Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Questions About Political Development
Chapter 2. The Ancien Régime
Chapter 3. English Exceptionalism I
Chapter 4. The French Revolution
Chapter 5. 1848
Chapter 6. The French Third Republic
Chapter 7. Italian Unification
Chapter 8. German Unification
Chapter 9. Interwar France
Chapter 10. English Exceptionalism II
Chapter 11. The Rise of Fascism in Italy
Chapter 12. The Weimar Republic
Chapter 13. Spain
Chapter 14. Rebuilding Western Europe
Chapter 15. The Transition to Communism in East-Central Europe
Chapter 16. The Transition to Democracy in Spain
Chapter 17. The Transition to Democracy in East-Central Europe
Chapter 18. Conclusion. Lessons Learned

About the Author

Sheri Berman is Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. She has written extensively on democracy, authoritarianism, populism, fascism, the history of the left, and European politics for both scholarly and non-scholarly publications.

Reviews

"Sheri Berman's Democracy and Dictatorship is one of the few books that grabbed me with its opening paragraph... One of the many virtues of [her] calm, reasoned, and well-informed examination of the (at best) checkered history of democratic institutions on the European continent is that she takes the long view and an evidentiary rather than emotional approach." -- Aram Bakshian Jr., Washington Times
"Sheri Berman traces the history of democratisation and dictatorship in Europe from the ancien régime to the postwar period. Her thesis explains how individual liberties and human rights are constantly under challenge from both the extreme left and the far right." -- Australian Book Review
"As Sheri Berman conveys in her magisterial new book on the birth of modern European politics, history ought to give us a profound sense of modesty about whether we can ever take democracy for granted... Anyone concerned about today's crisis should consult Berman's stimulating book... As a scholar of European politics with subspecialties in fascism, populism, and the left, Berman shows great facility with the depth and breadth of this vast topic... Berman's
richly textured work of political history reminds us of timeless verities." -- Democracy Journal
"A dense, astute history and warning about the importance-in the face of growing illiberalism and the reawakening of authoritarianism-of continuing to strengthen democratic institutions and structures." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Sheri Berman has written a comprehensive and incisive -- I would even say indispensable -- guide to the historical conditions under which democracies rise and persist. Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe is a model for the kind of scholarship we urgently need today: erudite and analytically exact, it stands in continual dialogue with the most pressing political question of our time. And just in case that weren't enough, it will not only leave readers
better equipped to understand the current moment, but also more optimistic that we may yet be able to shape a better future." -- Yascha Mounk, author of The People vs. Democracy; Lecturer on Government,
Harvard University; and Senior Fellow, New America
"Sheri Berman's Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe is a magisterial survey of the ebb and flow of democratic tides over centuries of European politics. In her able hands, democracy's history counters the myopia of the present and offers hope for the future. Because past democratizers were able to overcome seemingly fatal setbacks, there is no compelling reason to assume that today's democratic recession will continue indefinitely." --
William A. Galston, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
"Sheri Berman brings history back into our anguished debate about the future of liberal democracy. A sweeping and authoritative review of political development in Europe and America since the 17th century, her work restores perspective and context to contemporary debates about democracy today." -- Michael Ignatieff, President, Central European University, Budapest
"Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe provides a lucid account of the way that European countries moved towards, and then away from democracy. Sheri Berman is one of the best comparativists going, providing an encompassing framework for understanding the historical development of modern institutions." -- Francis Fukuyama, author of Identity and Director of the Stanford Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law
"Berman shows that the story of democracy in Europe is complicated. A step forward is often followed by a step back. This may seem a bit obvious to anyone familiar with the broad outlines of European history, but Berman makes the case clearly and convincingly. Moreover, at a moment when hyperventilating over the decline of democracy has grown into a veritable intellectual industry, her long-view approach comes across as appealingly sober." - The New York Times
"Readers will come away from Berman's account with useful insights on the vital question of why democracy sometimes succeeds but often does not." - Foreign Affairs