Which, if any, of the four atrocity crimes would you define as a crime against humanity or a war crime? To help you with your answer, you can revisit your table from the lesson and review these terms at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website on the page titled "Definitions: Types of Mass Atrocities."
All four atrocity crimes - genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing - can be defined as crimes against humanity or war crimes, depending on the specific circumstances in which they occur.
Genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes are all specifically defined as crimes under international law. Genocide involves the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Crimes against humanity involve widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population, such as murder, extermination, , torture, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts. War crimes are violations of the laws and customs of war, such as targeting civilians, using prohibited weapons, or taking hostages.
Ethnic cleansing is not specifically defined as a crime under international law, but it often involves acts that can be classified as crimes against humanity or war crimes, such as murder, deportation, torture, and persecution. Ethic cleansing is defined as the forced removal of an ethnic, racial, or religious group from a specific area through violence, intimidation, or other means.