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Lesson 7.8 Vocab

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antisemitism
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Definition

prejudice, discrimination, or hostility toward Jews

Use In A Sentence

The genocide of the Holocaust was largely motivated by the Nazi's anti-semitism.

atrocity
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Definition

an exceptionally evil, ruthless, or cruel act

Use In A Sentence

Mass murders, rapes, and other atrocities were carried out to instill terror and gain control of the region.

casualty
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Definition

a member of the armed forces removed from active duty as a result of being killed, wounded, captured, or missing in action

Use In A Sentence

There were thousands of casualties after the battle.

concentration camp
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Definition

a prison camp in which large numbers of political prisoners, aliens, or those considered undesirable are confined and sometimes executed

Use In A Sentence

During the 1940s, Japanese Americans on the West coast were forced into concentration camps by the US military.

genocide
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Definition

the intentional attempt to exterminate all members of a certain race, nationality, or ethnic group

Use In A Sentence

In Rwanda, there was a mass genocide against a minority group.

total war
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Definition

global war in which all warring nations’ mobilize for the war effort including soldier and civilian populations, who are both participants and targets; usually defined as meeting four criteria: mobilization, blurring of lines between citizen and civilian, total control of society, and rejection of a compromise peace

Use In A Sentence

World War I was an example of total war.

Mass Atrocities After 1900

Teacher Resources

Course Guide icon

Lesson Guide

This lesson includes articles, graphic biographies, a video, and the second Themes Notebook activity. Find teacher instructions and pacing in the guide.
Course Guide icon

Teaching Sensitive Topics in Social Studies External link

This topic’s content—and instruction on it—is particularly heavy. Students might need support understanding the scale, causes, and effects of genocide. If you need additional support, check out this guide.

Driving Question: What were the causes and effects of mass atrocities after 1900?

Many had hopefully called World War I “the war to end all wars.” Three decades later, as the dust settled on World War II, many things had ended—among them the colonial system, somewhere between 70 and 85 million lives, and any sense of security that might have come with living in a world where the Holocaust had not happened. In this lesson, you will analyze multiple mass atrocities that occurred during the twentieth century, keeping in mind that the best way to guard against future atrocities is to understand what caused them in the past.

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain the various causes and consequences of mass atrocities in the period from 1900 to the present.
  2. Understand and evaluate the causes, scale, and consequences of mass atrocities after 1900.
  3. Analyze primary source documents to evaluate the economic crises and how governments responded in the interwar period.

Vocab Terms:

STEP 1

Opener: Mass Atrocities After 1900

Who is to blame? It is a question that sometimes results in some difficult truths.

Opener

Assessing Responsibility and Conscience External link

When learning about horrific events, how do we grapple with who shares responsibility?
STEP 2

Armenian Genocide

Teaching Tools

Set context prior to watching this video by asking, Why are we watching this video? What do we hope to learn from it? How does the information in this video align with or go against what we’ve learned in class thus far? Make sure students have enough background knowledge for the video to make sense.

During World War I, the Ottoman government targeted Armenian communities, claiming they were a national threat. From 1915 to 1917, over one million Armenians were killed through forced displacement, labor camps, and mass executions, sparking international outrage.

Armenian Genocide External link

While World War I was raging across the world, the Ottoman Empire attacked its Armenian minority. Millions were murdered and displaced in the Armenian genocide.
STEP 3

The Holocaust

The horror of the Holocaust must never be forgotten, not least because remembrance is essential in preventing such a tragedy from ever happening again.

Article

The Holocaust External link

The Holocaust was the murder of millions of Jews and other persecuted groups across Nazi-occupied Europe in World War II. Discussing it is among the most difficult and most necessary topics in history.
STEP 4

Mass Atrocities

Teaching Tools

Did you know: The word genocide did not exist until 1944, when Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined it and pushed to make it a crime under international law.

Some students might think that genocide ended with the Holocaust. Use the strategies in this community conversation including showing students a video about the 10 stages of genocide from Genocide Watch.

After the Holocaust, the world proclaimed, “Never again.” But genocides and other mass atrocities have happened, again and again. Why? This article, video, and activity will help you find answers.

Article

Why Does Genocide Still Happen? External link

After the Holocaust, the world vowed to never again permit the crime of genocide. In the many decades since, genocide and mass violence have played out again, and again. Why?

How the World Failed to Stop the Rwandan Genocide External link

In 1994, nearly a million Rwandans were murdered in 100 days. Neighbors turned into murderers as world leaders turned a blind eye.

Activity

The System Is Working as Designed External link

In this activity, you’ll use evidence from the Rwandan genocide case study to test several claims about why genocide still happens.
STEP 5

Graphic Biographies: Manuel Quezon and Sophie Scholl

Teaching Tools

The two graphic biographies in this lesson are great ways to provoke a discussion about individual responsibility during times of atrocity and crisis. Paired with the Assessing Responsibility and Conscience activity External link , they help bring attention to those people who claim that they were “just following orders” or that something “wasn’t their problem.” More importantly, these two biographies focus on two people who refused to use those excuses.

People display compassion and courage in different ways. For Manuel Quezon and Sophie Scholl, it meant doing the right thing, even if that meant receiving criticism and harsh punishments.

Graphic Biographies

Manuel Quezon External link

Manuel Quezon was the leader of the Philippines during the Second World War. He took in victims of the Holocaust, rejecting critics who saw Jews as a threat to the country.

Graphic Biographies

Sophie Scholl External link

Sophie Scholl grew up in Nazi Germany. As a young woman, she grew disenchanted with the Nazi regime’s atrocities during World War II. She joined a resistance movement called the White Rose, distributing leaflets calling for acts of resistance.
STEP 6

Closer: Mass Atrocities After 1900

Do you notice a pattern in this unit? Let’s explore it in the Themes Notebook!

Closer

Themes Notebook External link

It’s time to revisit the themes for Unit 7. Review your statements from Part 1 of the Themes Notebook and see how your thinking has changed (and how much you’ve learned along the way!).