The UN Treaty on Genocide (1951) deemed all acts of violence targeting national, ethnical, racial, or religious groups with the purpose of destruction as crimes of international law. Genocide and targeted violence are very much part of our modern world, and the study of such acts throughout human history is imperative for understanding not only the historical causes and aftermath of such events, but also for prevention. Our faculty members cover a wide range of geographical and cultural areas, giving students a broader range of study from various viewpoints. We have a strong faculty presence in both German and Jewish history, as well as faculty connections to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Other faculty members focus on colonial violence in Britain, America, and Southeast Asia.