European Dictatorships 1918-1945

Description

European Dictatorships 1918–1945 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. It 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, and Central and Eastern European states. This third edition has been revised throughout to include recent historical research and contains a completely new chapter on the meaning of dictatorship. Including new tables, maps and diagrams, this is the perfect survey for all students of the period. To view the companion website, please visit: www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415454858. Half Title......Page 1 Title Page......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of illustrations......Page 8 Dictatorships: comparative timeline 1918–45......Page 10 Prologue: the seventeen dictatorships, 1918–45......Page 15 The period before 1914......Page 20 The impact of the First World War......Page 24 The peace settlement and its significance......Page 29 The crisis of democracy......Page 33 The role of modernity......Page 36 The economic catalyst......Page 40 Dictatorship as a concept......Page 45 Totalitarian or authoritarian regimes?......Page 47 The ideological basis of dictatorship......Page 51 Summary......Page 61 Lenin’s regime, 1917–24......Page 63 The succession, 1924–9......Page 87 Stalin’s rule to 1941......Page 94 Soviet foreign policy, 1918–41......Page 126 The Great Patriotic War, 1941–5......Page 138 1945–53: mature dictatorship?......Page 153 Reflections on Stalin’s dictatorship......Page 162 The rise of Mussolini to 1922: an outline......Page 169 The rise of Mussolini to 1922: an explanation......Page 171 Mussolini’s dictatorship, 1922–43......Page 182 Mussolini’s foreign policy, 1922–40......Page 214 War and collapse, 1940–5......Page 226 The Italian Social Republic, 1943–5: a return to the beginning?......Page 231 Reflections on Mussolini’s dictatorship......Page 234 The Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler, 1918–33......Page 240 Explanations of the rise of Hitler......Page 251 The Third Reich, 1933–45......Page 264 German foreign policy, 1919–39......Page 313 Germany at war, 1939–45......Page 328 The Holocaust......Page 342 Reflections on Hitler’s dictatorship......Page 358 Dictatorship in Portugal and Spain......Page 366 Dictatorship in central and eastern Europe......Page 395 Dictatorship in the Balkans and Turkey......Page 417 Puppet dictatorships from democracies......Page 447 The role of ideology......Page 454 Leadership......Page 456 State, party and army......Page 459 Social control......Page 462 Security and terror......Page 466 Economies......Page 470 Impact of war......Page 473 Epilogue: Europe since 1945......Page 478 Notes......Page 482 Select bibliography......Page 501 Index......Page 509