The European Dictatorships, 1918-45

by StephenJ.Lee (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1990

  $3.25

  In the early 1920s most of Europe's twenty-eight states could be described as parliamentary democracies. By the end of 1938 no fewer than sixteen of these democracies had succumbed to dictatorships, while by 1941 only five remained intact. Stephen Lee examines the circumstances and leaders responsible for this dramatic turn of events. He describes the course of dictatorship in Europe before and during World War II, concentrating in particular on Russia, Italy and Germany, but also covering Spain, Portugal and the states of Central and Eastern Europe. He scrutinizes the intriguing phenomenon of dictatorship itself, and the widely differing forms it can take. Throughout this book, Stephen Lee's intention is to go beyond the spectacular and horrifying events of the era to provide explanation and balanced interpretation. He succeeds brilliantly in this, displaying to the full his ability to combine a clear, readable narrative with incisive comment. Wherever conflicting opinions exist he presents the evidence and outlines the controversy so that readers can reach their own conclusions in an informed way.

• Used

  Paperback
  2000

  $4.19

  European Dictatorships surveys the extraordinary circumstances leading to, and arising from, the transformation of over half of Europe's states to dictatorships between the first and the second World Wars. Following the great success and acclaim of the first edition, the book has been thoroughly updated to include recent historical research, largely prompted by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent transformation of the political map of Europe. The European Dictatorships describes the course of dictatorship in Europe before and during the Second World War and examines the phenomenon of dictatorship itself and the widely different forms it can take. From the notorious dictatorships of Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin to less well-known states and leaders, this book scrutinizes the experiences of: Russia; Germany; Italy; Spain and Portugal; Central and Eastern European states, such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Bulgaria and Albania; Norway.