Synopses & Reviews
Williamson Age of the Dictators
In 1918, the after-effects of the seminal catastrophe of the twentieth century, the First World War, were just beginning to be felt. The realization of the price of war: the destruction of entire countries and the huge loss of life, sent shockwaves of social anxiety across the globe.
In Europe, the birthplace of democracy, a growing sense of national decline and impending chaos drove entire populations to the same political answer: stability and restored pride in exchange for political freewill. Here began the age of the dictators.
In his insightful new book, David Williamson examines the regimes that characterized this age. Nazism, Stalinist Russia, and Italian Fascism are dealt with alongside the authoritarian regimes of Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Examined both individually and in comparison with each other, Williamson leads us to some striking revelations and uncomfortable truths regarding the roots, reality and impact of these dictatorial states and the men who ran them.
Leading the reader through this time of massive change, Williamson includes:
- timelines and guides to key dates
- summaries of historical debates that shaped the age
- a comprehensive glossary to technical terms
- a cross-referencing system to help the reader compare different regimes.
David Williamson is former Head of History at Highgate School and lecturer at Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln. He is now a freelance lecturer and writer. He is the author of numerous books, including War and Peace: International Relations, 1914-45 and The Third Reich andGermany Since 1918.
Cover image:
This cartoon of December 1936 by 'Kem', Kimon Marengo, depicts Mussolini as the mother wolf from Rome's Capitoline Hill. In the place of Romulus and Remus are (from the right) Hitler, Kemal Attaturk, General Metaxas of Greece, General Franco of Spain and, clutching the tail, Sir Oswold Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists.
Synopsis
A comparative history of European Dictators in the twentieth century.
Contains a good selection of sources to illustrate key points Includes contemporary original documents at the end of each chapter which provide the reader with the opportunity to interpret the sources Historiographical assesments review the arguments of key historians
Synopsis
The Age of the Dictators presents a comprehensive survey of the origins and interrelationship of the European dictatorships. All the regimes are addressed, with ample coverage of the period 1939-45, and analysis of the Soviet government up to Stalin s death in 1953.
Exploring their ideological and political roots, and the role of the First World War in their rise to power, David Williams identifies the dictatorships as products of their time. He examines the Soviet, Italian Fascist and Nazi dictatorships, as well as the authoritarian regimes in Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, providing an analysis of each as an entity, of how they evolved and related to one another, and to what extent they were a common response to life after the First World War.
Mindful of historiographical issues, the textbook attends to the arguments of key historians, and includes a list of relevant sources to assist students in their study of the period. Combining an accessible, succinct writing style with a broad historical scope, The Age of the Dictators is an illuminating and thorough account of a fascinating period in world history.
Synopsis
This comprehensive yet succinct history of twentieth century European Dictators stresses both the similairities and differences in each regime.
Written for undergraduate students studying modern European History, this book profiles each dictator and sets them within the context of their time and world events. The social, political, economic and foreign policies of the dictatorships are also analysed.
About the Author
D.G. Williamson was formerly Head of History at Highgate School.
Table of Contents
1. Seedbed of the Dictatorships
2. The Victory of Leninism
3. Establishment of Mussolini's Dictatorship in Italy, 1919-1929
4. Beleagured Democracy in Germany, 1919-1929
5. Dictatorships in the Iberian Peninsula and the Successor States
6. Assessment of European Dictatorships in the 1920s
7. The Rise of Hitler and the 3rd Reich, 1930-1939
8. Stalinist Russia, 1930-1941
9. Italian Fascism in the 1930s
10. The Rise of General Franco
11. Authoritarian Regimes During the High Noon of Fascism
12. Dictatorships in the 1930s: An Assessment
13. Nazism at War
14. Collapse of Italian Fascism
15. Triumph of Stalinism, 1941-1953
16. Spain and Portugal: Dictatorships that Survived, 1940-1953
17. Conclusion
Glossary
Who's Who
Bibliography
Index