The way men were treated in 'war' was genocide wasn't it?

Question

Just look at the way men were treated in 'war' and we can see that if this were committed upon any other group, be they women, blacks or whatever, then it would be named genocide. Hitler named Jewish only concentration camps 'work camps'. Society names male-only draft 'Conscription'.

Answer 1

Genocide is when one group of people attempts to wipe out another group of people. Since it was usually men starting the wars on both sides and men fighting the wars on both sides you can't really call it genocide. Beside, the purpose of the war was not to wipe out men, but to defeat the opposing side and keep your own men alive.

Sorry, it just doesn't fit. You could say it's unfair, but it's not genocide.

Answer 2

The suffix "-cide" suggests murder of some sort. Genocide requires the murder of a people because they belong to a given race, nationality, etc. It is a genocide because they are not combatants, as in the case of a war. Wars presume at least two sides in long-term armed conflict, traditionally with a distinct divide between civilians and combatants, if only in theory. To kill civilians because they are part of a certain group would be genocide. To kill combatants because they are enemy combatants would be war.

On another note, concentration camps, while largely occupied with Jews, were not "Jewish only" by any means. Homosexuals, slavs, gypsies, religious figures, political dissidents and others were also killed in the concentration camps. Furthermore, conscription as a term is not limited to males, and I fail to see an apt parallel between conscription and concentration camps.

Answer 3

No. Genocide is when a group is actually after to destroy and demolish a group of people. In war, it is different. You are a soldier and are trained. Soldiers do not get tortured to death.