This is actually not entirely true. Although WWI and WWII were large spikes, death rates for many wars before the 20th century – both in terms of combatants and

This is actually not entirely true. Although WWI and WWII were large spikes, death rates for many wars before the 20th century – both in terms of combatants and civilians – were significantly higher and have generally been on the decline throughout human history. See Pinker's "Better Angels of Our Nature" for a detailed analysis of this exact issue. [1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Better-Angels-Our-Nature/dp/1491518243 http://www.amazon.com/The-Better-Angels-Our-Nature/dp/149151...