Compare the following events and determine which is an example of ethnic cleansing.(1 point)

Responses

the colonial occupation of the Belgian Congo
the colonial occupation of the Belgian Congo

the Holocaust
the Holocaust

the massacre at Srebrenica
the massacre at Srebrenica

the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire

1 answer

Ethnic cleansing is defined as the deliberate removal or extermination of a particular ethnic group from a territory, often involving violence and intimidation.

Among the options provided:

  1. The colonial occupation of the Belgian Congo involved exploitation and brutal treatment of the Congolese people but is primarily considered a brutal colonial regime rather than ethnic cleansing.

  2. The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and extermination of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime, making it a clear example of genocide rather than ethnic cleansing per se.

  3. The massacre at Srebrenica during the Bosnian War involved the killing of thousands of Bosniak men and boys and has been classified as an act of genocide and ethnic cleansing due to its motives to remove Bosniaks from the region.

  4. The mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire is recognized as the Armenian Genocide, characterized by the systematic extermination of the Armenian people, which fits the definition of ethnic cleansing.

Based on this analysis, both the massacre at Srebrenica and the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire are strong examples of ethnic cleansing. However, if one must choose only one, the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire is often cited as a historical example specifically labeled as "ethnic cleansing."