Historical Development of Monopoly of Violence and Notes for Today

Monopoly of violence, which implies the authority of the state over means of violence, is seen as the most distinctive feature of the modern state. Forms of monopoly of violence have been changed according to modes of production. In pre-medieval era, the authority over means of violence was changed according to different forms of governances. Despite differences, one can claim that such an authority refers to a limited sort of authority. The Middle Ages, which was saturated by feudal means of production and in which the political power was divided, indicated a period of weak monopoly of violence. With the collapse of feudal order and its replacement with the capitalist mode of roduction, political structure was also transformed. In this new era in which the modern state appeared, political power became centralized and built a monopoly over means of violence. That happened not overnight but in a spreading period of time. Because the use of monopoly of violence by specific actors continued after the birth of the modern state. But as with the state’s creating its own means of violence, the monopoly of violence was built. Today, globalization process and its effects are being discussed. Globalization process has been changing the structure of the state and its functions. Monopoly of violence is also being affected by this change. With this process, the private supply of monopoly of violence is again on the front burner, as it was before the modern state. But the issue of how to read this change is open to debate. Is it an abrasion of monopoly of violence or, with a secondary power underpinning the state, are means of violence becoming more powerful? In this study, such debates are going to be treated and the appearance that means of violence has gained with the globalization will be assessed