Violence in the Twentieth Century

Since the dawn of time, humans have committed extreme acts of violence towards one another. Lust, jealousy, hatred, and a desire for revenge are all emotions that can lead to violent conflict, and with the development of new technologies, it’s become so much easier to kill one another. 

So why haven’t we seen a major World War since the 1940’s? 

Post-War Culture

When the Second World War ended, soldiers on both sides returned home from their lengthy active service. Since a large proportion of these men were young (some still in their teenage years), many were eager to begin living a normal civilian life. The 1950’s marked a post-war boom, including The Baby Boom, which mainly affected Western countries such as the UK and USA. 

This point in history is commonly associated with happiness and prosperity in the West. Whilst there were still conflicts, between both nations and people, the general consensus is that this epoch was peaceful for the most part. There was a strong sense of patriotism within nations and collaboration across nations to maintain global peace and order – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is a good example.

Some argue that the 50’s merely gave off an illusion of peace and prosperity, however, to hide the domestic conflicts that lay under the surface. Indeed, racism, lynch mobs, and capitalist greed discredit the “post-war boom” identity that was established in 50’s. Black Americans in particular were subjected to violent abuse and discriminatory laws. This casts doubt on the argument that life was easier for all people after the Second World War. The so called “post-war boom” certainly worked for some more than others.

It appears as if violent impulses were channelled from the international to national during the post-war period. Rather than fighting against foreign nations, violence was targeted at groups of citizens who were excluded from society. 

Could the cultural revolution of the 1960’s, with its emphasis of ‘peace and love’, be considered a reaction to the domestic conflicts of the 50’s? Further still, how much of an impact did this have on reducing violence in the late 20th century?

Late 20th Century Culture

Outside the realm of war, we know that civilian life improved significantly. We’re already familiar with the post-war boom and the growth of industry. The 50’s sparked the Civil Rights Movement, which was made famous by influential leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. They fought for civil liberties through peaceful means, eventually leading to reforms to discrimination laws in the following decades. Society generally seemed to become more accepting, as civil rights were extended to ethnic minorities, women, and homosexuals. 

Unfortunately, the late 20th century still had its fair share of wars; namely, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, and the Cold War. Though humanity was spared a Third World War, the threat was ever-present. Millions feared the consequences of nuclear warfare, knowing full well that it could only result in mutually assured destruction. Those who saw active service, in Vietnam or the Falklands particularly, witnessed some of the worst injuries imaginable.

This period was known for another threat to society: the growing number of violent serial killers. Men such as Ted Bundy, Edmund Kemper, Dennis Rader, and Peter Sutcliffe all killed numerous people in the second half of the century. During these years, many people were afraid to walk alone outside. Some refused to pick up hitchhikers, and others avoided rural woodland trails. 

Some, like Rader, weren’t caught until decades later, when technology improved and provided more resources to law enforcement. One can hope that we will one day have technology which makes it near enough impossible to get away with violent crime. And that if we do acquire this technology, then it is not abused by law enforcement.

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s fair to say that violence was still commonplace in this period of history, although admittedly in differing ways to the post-war years. The rising number of violent murders, destructive weapons, and geo-political tensions are a mere handful of reasons as to why the late 20th Century was just as violent as the 50’s – if not more so.

But now we’re in a new Century; it’s the dawn of a technological boom. So surely most forms of violence are a relic of the past?

21st Century Culture

Modern life certainly isn’t perfect. We’ve seen wars in the Middle East, a seemingly unending conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the recent return of the Taliban 20 years after 9/11. Despite all humanity’s flaws, we still haven’t seen a major World War. It might be said that society has become more peaceful. Perhaps we’ve learnt from our past mistakes; indeed, wars aren’t on the scale that they were decades ago.

Technology is a double-edged sword. Although it has given us weapons of mass destruction, it’s important to recognise that technology, in the form of CCTV and Fingerprint Recognition, has helped us to not only catch violent offenders, but to prevent their crimes as well. Whilst it’s become easier to physically commit an act of violence, it’s become so much harder to get away with it.

Alas, it’s fair to say that criminals and violent offenders have adapted to technological advancements, finding cunning ways to utilise them to their advantage. Social media has become a valuable tool for scammers, stalkers, and predators, who begin their heinous acts behind a screen of anonymity. In addition, cyber warfare is gradually becoming the norm, as countries cause major social disruption with the click of a button. 

When the Americans dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the entire world paused in shock. We could never allow something like this to happen again. Whilst violence will always be a part of human society, it’s hard to see another World War happening anytime soon – at least in the way they have traditionally been fought. 

It’d be naïve to suggest that human attitudes toward violence have changed; we’ve just learnt to fear retaliation. And with countries like America, China and Russia all racing to make stronger and more efficient weapons, there’s suddenly a lot more to fear.

Technology has shifted the frontier of violence. It’s unreasonable to say that we live in a perfect society, but we’re certainly fortunate to live in a world where trench-warfare and nuclear missiles are a thing of the past.