History of Europe

Why do the terms Holocaust and genocide not necessarily apply to European relations with Native Americans?

While the term "genocide" has been applied to certain historical events involving European relations with Native Americans by some scholars and activists, it is still a matter of academic and legal debate whether it appropriately describes those events under the strict definition of genocide as defined by international law.

The term "Holocaust" specifically refers to the genocide of approximately six million Jewish people by the Nazi regime and their collaborators during World War II. It is not typically used to describe events related to European colonization of the Americas as the circumstances and intentions behind these historical events differ.