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Violence: the word itself has a distinctly negative connotation. It seems as though our entire society is fixated on preventing violence. Despite our keen desires to repel violence in all of its forms, we are still enthralled by it. Perhaps our fascination with violence is much more than a simple manifestation of the deviant within. Could it be that our violent tendencies are not necessarily all bad? This is precisely the topic we will explore. Using the events of The Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 66 AD and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during the Holocaust, we will strive to answer the question: what is the utility of mass violence? As we address this question, several central themes will emerge. The utility of mass violence is proportional to the perpetrator's ability (or willingness) to employ violence absolutely. In other words, in order for mass violence to serve a useful purpose, it must be used without significant restraint. Nonetheless, in the majority of our examples, we will find that mass violence is only effective in the short term. Eventually, even the most definitive acts spawn further violence. Thus, in terms of long-term conflict resolution, less violent options are actually more efficient. CHAPTER I * INTRODUCTION * A. METHODOLOGY AND SCOPE * B. RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND CENTRAL THEMES * C. THE CONCEPT OF UTILITY * CHAPTER II * WAR AS A VEHICLE FOR NATION BUILDING * A. THE SMOTHERING OF POTENTIAL GREAT POWERS. * B. BEGINNINGS OF THE UNITED NATIONS * C. THE UNITED NATIONS EMERGES * D. GLOBALIZATION - THE WAY AHEAD * E. THE UTILITY OF VIOLENCE * CHAPTER III * THE FIRST JEWISH-ROMAN WAR (THE GREAT REVOLT) * A. THE OCCUPATION * B. ENTER THE ZEALOTS * C. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK * D. THE FINAL SIEGE * E. ANALYSIS OF THE UTILITY OF MASS VIOLENCE * 1. The Seeds of the Revolt * 2. The Uprising * 3. The Civil Wars * F. EPILOGUE - MASADA * CHAPTER IV * THE WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING * A. THE WARSAW GHETTO * B. THE UPRISING * C. ANALYSIS OF THE UTILITY OF MAS