Revolution, Counterrevolution and Assassination After World War II - by Robert C Cottrell (Paperback)

About the Book

"In response to the upheavals engendered by World War II, revolutions broke out or loomed throughout the world. Nationalist aspirations proved global in nature, ironically empowered by the Cold War. In Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, revolutions and counterrevolutions proliferated, and similar disruptions threatened to unfold in Europe and North America. Social upheavals began to occur in Vietnam, Mandatory Palestine, China, Algeria, Ghana and Cuba. Conservative and reactionary forces frequently pushed back, quashing hopeful developments like the Guatemalan Spring, the Hungarian Revolution, and the Prague Spring, while also readily resorting to the murder of leading progressive figures from Gandhi to Navalny. The second volume of this detailed history explores the rippling effects of World War II across the globe, including countries experiencing colonial or neocolonial relationships. This book examines the interplay between modern revolutionary movements and campaigns seeking to prevent such movements or to reestablish a history and time that never really existed. It also traces the deadly resort to politically motivated killings, which cut short the lives of so many distinguished, sometimes beloved figures whose loss is still felt decades later."-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In response to the upheavals engendered by World War II, revolutions broke out or loomed throughout the world. Nationalist aspirations proved global in nature, ironically empowered by the Cold War. In Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, revolutions and counterrevolutions proliferated, and similar disruptions threatened to unfold in Europe and North America. Social upheavals began to occur in Vietnam, Mandatory Palestine, China, Algeria, Ghana and Cuba. Conservative and reactionary forces frequently pushed back, quashing hopeful developments like the Guatemalan Spring, the Hungarian Revolution, and the Prague Spring, while also readily resorting to the murder of leading progressive figures from Gandhi to Navalny.

The second volume of this detailed history explores the rippling effects of World War II across the globe, including countries experiencing colonial or neocolonial relationships. This book examines the interplay between modern revolutionary movements and campaigns seeking to prevent such movements or to reestablish a history and time that never really existed. It also traces the deadly resort to politically motivated killings, which cut short the lives of so many distinguished, sometimes beloved figures whose loss is still felt decades later.

Review Quotes

"[Cottrell] weaves an intricate narrative through a very complex era when the motivations for revolution ranged from the Cold War to decolonization and economic inequality. Taking a global approach with chapters on the Soviet Union, China, Africa, the Middle East, and more, the book provides a clear view of a complex set of topics.... Based on the most recent scholarship and vital primary sources, this narrative is easy to read... Scholars, students, and lay readers will be served well by reading this volume, which illuminates much about how the world functions today."--Choice

About the Author

A professor emeritus of history and American studies at California State University, Chico, Robert C. Cottrell is the author of more than twenty books, including studies of the counterculture, the year 1968, American radicalism, black baseball and the World War II smokejumpers.