One of the defining features of the twentieth century was the repeated use of genocide and other forms of mass violence by states against internal and external populations.  In this course, we will explore these phenomena from a theoretical and historical point of view, with particular attention to the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the democides that have taken place under Communist regimes (e.g., Stalin’s USSR, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia), and more recent experiences of one-sided mass killing in Africa.  While the experience of victims will be of central concern, we will also examine the experience and motivations of perpetrators, the explicit and implicit goals of the terrorizing/genocidal state, and the response -- or lack of response -- by members of the international community.  Requirements include readings of about 300 pages per week, two five-page analytical book reviews, and a fifteen-page analytical review essay.  This course meets the Second Writing Requirement.