Modern TyrantsAlong with its much vaunted progress in scientific and economic realms, our century has witnessed the rise of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the history of mankind. Even with the collapse of Marxism, current references to “ethnic cleansing” remind us that tyranny persists in our own age and shows no sign of abating. Daniel Chirot offers an important and timely study of modern tyrants, both revealing the forces which allow them to come to power and helping us to predict where they may arise in the future. Tyrannical rule typically begins in an economically depressed and unstable society with no real tradition of democratic government. Under such circumstances, a self-pitying nationalism often arises along with a widespread popular perception among the citizenry that grave injustices have been committed against them. When a charismatic leader is able to exploit this situation, he may sanction unspeakable atrocities while claiming to uphold cherished national myths. Chriot analyzes the careers and characters of notorious dictators such as Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and Saddam, as well as lesser known tyrants such as Kim II Sung of North Korea, Ne Win of Burma, Argentina’s Peron, the Dominican Republic’s Trujillo, Pol Pot, Duvalier, and others. He demonstrates how they can survive the rise and fall of particular ideologies and reveals the frightening new marriages between nationalism and a host of local concerns. The lesson drawn is stark and disturbing: the age of modern tyranny is upon us, and unlikely to fade soon. |
Contents
In the Beginning Was the Word | |
Death Lies and Decay | |
A Typological Map of Tyranny | |
Little Stalins? | |
Little Hitlers? | |
Some Propositions Lessons and Predictions about Tyranny | |
Notes | |
Bibliography | |
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African American Amin Arab Argentina army became become began believed Bokassa Bolsheviks British brutal Burma Burmese Cambodia capitalism Ceausescu Central China Chinese Chirot colonial communism communist corrupt created Cultural Revolution death democracy democratic developed Dominican Republic Duvalier early economic educated elite Empire ethnic Europe European forces foreign France French German Germany’s Haiti Haitian Hitler Hitler and Stalin Ibid ideological Idi Amin industrial intellectuals intelligentsia Iraq Jewish Jews Khmer Rouge killed Kim Il Sung late later leaders Lenin liberal Mao’s Marxist Mensheviks military million modern movement murder nationalism nationalist Nazis Ne Win nineteenth century North Korea officers particularly Party peasants percent Perón Pol Pot policies political population purges racial Rafael Trujillo regime resentment revolutionary Romania rule Russia social socialist society Soviet Union Stalin theory tortured traditional Trujillo twentieth century tyranny tyrants Uganda University Press Vietnamese Western Win’s workers