGowon

11

LeonidBrezhnev

age80
Number of People Killed: 1,000,000

Diedat76(19061982)
Number of People Killed:

900,000

12

JeanKambanda

13

Suharto

14

SaddamHussein

age59
Number of People Killed: 800,000

Diedat87(19212008)
Number of People Killed: 800,000

Diedat69(19372006)
Number of People Killed:

600,000

15

Tito

16

FumimaroKonoe

Number of People Killed: 570,000

Diedat54(18911945)
Number of People Killed:

500,000

17

JonasSavimbi

18

MullahOmarTaliban

Diedat68(19342002)
Number of People Killed: 400,000

Number of People Killed: 400,000

19

IdiAmin

20

YahyaKhan

21

BenitoMussolini

Diedat78(19252003)
Number of People Killed: 300,000

Diedat63(19171980)
Number of People Killed: 300,000

Diedat62(18831945)
Number of People Killed:

300,000

22

MobutuSeseSeko

23

CharlesTaylor

24

FodaySankoh

25

MichelMicombero

Diedat67(19301997)

age66
Number of People Killed: 220,000

Diedat66(19372003)
Number of People Killed: 200,000

Diedat43(19401983)
Number of People Killed:

150,000

26

SlobodanMilosevic

27

HassanTurabi

Number of People Killed: 100,000

Number of People Killed: 100,000

28

JeanBedelBokassa

29

EfrainRiosMontt

30

PapaDocDuvalier

31

RafaelTrujillo

32

HisseneHabre

33

ChiangKaishek

Number of People Killed: 70,000

Number of People Killed: 60,000

Number of People Killed: 50,000

Number of People Killed: 40,000

Diedat88(18871975)
Number of People Killed:

30,000

34

VladimirIlichLenin

35

FranciscoFranco

Number of People Killed: 30,000

Diedat83(18921975)
Number of People Killed:

30,000

36

FidelCastro

age88
Number of People Killed: 30,000

37

LyndonJohnson

38

HafezalAssad

39

Khomeini

40

RobertMugabe

41

RafaelVidela

42

GuyMollet

43

HaroldMcMillans

44

PaulKoroma

45

OsamabinLaden

3,500

Number of People Killed: 30,000

Diedat70(19302000)
Number of People Killed: 25,000

Number of People Killed: 20,000

age90
Number of People Killed: 20,000

Number of People Killed: 13,000

Diedat70(19051975)
Number of People Killed: 10,000

Number of People Killed: 10,000

Number of People Killed: 6,000

Diedat54(19572011)
Number of People Killed:

46

AugustoPinochet

Diedat91(19152006)
Number of People Killed:

3,000

47

AlZarqawi

Number of People Killed: 2,000


Countdown:Thetop10deadliestmanmadeeventsinhistory
Asdescribedin

Atrocities:
The100DeadliestEpisodesinHumanHistory.

10.AtlanticSlaveTrade
(14521807)
DeathToll:
16million
Someone's
gottodothe
dirtywork.

9.

Tamerlane(Central
Asia13701405)
DeathToll:
17million
AMongolwarlordtrieda
bittoohardtobelike
GenghisKhan.

8.MideastSlaveTrade
(ca.7001900)
DeathToll:
19million
Itwasn'treallylikethis.

7.Stalin(SovietUnion
192853)
DeathToll:
20million
Thesecondmostevil
moustacheinhistory.

6.TaipingRebellion
(China185064)
DeathToll:
20million
Amessianicuprisingof
ChineseChristians.

5.FalloftheMing
Dynasty(China163562)
DeathToll:
25million
ThepinnacleofChinese
civilizationsuccumbedto
internalrebellionand
externalinvaders.

4.FaminesinBritish
India(1769,1876,1896,
1943)
DeathToll:
27million
Colonialpoliciesbadly
messedupIndia.

3.MaoZedong(China
194975)
DeathToll:
40million
Communistpoliciesbadly
messedupChina.

2.GenghisKhan(Asia
120627)
DeathToll:
40million
TheMongolsdecidesthat
theworldwouldbealot
betterplacewithoutall
thosedamnforeigners.

1.SecondWorldWar
(Worldwide193945)
DeathToll:
65million
GermanyandJapan
decidethattheworld
wouldbealotbetter
placewithoutallthose
damnforeigners.