Age of the Dictators : A Study of the European Dictatorships, 1918-53

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.