THE EIGHT STAGES OF GENOCIDE 20TH CENTURY GENOCIDES ACCORDING TO GREGORY STANTON’S CRITERIA

Abstract

Through the analysis of three 20th century genocides: the Holodomor, the Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide, this research paper will utilize Gregory Stanton’s (1998) original genocide criteria. He describes eight key stages of a genocide: classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial, in that particular order. The recognition of these phases has allowed for the identification of past genocides whose statuses were once disputed by providing a rubric to compare other events to, while also aiding in the de-escalation and prevention of future genocides by allowing officials and the global community to recognize what is occurring, and stop it before it progresses. These examples of genocides were chosen without any prior knowledge as to whether or not they would in fact fit Stanton’s structure, but selected as a random sampling of 20th century genocides from various regions of the world. This paper also tries to understand how these three aforementioned genocides each conformed to Stanton’s rubric long before any official publishing, while also being geographically distant and culturally dissimilar. Were the methods applied in each of the eight stages similar? How successful were they in their genocidal process? Alongside historical evidence, testimonies, and scholarly discussions, this paper seeks to address all of these questions and more.