What is fanaticism? Is the term at all useful? After all one persons fanaticis anothers freedom fighter. Throughout history there have been fanatics eagerto pur... » 

What is fanaticism? Is the term at all useful? After all one persons fanaticis anothers freedom fighter. Throughout history there have been fanatics eagerto pursue their religious political or personal agendas. Fanaticism hasfuelled many of the conflicts of the twentieth century in particular thetheatres of combat of the Second World War. More recently religious fanaticismhas bedevilled affairs in the Middle East and elsewhere. Is fanaticism becomingmore fanatical in the new millennium?As the events of 11 September 2001 prove fanaticism however it is definedcontinues to dominate international affairs. This volume presents new andestablished scholars writing on a range of subjects from the Dervishes of the1890s to the terrorism and guerrilla wars of the post1945 period. The volumecovers the nature and philosophy of fanaticism the connection betweenpolitical ideology and fanaticism and the relationship between fanaticism andwar in the contemporary era. To illustrate these themes the volume presents abroad range of case studies including the Dervishes in the Sudan in the 1890sfanaticism in the context of the Pacific war 193745 the 12th SS HitlerJugend Division in action in Normandy in 1944 the German army on the EasternFront and terrorism and guerrilla war after 1945. «