Caesarism in the Post-Revolutionary Age

Description

Debates about the legitimacy and ‘essence’ of political rule and the search for ‘ideal’ forms of government have been at the very heart of political thought ever since antiquity. Caesarism in the Post-Revolutionary Age explores the complex relationship between democracy and dictatorship from the 18th century onwards. More concretely, it assesses how democracy emerged as something compatible with dictatorship, both at the level of political thought and practice. Taking Caesarism – a political alternative somewhere between democracy and dictatorship – as its key concept, the book considers: This study will be of value to anyone interested in modern political history, but also contemporary politics. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Contents Preface 1 Introduction 1.1 Object of Research 1.2 Scope of Study 2 Revolution and Crisis 2.1 The French Revolution: Sovereignty, Legitimacy and Radicalism 2.2 The Dilemma of the Revolution and the Quest for Leadership 2.3 Napoleon Bonaparte: Saviour or Despot? 2.3.1 Rise to Power, “Great Parallel” and Legitimacy 2.3.2 Contemporary Perceptions of the Napoleonic Regime 2.4 Conclusions 3 “Bonapartism” as Hazard and Promise 3.1 Political Legitimacy in Post-Napoleonic Europe 3.2 Conclusions 4 From Bonapartism to Caesarism: The Mid-Century and Louis-Napoléon 4.1 The Revolution of 1848 and the Dawn of Caesarism 4.2 The Coup of 1851 and the Birth of the Second Empire 4.3 The Reception of the Coup and Napoleon’s Rule 4.3.1 French Voices 4.3.2 Perception Abroad: German Reactions 4.4 Legitimization Strategies of the Second Empire 4.4.1 Economic and Social Reformism 4.4.2 Charisma and Plebiscitary Mass Democracy 4.4.3 Imperialism and Bellicism 4.5 Conclusions 5 “Germanic Caesarism” and the Bismarckreich 5.1 From Ideal- to Realpolitik : Debates on a German Caesar 5.2 Bonapartism and the Ruling Class 5.3 Otto von Bismarck: a German Bonaparte? 5.3.1 Conservative Dissonances: Recht vs. Macht 5.3.2 Bismarck and Napoleon III: Their Two Regimes Compared 5.4 Conclusions 6 Mass Democracy and “Scientification”: Caesarism at the Turn of the Century 6.1 Discourses on a “New Caesar” in the Late Nineteenth Century 6.1.1 Great Britain, the USA and Italy 6.1.2 France 6.1.3 Germany 6.2 The Wilhelmine Empire: Caesarism’s Absorption into a Sociology of Domination 6.2.1 Wilhelm II and the Political System of the Late Kaiserreich 6.2.2 Max Weber: Sociology of Domination and “Leader-Democracy” 6.3 Conclusions 7 Outlook: Legacies of Caesarism 7.1 From Caesarism to Totalitarianism? 7.2 Caesarism’s Legacy in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Century 8 Concluding Remarks Notes Bibliography Index