They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence

European empires gained power by asserting the right to use unilateral force, and Lauren Benton's book "They Called It Peace" explores how this violence redefined the nature of war and peace. It shows how seemingly limited wars sparked atrocities, such as massacres and dispossession, and how warmongers portrayed themselves as peacemakers. The book holds important lessons for us today, as it reveals how the imperial violence of the past has made perpetual war and the threat of atrocity endemic features of the international order.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 13 February 2024
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Imperial conquest and colonization were heavily reliant on widespread raiding, enslavement, and plunder. European empires gained immense power by asserting their right to employ unilateral force whenever they deemed it necessary. This phenomenon is explored in depth in Lauren Benton's book, They Called It Peace. Spanning from Asia to the Americas, Benton demonstrates how imperial violence reshaped the boundaries of empires and reordered the global landscape from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. Instead of fostering lasting peace, fragile truces merely served as a means of facilitating a swift return to conflict. The prevalence of serial conflicts and armed interventions resulted in a de facto state of perpetual war across the globe. Benton vividly portrays how seemingly minor wars unleashed atrocities, including sudden massacres and protracted campaigns of dispossession and extermination. She highlights how warmongers portrayed themselves as peacemakers, while Europeans viewed "small" violence as an integral component of imperial rule and global order.

They Called It Peace offers valuable insights into our contemporary world by shedding light on how the imperial violence of the past has perpetuated perpetual war and the ongoing threat of atrocity within the international order. By examining the historical roots of these phenomena, we can better understand the challenges we face today and work towards building a more peaceful and just global system.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691248479