Century of Populist Demagogues

Ivan T. Berend is Distinguished Professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Director of the Center for European and Eurasian Studies, and one of the masterminds of regime change in Hungary.

• Preface and AcknowledgementIntroduction: Who are the populist demagogues, and how can they attain political power?PART I. Interwar populist—communist and fascist—demagoguesChapter 1. A Hungarian communist demagogue: Béla KunChapter 2. A Hungarian fascist demagogue: Gyula GömbösChapter 3. A Romanian fascist demagogue: Corneliu Zelea CodreanuChapter 4. A fascistoid Austrian demagogue: Ernst Rüdiger StarhembergPART II. Turn of the millennium populist demagoguesChapter 5. An Austrian far-right demagogue: Jörg HaiderChapter 6. A Romanian communist demagogue: Nicolae CeauşescuChapter 7. Two French demagogues: Le Diable and La Fille du Diable, Jean-Marie and Marine Le PenChapter 8. An entertaining but harmful buffoon-type demagogue: the Italian Silvio BerlusconiChapter 9. Three nationalist demagogues in Yugoslavia and a devastating civil warChapter 10. Two British Brexit fighters: Boris Johnson and Nigel FarageChapter 11. A “freedom fighter” against the European Union: the Dutch Geert WildersChapter 12. Three demagogues exploit the difficult transformation: Viktor Orbán in Hungary and the Kaczyński brothers of PolandConclusionBibliographyIndex

"Published in a particularly turbulent year amid a global pandemic, renowned historian Ivan T. Berend’s latest book comes as a cautionary text reminding readers how times of crisis can act as the breeding ground for populism and the emergence of demagogic leaders seeking to take advantage of popular anxieties and discontent for their own personal or political gain. A Century of Populist Demagogues explores the longstanding history of demagoguery and populism in Europe from the early twentieth century up to today by focusing on the lives of some of Europe’s most notable demagogic figures of the last hundred years. By contextually presenting the circumstances which contributed to their rise to power (or popularity), engaging with these demagogues’ ideas and own words, yet keeping account of their actions (or inaction) – this book offers an accessible, informative, and thought-provoking introduction for anyone interested in exploring the concept of populism and demagoguery and their manifestations in history and/or contemporary politics. It offers the reader much to think about, and it is an important addition to contemporary discussions surrounding leadership, democracy, and populism today."