Determining the "worst" genocides by the number of victims is a sensitive and complex task, as historical records can be incomplete, and definitions of genocide may vary. However, based on historical estimates, the following are among the deadliest genocides in history, ranked by the approximate number of victims:
1. **The Holocaust (1941–1945)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 6 million Jews, along with millions of others (Romani, disabled individuals, political dissidents, etc.).
- **Perpetrators:** Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.
- **Context:** Systematic extermination during World War II.
2. **The Holodomor (1932–1933)**
- **Victims:** Estimated 3.5 to 7 million Ukrainians.
- **Perpetrators:** Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.
- **Context:** Man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine, often considered a genocide.
3. **The Armenian Genocide (1915–1923)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 1 to 1.5 million Armenians.
- **Perpetrators:** Ottoman Empire.
- **Context:** Systematic deportation and extermination of Armenians during World War I.
4. **The Rwandan Genocide (1994)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 800,000 to 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutus.
- **Perpetrators:** Hutu-led government and militias.
- **Context:** Ethnic violence following the assassination of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana.
5. **The Cambodian Genocide (1975–1979)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 1.7 to 2 million Cambodians.
- **Perpetrators:** Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot.
- **Context:** Mass executions, forced labor, and starvation under the regime.
6. **The Genocide of Native Americans (15th–19th centuries)**
- **Victims:** Estimates range from 2 to 10 million due to disease, warfare, and forced displacement.
- **Perpetrators:** European colonizers and later U.S. policies.
- **Context:** Colonization and expansion in the Americas.
7. **The Congo Free State Atrocities (1885–1908)**
- **Victims:** Estimated 5 to 10 million Congolese.
- **Perpetrators:** Belgian King Leopold II and colonial forces.
- **Context:** Exploitation and brutal treatment during rubber and ivory extraction.
8. **The Bangladeshi Genocide (1971)**
- **Victims:** Estimated 300,000 to 3 million Bengalis.
- **Perpetrators:** Pakistani military and allied militias.
- **Context:** Violence during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
9. **The Herero and Namaqua Genocide (1904–1908)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 65,000 to 100,000 Herero and 10,000 Namaqua.
- **Perpetrators:** German colonial forces.
- **Context:** Suppression of rebellions in German South-West Africa (modern-day Namibia).
10. **The Bosnian Genocide (1992–1995)**
- **Victims:** Approximately 100,000 people, including 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica.
- **Perpetrators:** Bosnian Serb forces.
- **Context:** Ethnic violence during the breakup of Yugoslavia.
These figures are estimates and can vary depending on sources. Genocides are not only measured by death tolls but also by the intent to destroy a group, as defined by the United Nations Genocide Convention (1948).
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