NCJ Number
105262
Date Published
1985
Length
454 pages
Annotation
Through case studies from biblical assassinations to the most recent political murders, this book examines the implications of this phenomenon throughout history and diverse cultures and civilizations.
Abstract
Political murder as defined in this book ranges from the narrowly targeted assassination to random killings designed to intimidate political opponents. Assassination encompasses tyrannicide, which consists of the killing of illegitimate, capricious, or impious rulers. The book's principal focus is assassinations. The review of political murder in ancient cultures and civilizations encompasses the biblical history of Israel, the Golden Age of Greece, the Roman Empire, and Asian cultures. The emergence of 'zealots,' 'barbarians,' and 'assassins' is discussed in the historical context of these ancient civilizations. The tracing of political murders in Europe focuses on the phenomenon among kings, lords, and churchmen in the Middle Ages; its manifestation among English dynasts and in 15th-century France and Renaissance Italy; and its occurrence in the 18th and 19th centuries. The review of political murder in the modern world covers the first half of the 20th century, including World Wars I and II, followed by an analysis of assassinations in recent times throughout the world and specifically in the Americas and the United States. Among the findings are that assassinations are most often accomplished by lone assassins and that they rarely achieve their apparent purpose. Chapter notes and subject index.