Freud's initial response to World War I was patriotic, and he closely followed the unfolding events of the war. Two of his sons volunteered for duty in the Austrian army, But Freud grew disillusioned with the conflict, and the war seemed to have had a decisive effect on Freud's thinking. Death and violence became more known in his theories, and he emphasized the ways participation in mass society released deep-seated aggressive feelings. Social crises, he argued, allow us to see aspects of human nature normally hidden in everyday
