This course looks at the reasons why the 20th century was a time of unprecedented violence in history. It examines the specific circumstances and reasons that underlie the most notorious aspects of the last 100 years from World War I to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
These lectures trace the related developments that made this era so explosive. These include the example of the French Revolution, the creation of vastly more powerful weapons, and the belief that "utopia" can be created on Earth, rather than in the next life.
You will understand how repressive "utopian" governments and terrorist organizations are created, how they are organized, and how they use violence to achieve their goals.