Massacres
A massacre is the mass killing of people, typically civilians, in a single event or over a short period, carried out by state actors, armed groups, or mobs. Massacres are distinguished from routine combat by the scale, the target, and the perception of intentionality, often involving indiscriminate or extrajudicial killing.
The term is descriptive rather than a formal legal category, and it can overlap with crimes such
International humanitarian law prohibits intentional killing of civilians; perpetrators can be prosecuted as war crimes or
Massacres have occurred in many settings, including wars, occupations, civil conflicts, and internal upheavals. Common factors
Notable examples include the Nanking Massacre (1937–1938) in China, the My Lai Massacre (1968) in Vietnam, and