In its complete form, the term appeared for the first time in the Romanian language (
purificare etnică) in an address by Vice Prime Minister
Mihai Antonescu to cabinet members in July 1941. After the beginning of the
invasion by the Soviet Union,[
clarification needed] he concluded: "I do not know when the Romanians will have such chance for ethnic cleansing."
[32] In the 1980s, the Soviets used the term "etnicheskoye chishcheniye" which literally translates to "ethnic cleansing" to describe Azerbaijani efforts to drive Armenians away from
Nagorno-Karabakh.
[33][34][35] It was widely popularized by the Western media during the
Bosnian War (1992–1995).