Human
history is a unique blend of successes and failures, victories and
vanquishes and of love and war. Over the period of years, humans have
fought various wars that have led to various other events that ignited
more and more enmity between the people. Massacres are one of such
events that have led to the death of many innocent lives and of those
who started this massacres in order to the quench their thirst for
revenge and for their human ego. Throughout history you will find
numerous big and small massacre events that have changed the world, but
these 10 are surely the biggest massacres in the history of mankind.
1. Nankin Massacre
The
Nanking Massacre is also known as the Rape of Nanking where hundreds of
thousands of civilians were brutally murdered and raped in the city of
Nanking which was the former capital city of the Republic of China. The
massacre went on for a period of six weeks where the soldiers of
Imperial Japanese Army entered the city of Nanking and start killing
people of China. The Nanking Massacre is considered to be the worst
massacre in human history because more than 80 thousand men and women
were killed, tortured and raped in a period of six weeks.
2. Babi Yar Massacre
The
Babi Yar massacre happened in the year 1941 when more than 33 thousand
Jews were killed in a single operation that was led by the military
governor, Major General Friedrich Eberhardt, the Police Commander of
Army Group South Friedrich Jeckeln and C Commander Otto Rasch. The
operation was carried out by combined forces like SS, SD and SiPo. Babi
Yar is a ravine just outside Kiev which is the capital of Ukraine.
However, Nazi forces soon captured Kiev and were looking out for Jews
who were hiding in Babi Yar. The Babi Yar massacre is largest single
mass killing massacre in the world.
3. St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
Also
popular known as Massacre de la Saint-Barthelemy this event took place
in 1572 in Paris. The massacre began two days after the attempted
assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, who was the military and
political leader of Huguenots. Soon after that a group of assassinations
along with Roman Catholic mob began to start killing people all over
Paris and the massacre spread to other urban areas and countryside as
well. It is estimated that around 30 thousand people were killed in this
massacre.
4. NKVD Prisoner Massacre
NKVD
Prisoner Massacre is also known as the Massacre of Prisoners where a
series of mass executions were performed against the NKVD prisoners in
Poland and other Baltic states like Romania and Ukraine. The estimated
death toll of this massacre is around 22 thousand prisoners were killed
in series of killings that happened in different places. However, not
all NKVD prisoners were killed and executed because some of them managed
to escape from these prisons.
5. Katyn Massacre
Katyn
Massacre also known as the Katyn Forest Massacre was an event where
thousands of Polish prisoners of war, military officers, intellectuals
and policemen were slaughtered by the Soviet NKVD. The victims were
taken to Katyn Forest in Russia where Stalin ordered his army to execute
all the prisoners of war instantly. The death toll of Katyn Massacre
also reached around 21 thousand on an estimate.
6. Massacre of Thessalonica
The
massacre of Thessalonica happened in a retaliatory action by a Roman
Emperor Theodosius in 390. According to the sources, in April 390, a
charioteer was arrested by the Roman military commander but soon he
became the victim of mutiny which angered the Roman Emperor and he
decided to kill all those people who were revolting against the orders.
Though, the Emperor did had second thoughts to stop the killing the
message of stopping the massacre reached late and more than 7000 people
were already slaughtered.
7. The Massacre of Elphinstone’s Army
The
Massacre of Elphinstone’s Army was very much like a war where Afghan
forces took over the combined British and Indian forces led by Major
General William Elphinstone in 1842. Three years prior to this event,
British forces captured Kabul due to which there was a lot of anger and
feeling of revenge in Afghan forces. However, when British were leaving
Kabul, Afghan forces led by Akbar Khan, the son of Dost Mohammed Khan
attacked the British troops in a surprise strategic move. The Afghan
killed and murdered around 4500 men that consist of British and Indian
soldiers.
8. Sabra and Shatila Massacre
In
1982, Kataeb Party that was led by Christian Lebanese Forces carried
out a massacre where they killed and slaughtered Palestinian and
Lebanese Muslim civilians. The massacre event triggered shortly after
the assassination of Phalangist leader and President Bachir Gemayel. As
per the sources more than 3500 people were killed in this massacre.
Though, it is debated that it was because of Israeli Defense Force’s
help that these forces were able to enter the Sabra and Shatila camps
and massacre the people who were unaware of the events to unfold. The
event was very much in the news for a lot of time due to which it
attracted international reactions which further led to many
controversies and debate that were later sorted out.
9. Batak Massacre
The
Batak Massacre is about the massacre of Bulgarians in Batak by Ottoman
troops in 1876. As per the sources and references there were more than
3000 people killed in this massacre. The event took place shortly after
the April Uprising where Bashi-Bazouk soldiers who were mainly Turkish
negotiated with Ahmet Aga for a peace treaty and than attacked the
defenseless population with its entire might killing innocent people all
over Batak.
10. Granada Massacre
Granada
massacre is an event where a Muslim mob stormed into the Royal Palace
of Granada and assassinated Jewish ruler, Joseph Ibn Naghrela who was a
vizier to the Barber Kings of Granada. The mob stormed into the palace
and crucified him and killed around 1500 Jewish families who were living
in Granada.