The Nature of Despotism: From Caligula to Mugabe, the Making of TyrantsNew Holland, 2008 - 232 pages The difference between a strong ruler and a despot can be defined by gratuitous cruelty in excess of the need to retain power, but what is it that drives a ruler to this extreme? The tyrants discussed in The Nature of Despotism share common backgrounds, behaviours and motivations that, when viewed together, can be seen as forming the character of the despot. From more predictable origins, such as violent, miserable childhoods, to those that seem more surprising, such as frustrated artistic impulses, each aspect of despotic cause and effect is examined in detail. The book covers the lives and careers of such despots as Nero, Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, Robespierre, Stalin, Hitler, Papa Doc Duvalier, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il. With chapters on the use of ceremony and scapegoats to distract their people, the importance of building a personality cult, the pretension to, and control of, culture and the myth of efficiency, The Nature of Despotism is an indepth study of what it is that makes a tyrant and offers predictions for the future of despotism in a world where international bodies increasingly intervene in a country's affairs. |
Contents
Introduction Who is the Despot? | 11 |
The Coming of the Despot | 15 |
A Terrible Childhood 22 | 29 |
Copyright | |
17 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
appeared army arrested attempt became began behaviour boyars brutal Caligula Camorra Ceausescu century childhood China Chinese claimed Communist court crimes criminal cruelty culture death democracy dictator Duce Duvalier economy Emperor enemies Enlightened Despot Europe executed fascist father forced France Francia Frederick French Führer German Hitler humiliation Idi Amin involved Italian Italy Ivan the Terrible Jews killed Kim Il Sung Kim Jong-Il King later leader living London Mafia military modern monarch Mugabe murder Mussolini Napoleon Nazi Ndrangheta Nero Nero's numbers obsession Oprichniki ordered palace Paraguay paranoia party persecution personality cult Pol Pot political President prisoners propaganda Qin Shi Huang reforms regime reign Republic Revolution Robert Mugabe Roman Romanian Rome rule ruler Russia ruthless Saddam Hussein seized power social society soldiers Soviet Stalin suffered throughout torture totalitarian traditional Trujillo tyranny tyrant Uganda victims violence Vlad Walachia young