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 as genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. Genocide requires specific intent to destroy a protected group as such; massacres may or may not meet that criterion. Some events are described as acts of ethnic cleansing, pogroms, or mass murder depending on context and scholarly interpretation.

International humanitarian law prohibits intentional killing of civilians; perpetrators can be prosecuted as war crimes or crimes against humanity. If an attack is planned with the aim of destroying a group, it may fit genocide. Documentation, accountability, and historical memory vary, and post-conflict justice processes address responsibility for massacres.

Massacres have occurred in many settings, including wars, occupations, civil conflicts, and internal upheavals. Common factors include breakdown of law, mobilization of violence, propaganda, and opportunities for rapid, widespread killing.

Notable examples include the Nanking Massacre (1937–1938) in China, the My Lai Massacre (1968) in Vietnam, and the Srebrenica Massacre (1995) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Academic and journalistic accounts emphasize verification, cautious language, and the distinction between events, causes, and consequences.