Defining a Crime Without a Name: The History of Genocide as a Legal Concept DOI: 10.5935/2448-0517.20180024

Résumé

This paper will explore the historical roots of genocide as a legal concept and its construction in the wake of the Holocaust with the ultimate goal of informing the legal community as to its ongoing nuances and true definition. Although genocide has become a cultural concept, used interchangeably alongside war crimes and crimes against humanity to describe violence against a specific group, it is critical to understand that genocide is a crime. By understanding what genocide truly is and how it came to be the international community will possibly be able to better understand it, and subsequently seek to prevent it.