HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Although conflict dominated much of the 20th century, many individuals and groups— including states—opposed this trend. Some individuals and groups, however, intensified the conflicts. Groups and individuals challenged the many wars of the century, and some, such as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, promoted the practice of nonviolence as a way to bring about political change. Militaries and militarized states, however, often responded to the proliferation of conflicts in ways that further intensified conflict. Some movements even used violence against civilians in an effort to achieve political aims.