Dictators and Autocrats

In order to truly understand the emergence, endurance and legacy of autocracy, this volume of engaging essays explores how autocratic power is acquired, exercised and transferred or abruptly ended, through the careers and politics of influential figures in more than 20 countries and six regions.

Klaus Larres is the Richard M Krasno Distinguished Professor of History and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as Counselor and Senior Policy Adviser at the German Embassy in Beijing, held the Kissinger Chair in International Relations at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and was a Fellow at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) - German Institute for International Security and Affairs think tank in Berlin. Among his many publications are the books Churchill's Cold War: The Politics of Personal Diplomacy; Uncertain Allies: Nixon, Kissinger, and the Threat of a United Europe; and Understanding Global Politics: Actors and Themes in International Affairs (co-edited).

Part 1: THE NOTORIOUS THREE  1. Joseph Stalin: Autocrat par excellence (The Soviet Union)  2. Adolf Hitler: From Democracy to Dictatorship (Germany) 3. Mao Zedong: Communist Party Dictatorship (China)  Part 2: PATHBREAKING AUTOCRATS OF THE 20TH CENTURY  4. Fidel Castro: From Grassroots Dictatorship to Communist Autocracy (Cuba)  5. Augusto Pinochet: The Emergence of One-Man Rule (Chile)  6. Robert Mugabe: Ruthless Authoritarian who Preferred Democratic Clothing (Zimbabwe)  7. Joseph Kabila: the "Raïs" of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo)  8. Hugo Chávez: Was he an Autocrat? (Venezuela)  9. Lee Kuan Yew: Autocracy, Elections, and Capitalism (Singapore)  Part 3: 21ST CENTURY AUTOCRATS - THE MAJOR POWERS  10. Vladimir Putin: Russia's Neo-Patrimonial Façade Democracy (Russia)  11. Xi Jinping: The Rise of an Authoritarian Leader (China)  12. Narendra Modi: Elected Authoritarian (India)  13. Donald J. Trump: The Authoritarian Style in American Politics (USA)  Part 4: 21ST CENTURY AUTOCRATS - OTHER INFLUENTIAL AUTOCRATS  14. Ali Hosseini Khamenei: Routinizing Revolution (Iran)  15. The Assad Dynasty: Quo Vadis Damascus? (Syria)  16. Kim Jong un: Rise to Power and Leadership Style (North Korea)  17. Abd al Fattah al Sisi: The One and Only Egyptian Dictator (Egypt)  18. Prayuth Chan-o-cha: From the Barracks to the Ballot Box (Thailand)  19. Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud: King in All But Name (Saudi Arabia)  20. János Kádár and Viktor Orbán: From Communist to Post-Communist Autocracy (Hungary)  21. Recep Tayyip Erdogan: From "Illiberal Democracy" to Electoral Authoritarianism (Turkey)  22. Rodrigo Duterte: Macho Populism and Authoritarian Practice (Philippines)  23. Jair Bolsonaro: Beyond the Pale, Above the Fray (Brazil)