The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi
Primary 6 · Social and Religious Studies
The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi
Lesson 3 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Mugisha's class learns that Rwanda is not the only country that has suffered genocide.
"If it happened in other places too," Mugisha asks, "what can we learn so that it never happens anywhere again?"
Today you will learn about two other genocides, and compare them with the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Holocaust was the genocide of the Jewish people of Europe by the Nazi government of Germany, together with its allies and helpers, between 1933 and 1945.
At least six million Jews were killed, about two out of every three Jews who lived in Europe. The Nazis also killed millions of other people they hated.
It was organised, planned and deliberate. It did not begin with killing. It began with hate propaganda and with laws that took away Jewish people's rights, their jobs and their schools. Step by step, things got worse. It ended in 1945, when Nazi Germany was defeated in the Second World War.
During the First World War, from 1915, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire (in today's Turkey) set out to destroy the Armenian people. Around one million Armenians were killed or died after being forced from their homes.
| The Holocaust | The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi | |
|---|---|---|
| How long | Several years (1933–1945) | About 100 days (April–July 1994) |
| Where | Across many countries of Europe | In one small country, Rwanda |
| Who was targeted | Jews | Tutsi |
| How it ended | Allied armies defeated Nazi Germany | The RPF Inkotanyi stopped it, while the world stood by |
More than one million people killed in about 100 days: this terrible speed is one sign of how carefully the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was prepared.
Careful! We compare genocides only to learn how to prevent them. Every genocide is a terrible crime. We never say that one was "worse" or "less" than another.
Tip
Genocide does not start with killing. It starts with words that divide
In every genocide, division and hate words came first. That is where we can all help to stop it.
Answer each one, then tap Show answer to check.
Who were the victims of the Holocaust?
Answer: the Jewish people of Europe (and millions of others the Nazis hated).
Name one thing that the Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have in common.
Answer: any one of: both were planned; both began with hate propaganda; a government led both; the victims were targeted because of who they were.
Name one difference between them.
Answer: any one of: length (years compared with about 100 days); place (many countries compared with one); how they ended.
Why do we compare genocides?
Answer: to learn how to prevent them, never to rank them.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each genocide to a fact about it.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
