Season 4, Episode 8: Prof. Lauren Benton, They Called it Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence

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Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and American historian Lauren Benton for a discussion on the hidden histories of empires and the lasting impact of imperial violence. In her book, They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence Benton uncovers how European powers built and maintained their empires through relentless cycles of raiding, slaving, and plunder—while portraying their conquests as missions of order and peace.

Together, they explore the brutal mechanics of colonial expansion, the blurred lines between war and peace, and how fragile truces paved the way for endless conflict. Was imperial violence an aberration, or did it set the stage for the perpetual wars that define our world today? With insights spanning centuries and continents, this episode confronts the uncomfortable truths about power, violence, and the myths that continue to shape global order.

The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.

Footnotes:

• Imperialism
• International Law
• Empires
• History of Wars
• Law of War
• Long 19th Century
• State of Exception 
• Perpetual War
• Reconquista
• Exterminatory Violence
• 1492: Conquest of Paradise
• War Trueces
• Informal Empire
• Neocolonialism
• British Merchants 
• Policing 
• The Dividing of Africa by Europe
• War Against Tasmanian Aborigines 
• Drone Warfare

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