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Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic or religious groups from
a given territory by a more powerful ethnic group, often with the intent of making it
ethnically homogeneous. The forces applied may be various forms of forced
migration (deportation, population transfer), intimidation, as well as mass murder
and genocidal rape.
The main difference between the concepts of ethnic cleansing and genocide lies in
their definition. Ethnic cleansing entails the forced and permanent “removal” of one
ethnic or religious group – by another group – from a geographic area and the
subsequent occupation of that same area by the perpetrator group
The 20th century saw a rise in extreme nationalist movements, which was
exhibited in an extraordinary level of brutality motivated by ethnic cleansing.
Examples of ethnic cleansing movements in the 20th century include:
Turkish Massacre of Armenians during WWI
Nazi Holocaust during WWI
Genocide in Bosnia during the 1990s
Forced displacement and mass killings in Rwanda during the 1990s