If he did it, because he didn’t want to keep them as POWs, neither to free them - that would be a crime of war.
If he did it, because they were OTTOMAN POWs - that would be a genocide.
Definitely that was a crime against humanity.
If he did it, because they were OTTOMAN POWs - that would be a genocide.==
WHo knows what was his first thought and intention? Maybe Napoleon just prevented by this the possible insurgency on his back lines. “Do not leave the alive enemy behind”. It is the american saying.
If you red the Stalin-Beria papers on Polish POW officers killings then you may find that those guys think same way. They prevented the hostility and possible insurgency which may stem from those officers if alive. Stalin let go all polish POW soldiers (much bigger numbers) but in same time decided to shoot all officers to leave first without command.
It is atrocities but hardly genocide.
Definitely that was a crime against humanity.==
If we recognise Golodomor and polsih POW officers killings as teh genocides then we should do same for each and every war and revolution or inasions which happened to be during all times. I think it will be quite long list. And many items there will be done by Poles or Ukranians themselves. For example Soviet POWs in 1920th or Ukranian UPA attacks on polish civilians in Volyn region. Each nation today may find many and many cases like these.
So what we will have then? Just many and many more points to hate each other nothing more. It will damage the peace greatly and stem hatred.
If ... because they were OTTOMAN POWs
So you're distinguishing intention of the criminal to name the crime.
The difference between the Russian and the Polish attitude towards Katyn is of the very same nature.
An additional isssue was that he had given word of honour he would have let them live.
Requiring a word of honour from the POWs not to fight aganst Napoleon wasn't considered an option due to a reason unknown to me.