Agents of Atrocity
Leaders, Followers, and the Violation of Human Rights in Civil War

The book provides a general explanation of why the relationship between a government and its citizens deteriorates into violence by examining, in both contemporary and historical settings, the motives of those involved.

Who is responsible for the terror, atrocities and violations of human rights that occur in civil wars? Blame can be placed on the actual perpetrators of the massacres, rapes, and pillaging, but it should also be placed on the leaders who manipulate violence for their own purposes. Placing responsibility clearly in the hands of political leadership, Mitchell explores the interaction of leaders, their management practices and repressive policies. He examines the Arab-Israeli conflict and the English and Russian civil wars to shed light on when leaders are more or less likely to turn to atrocities to achieve their goals. With civil wars continuing to rage around the world, Agents of Atrocity provides a timely history of atrocities and the leaders and henchmen who carried them out, while providing a new context for understanding why they occur and how they can be prevented in the future.

Machiavelli, the Grand Inquisitor, and Count Tilly's Reward The Principals and the Agents of Political Violence The Arab-Israeli 20,000-Day War The Russian Civil War The English Civil War The Three Horsemen of Political Violence