How is it that a population of ordinary, friendly people can be pushed to hatred of other ordinary, friendly people by their leaders? In this chapter, we’ll explore the induction and maintenance of hatred during wartime. But war is not the only source of hatred, and we’ll have to consider long-standing hatreds that erupt in occasional violence. Already we see a dramatic difference in the possible causal relation. In one case, the violence of war induces hatred; in the other, preexisting hatred induces warlike violence. Further, attempts at solidifying peace after bitter conflict sometimes trigger new violence in, for example, “solutions” that use ethnic cleansing and mass deportations. Not all periods of “peace” are nonviolent. Finally, hatred induced by past injuries – perceived or real – often supports the acts of extreme violence we call terrorism.

War and hatred

Hatred and patriotism often seem to go together:

How does this happen? Both patriotic schooling and propaganda play a role; indeed, they build on each other. Before Pearl Harbor, the attitude of Americans toward Japan was one of almost comic scorn for its shoddy products, not one of hatred. But propaganda depicted Japanese soldiers as physically and psychologically repulsive and fanatical. They became “Japs” and “Nips,” and songs included references to the “dirty little Jap.” There was little sympathy for the loyal Japanese–American citizens who were interned during the war. For those of us today who have developed both respect and affection for Japanese colleagues and students, these wartime attitudes are hard to recall without embarrassment and shame.