HIST 234 - Bandits, Terrorists, Partisans: Non-State Political Violence in Modern Europe

FC SSCI CD

4 credits
States are bodies that claim a monopoly on the legitimate use of force in a given territory–bodies that successfully wield the apparatuses of the courts, the army, the police. But how are we to understand historical groups that have sought to operate outside of this monopoly, or even challenge it? This class is a study of bandits, terrorists, and partisans in the European past. Through primary sources, political texts, literary works, and films, we will explore the histories of irregular political violences and the actors who have wielded them. Together, we will find that these counter-histories of rebels, vigilantes, and insurgents raise important questions regarding the relationship between history, violence, and the political itself.