INTERVIEW | "I do not believe we are in a more violent world than that of the 20th century," Margaret MacMillan

Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the terrorist assault by Hamas against Israel have caused great global shock, Margaret MacMillan stated in a conversation with AthenaLab that from a historical perspective, we cannot assert that we are in a more violent world than that of the 20th century.

MacMillan (Toronto, 1943) argued that in Europe, North America, and South America, there seems to be a perception that we are moving toward a more peaceful global era. However, the reality has been very different in regions of the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. For this reason, the author of the book “1914” recalled that the wars of the last century left tens of millions of victims.

The author of “War: How Conflict Shaped Us,” who visited Chile invited by Puerto de Ideas and the Institute of History of the Pontifical Catholic University, added that “we tend to see war as a series of battles… but most wars are won by attrition,” meaning when the belligerents are exhausted or no longer have the capacity to continue fighting. This was in reference to possible outcomes of the mentioned conflicts.

See full interview:
(subtitles in Spanish)

AthenaLab
November 14, 2023