This thesis analyses speeches and interviews given by Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev in 2018–23 to understand how victimhood narratives based in genocide memory are utilised before and during violent conflicts. Using critical narrative analysis and an overall inductive approach, the themes, and myths present in narratives, and role of genocide memory have been found to follow the theoretical framework of collective memory, social identity theory, framing theory, and strategic narratives. The results provide context into the move away from historic ‘chosen traumas’ to recent ‘hot traumas’ to gain sympathy and validation for the securitisation of a nation. This being in addition to a strategic use of competitive victimhood that clearly follows the political elites’ stances of what constitutes morality, group identity, and accepted historical narratives. Overall, it is possible to sum up this thesis as the securitisation of genocide memory.