After 1945

End of WWII, Aftermath of the Holocaust, and Genocide after 1945

Mourners and local residents shovel dirt into the mass grave of the victims of the Kielce pogrom during the public burial. [LCID: 14390] — Mourners and local residents shovel dirt into the mass grave of the victims of the Kielce pogrom during the public burial.
—⁠US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Leah Lahav

As Allied troops drove German troops towards defeat, they uncovered Nazi camps and massive evidence of Nazi crimes. The war had uprooted millions who were now “displaced persons” (DPs) waiting for repatriation to their home countries. For tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors, the choices were limited and daunting. Allied occupation forces faced enormous responsibilities: housing and feeding DPs, denazifying and democratizing Germany, and bringing those responsible for Nazi crimes to justice. This section also addresses genocides that have occurred since the Holocaust.

Highlighted events

July 04, 1946

Kielce Pogrom
October 01, 1946

Nuremberg Trial Verdicts
September 02, 1998

First Conviction for Genocide

All events After 1945

March 05, 1946

Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” Speech

Winston Churchill describes the divisions emerging between the Allies in the postwar era.
July 04, 1946

Kielce Pogrom

Massacre of Jews in the southeastern Polish town of Kielce.
October 01, 1946

Nuremberg Trial Verdicts

Verdicts delivered for major Nazi German leaders tried by the IMT.
June 25, 1948

Displaced Persons Act

The United States Congress passes the Displaced Persons Act.
January 12, 1951

UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide

Raphael Lemkin was a critical force for bringing “genocide” before the nascent United Nations.
August 28, 1959

Raphael Lemkin Dies

Raphael Lemkin coined the word "genocide" in his 1944 book, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.
December 15, 1961

Adolf Eichmann Sentenced to Death

Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty of crimes against the Jewish people.
November 05, 1988

US Ratifies Genocide Convention

The United States ratifies the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.
April 22, 1993

Opening of US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Dedication ceremony for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum takes place.
May 25, 1993

UN Security Council Creates ICTY

In 1993, in response to massive atrocities in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the United Nations Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
April 06, 1994

Rwandan Genocide Begins

The conflict restarted on April 6, 1994, when a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down.
November 08, 1994

ICT for Rwanda Established

On November 8, 1994, the United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.
July 11, 1995

Srebrenica Massacre Begins

The largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust begins at Srebrenica.
November 21, 1995

Dayton Peace Agreement Reached

The three-year civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina ended in 1995 with a peace agreement negotiated in Dayton, Ohio.
July 17, 1998

International Criminal Court

The Rome Statute establishes the International Criminal Court.
September 02, 1998

First Conviction for Genocide

Jean-Paul Akayesu is judged guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.
October 23, 2000

Rwanda Media Trial Opens

At the heart of the Rwanda “Media Trial” was the issue of free speech rights.
June 23, 2004

International Criminal Court's First Investigation

Luis Moreno Ocampo, ICC prosecutor, announces that the Court's first-ever investigation will probe crimes committed throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
September 09, 2004

United States Declares Genocide in Darfur

Colin Powell concludes that genocide has been committed in Darfur.
March 17, 2006

First Person Arrested Under ICC Warrant

In March 2006, Thomas Lubanga, a rebel commander operating in eastern Congo, became the first person ever arrested under an ICC arrest warrant.
July 30, 2006

DRC Holds First Elections in 40 Years

In 2006, DRC held the first multi-party elections in over 40 years, and over 25 million citizens participated.
March 04, 2009

ICC Issues First Arrest Warrant for Head of State

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced its historic decision to issue an arrest warrant charging Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Highlighted events

All events After 1945

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