The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective

408 Pages·2003·2.16 MB·English

by  Robert Gellately

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“Thiswonderfulcollectionaddressesalltheimportantquestions:Howmod-
ern is genocide? Can various cases be compared? Why has genocide been
committed by such different kinds of states, from liberal democracies to vi-
ciousdictatorships?Andhowcanwebalanceclaimsforjusticewiththeneed
forobjectivescholarship?Everyoneshouldreadthisbook.Itisanemotion-
allywrenchingexperience,andonethatwillmakeeveryreaderthinkabout
modernhumanhistoryinwaysfewofuslearnedinschool.”
– Daniel Chirot, Professor of International Studies and Sociology,
UniversityofWashington
“The comparative study of genocide is an evolving field characterized by
great complexity and often competing approaches, dispositions, and inter-
pretations.TheeditorsofTheSpecterofGenocideclearlysucceedinpreserving
thespecificityoftheindividualcaseswhilealsodemonstratingthenecessity
and worth of comparative analysis. Without ignoring the past, the volume
focusesontheageofmodernityandthedirectrelationshipbetweenideology,
statepower,andtotalwarandtheperpetrationofgenocidalacts.Itissureto
findbroadapplicationinscholarshipandintheclassroom.”
–RichardG.Hovannisian,AEFChairinModernArmenianHistory,
UCLA

The Specter of Genocide
mass murder in historical perspective
Genocide, mass murder, and human rights abuses are arguably the most perplex-
ing and deeply troubling aspects of recent world history. This collection of essays
by leading international experts offers an up-to-date, comprehensive history and
analysisofmultiplecasesofgenocideandgenocidalacts,withafocusonthetwen-
tiethcentury.ThebookcontainsstudiesoftheArmeniangenocide,thevictimsof
Stalinistterror,theHolocaust,andimperialJapan.Severalauthorsexplorecolonial-
ismandaddressthefateoftheindigenouspeoplesinAfrica,NorthAmerica,and
Australia.Aswell,thereisextensivecoverageofthepost-1945period,includingthe
atrocitiesintheformerYugoslavia,Bali,Cambodia,Ethiopia,Rwanda,EastTimor,
andGuatemala.Thebookemphasizestheimportanceofcomparativeanalysisand
theoreticaldiscussion,anditraisesnewquestionsaboutthedifficultchallengesfor
modernityconstitutedbygenocideandothermasscrimes.
RobertGellatelyisStrasslerProfessorinHolocaustHistoryatClarkUniversity.His
previous books include Backing Hitler (2001) and The Gestapo and German Society
(1990).Hecoedited,withNathanStoltzfus,SocialOutsidersinNaziGermany(2001)
and,withSheilaFitzpatrick,AccusatoryPractices(1997).
Ben Kiernan is A. Whitney Griswold Professor of History and Director of the
Genocide Studies Program at Yale University. He is the author of The Pol Pot
Regime(1996;2nded.,2002)andHowPolPotCametoPower(1985)andtheeditor
ofGenocideandDemocracyinCambodia(1993).

The Specter of Genocide
mass murder in historical perspective
Editedby
robert gellately
ClarkUniversity
ben kiernan
YaleUniversity
  
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Contents
ListofContributors pageix
Acknowledgments x
introduction
1 TheStudyofMassMurderandGenocide
RobertGellatelyandBenKiernan 3
parti: genocide and modernity
2 Twentieth-CenturyGenocides:UnderlyingIdeological
ThemesfromArmeniatoEastTimor BenKiernan 29
3 TheModernityofGenocides:War,Race,andRevolutionin
theTwentiethCentury EricD.Weitz 53
4 SeekingtheRootsofModernGenocide:OntheMacro-and
MicrohistoryofMassMurder OmerBartov 75
5 GenocideandtheBodyPoliticintheTimeofModernity
MarieFleming 97
partii: indigenous peoples and colonial issues
6 GenocidesofIndigenousPeoples:RhetoricofHumanRights
ElazarBarkan 117
7 MilitaryCultureandtheProductionof“FinalSolutions”
intheColonies:TheExampleofWilhelminianGermany
IsabelV.Hull 141
vii
viii Contents
8 “EncirclementandAnnihilation”:TheIndonesianOccupation
ofEastTimor JohnG.Taylor 163
partiii: the era of the two world wars
9 UnderCoverofWar:TheArmenianGenocideinthe
ContextofTotalWar JayWinter 189
10 TheMechanismofaMassCrime:TheGreatTerrorinthe
SovietUnion,1937–1938 NicolasWerth 215
11 TheThirdReich,theHolocaust,andVisionsofSerial
Genocide RobertGellately 241
12 ReflectionsonModernJapaneseHistoryintheContext
oftheConceptofGenocide GavanMcCormack 265
partiv: genocide and mass murder since 1945
13 “WhentheWorldTurnedtoChaos”:1965andItsAftermath
inBali,Indonesia LeslieDwyerandDegungSantikarma 289
14 GenocideinCambodiaandEthiopia EdwardKissi 307
15 ModernGenocideinRwanda:Ideology,Revolution,War,
andMassMurderinanAfricanState RobertMelson 325
16 History,Motive,Law,Intent:CombiningHistoricalandLegal
MethodsinUnderstandingGuatemala’s1981–1983Genocide
GregGrandin 339
17 AnalysisofaMassCrime:EthnicCleansingintheFormer
Yugoslavia,1991–1999 JacquesSemelin 353
conclusions
18 InvestigatingGenocide RobertGellatelyandBenKiernan 373
Appendix:ConventiononthePreventionandPunishmentofthe
CrimeofGenocide 381
Index 385