Four Schools of Thought on the Relationship Between War and Genocide

Bibliographic Data

ID6196500
AuthorsJeffrey S Bachman (0000-0001-9596-6112, American University, School of International Service, Washington, DC, USA, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume22
Issue4
Pages479-501
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Genocide Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1462-3528 • E-ISSN: 1469-9494
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14623528.2020.1756558
OpenAlexW3018264761
LanguageEN
Citations received6

This review article asks: what is the relationship between war and genocide, as determined by scholars in the field of genocide studies? Where explored in the literature, there is a consensus that war and genocide often share time and space, and that war conditions can act as an enabler of genocide. However, beyond these areas of convergence in the literature, scholars diverge on whether genocide can be committed as part of violence perpetrated in war. Some scholars argue that war and genocide are wholly distinct acts with distinct intentions. Other scholars claim that some types of war and associated methods of warfare may be genocidal based on their indiscriminate nature and destructive capacities. Nonetheless, one commonality ties together these two schools of thought on the relationship between war and genocide – only “innocent defenseless civilians” can be victims of genocide. This article challenges this notion by arguing that military personnel, too, can be victims of genocide, and develops four schools of thought on the relationship between war and genocide based on scholarly positions in the literature

Criminology · Economic growth · Genocide · Political science · Sociology · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Law and Human Rights · Law · War, Ethics, and Justification

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