Genocide scholars often refer to the 20th century as “the century of genocide.” It is estimated that more than 150 million people were murdered by governments in the 20th century, 20-40 million of them in events that meet the legal definition of genocide in international law. In this course, we explore what a classic collection of essays called “the specter of genocide.” We begin by discussing the history of the term, its ambiguities, its legal definition and the controversies surrounding it. We then turn to discuss several case studies that will help us explore some key themes in Genocide Studies: Rwanda and Congo; the Armenian genocide; the extermination of the Roma and Sinti by the Nazis; the Cambodian "auto-genocide"; Indonesia and East Timor; and the "forgotten" war in Yemen.

2026 Course Syllabus