Pacification

Abstract Pacification refers to military policies intended to bring about the submission of a subject population to a conquering or governing authority. Since the early history of kingdoms and empires, organized militaries have attempted to “pacify” new or rebellious territories. The Roman Empire engaged in frequent pacification operations in newly conquered regions such as Britain or Gaul, as well as during and after revolts by populations already subjected to Roman authority, such as the First Jewish War (66–73). Much of the Romans' experience with pacification had been gained during their conquest of Spain, which involved a protracted series of pacification campaigns from 218 BCE until 19 CE . Pacification operations are most closely associated with the campaigns of the European empires during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They have also been associated with major counterinsurgency operations during wars of national liberation. Pacification operations were particularly violent when launched against enemies resorting to guerilla warfare, which occurred frequently in both the colonial and postcolonial context as indigenous armies sought to minimize European armies' superior logistics and firepower. In some cases, as discussed below, the violence of pacification could result in genocidal outcomes.