A Century of Populist Demagogues: Eighteen European Portraits, 1918-2018 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9789633863336)

The renowned historian Ivan T. Berend discusses populist demagoguery through the presentation of eighteen politicians from twelve European countries spanning World War I to the present. Berend defines demagoguery, reflects on its connections with populism, and examines the common features and differences in the demagogues' programs and language.

Mussolini and Hitler, the "model demagogues," are only briefly discussed, as is the election of Donald Trump in the United States and its impact on Europe. The eighteen detailed portraits include two communists, two fascists, and several right-wing and anti-EU politicians, extending across the full range of demagoguery. The author covers B駘a Kun, the leader of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, weaving through Codreanu and Gb from the 1930s, on to Stahremberg and Haider in Austria, and then more broadly throughout Europe from Ceaușescu, Milosevic, Tuđjman, Izetbegovic, Berlusconi, Wilders, to the two Le Pens, Farage, and Boris Johnson, Orb疣 and the two Kaczyńskis. Each case includes an analysis of the time and place and is illustrated with quotations from the demagogues' speeches.

This book is a warning about the continuing threat of populist demagogues both for their subjects and for history itself. Berend insists on the crucial importance for Europe to understand the reality behind their promises and persuasive language as imperative to impeding their success.

The renowned historian Ivan T. Berend reviews eighteen politicians from twelve European countries from World War I to the present, two communists, two fascists, and several rightwing and anti-EU militants. The portraits include persons like Haider, Milosevic, Berlusconi or Boris Johnson. The author defines demagoguery, reflects on its connections with populism, and examines the common features and differences in the demagogues' programs and language.

Author: Ivan T. Berend
ISBN-10: 9633863333
ISBN-13: 9789633863336
Publisher: Central European University Press
Language: English
Published: 07/20/2020
Pages: 347
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.03lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.72d