The Foundations of Modern Terrorism: State, Society and the Dynamics of Political Violence

by Martin A. Miller

Why is it that terrorism has become such a central factor in our lives despite all the efforts to eradicate it? Ranging from early modern Europe to the contemporary Middle East, Martin Miller reveals the foundations of modern terrorism. He argues that the French Revolution was a watershed moment as it was then that ordinary citizens first claimed the right to govern. The traditional notion of state legitimacy was forever altered and terrorism became part of a violent contest over control of state power between officials in government and insurgents in society. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries terrorism evolved into a way of seeing the world and a way of life for both insurgents and state security forces with the two sides drawn ever closer in their behaviour and tactics. This is a groundbreaking history of terrorism which, for the first time, integrates the violence of governments and insurgencies.

Genres: International Relations

306 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2012

About the author

b. 1938 Martin Alan Miller

Reviews

[6655321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

in short: overly "thin" accounting for extremely complex events (the FLN in Algeria, Pinnocet's coup in Chile, etc.), overly apologetic for Western Democracies history of interfering in foreign governments, extrajudicial executions, or tolerance of extreme right-wing groups (the Klan in America for example); adopts the moderate tone that conflict between "extreme" political positions moderate states led to ignoring the needs of the poor, racialized, etc. rather than "extreme" political positions arose in response to inaction on the part of governments, etc. Sections on the role of dynamite and far left nihilism is probably the most interesting section but the author tries to do too much with too few sources (Indian Removal as State Terrorism contains maybe 6 citations to cover how complex and wretched of a position most of the tribes were put in), etc. etc. etc. probably one of the least outright right leaning publications on terrorism but still is overly broad