ABSTRACT
It is, perhaps, obvious to claim that fanaticism has played a prominent part in modern armed conflict. But the concept is complex, and shrouded in prejudice and stereotype. It is important to go beyond the popular adage that ‘one person’s fanatic is another person’s freedom fighter’. Might the word fanaticism be a merely a wholly emotive term? Does the suggestion that there have been too many fanatics in modern wars amount to making no factual claim at all, but is simply a way of expressing support for some (for example, freedom fighters), or loathing for others (dubbed fanatics)? This chapter will argue that fanaticism need not be an empty emotive word. It can mean something sufficiently definite to ensure that there are real historical questions to be asked concerning the place of fanaticism in modern armed conflict.
