Part II- Thematic Essay
Throughout global history, various groups have been in conflict due to ethnic background, gender, religious differences, or political affiliation. Conflict is defined as an opposing contention between two or more parties. Human history is really that of conflict. The Armenian Massacre and the ethnic tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis were two conflicts in history that have resulted from differences within the groups. Typically, human conflicts and struggles are complex and extremely multifaceted. The causes of various conflicts can be similar while the effects can be vastly different and vice-versa.
The Armenian Massacre was a result of a few historical circumstances. In the late 1890s extreme nationalistic forces began to exert greater influence inside of the Ottoman Empire. Before, Islamic Turks and the minority Christian Armenians lived in relative peace, as each ethnic group remained separate. But, as nationalism increased to fight off European imperialism, the peaceful co-existence ended.
When the Armenians protested the stricter policies of the government, thousands were put to death. Over the course of twenty five years, more than a million people were massacred. Others fled Turkey and settled in the United States. The Turkish government still maintains there was no organized effort at eliminating the Armenians.
The conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis, just like the Armenian Massacre, resulted from ethnic tensions. Disunity and many of the problems faced by Africa since the end of WWII can be blamed on European Imperialism. Political corruption was widespread as European imperialists left without establishing stable governments. Ethnic tension existed because European borders were made without any thought given to the tribal system. Tribalism is one of the biggest hindrances to Africa because traditional enemies were contained within one European-made border.
Over 500,000 Hutus and Tutsis were massacred and many more...