One of the defining features of the twentieth century was the repeated use of genocide and other forms of one-sided mass violence by states against internal and external populations.  In this seminar, we will explore these phenomena from a theoretical and historical point of view, with particular attention to ethnic and racial genocides (e.g., Armenia, the Holocaust, Rwanda) and the mass killings that have taken place under Communist regimes (e.g., Stalin’s USSR, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia).  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 200 pages per week, active participation in class discussions, two four-page analytical book reviews and a final eight-page analytical review essay.