Tyrants Writing Poetry

Published by Central European University Press 2017

Tyrants Writing Poetry

Edited by: Albrecht Koschorke and Konstantin Kaminskij

https://doi.org/10.1515/9789633862032

Overview
Contents

About this book

Why do tyrants - of all people - often have poetic aspirations? Where do terror and prose meet? This book contains nine case studies that compare the cultural history of totalitarian regimes. The essays focus not on the arts, literature or architecture but on the phenomenon that many of history's great despots considered themselves talented writers. By studying the artistic ambitions of Nero, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-sung, Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Saparmurat Niyazov and Radovan Karadzic, the authors explore the complicated relationship between poetry and political violence, and provide a fascinating look at the aesthetic dimensions of total power. The essays make an important contribution to a number of fields: the study of totalitarian regimes, cultural studies, and biographies of 20th century leaders. They underscore the frequent correlation between tyrannical governance and an excessive passion for language, and demonstrate that the combination of artistic and political charisma is often effective in the quest for absolute power.

Author / Editor information

Koschorke Albrecht :

Albrect Koschorke is Professor of German Literature and Literary Studies at the University of Konstanz.

Kaminskij Konstantin :

Konstantin Kaminskij is Assistant Professor at the University of Konstanz and the founder of the Central Asia and Caucasus School for Ecological Education.

Reviews

Vladimir Tismaneanu:
“A fascinating collection of illuminating contributions on the aesthetic passions of political sociopaths. Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, et al., appear as they really were: a gallery of monsters engaged in romantic self-aggrandizement. Underneath the metaphors we discover the swamp of egocentric obsessions with unlimited power. Highly recommended to all those who want to grasp the secrets of the dictatorial mind, this book reveals much of the inner life of the soulless tyrants."

Daniel Chirot:
“Modern tyrants like Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-sung, Saddam Hussein and others thought of themselves as talented intellectuals who had lessons to teach the world through their literary and artistic achievements. What effect did this have on their policies? How much was the terror they rained on their people part of their sense of performance? This perceptive, fascinating work explores the writings of these and other tyrants ranging from Roman Emperor Nero to the murderous leader of the Bosnian Serbs Radovan Karadžić. It is a sobering and enlightening book that needs to be read to better understand these monsters.”

Hamid Ismailov:
“There’s a belief that cruel tyrants are rather sentimental. But the opposite is also true: like thin-skinned porcupines (with no offence intended to that wonderful creature) they often hide their inner insecurities under their macho armoury. This book of brilliant authors—from Gotter to Žižek—explores the everlasting relationship between politics and poetry through the life of these modern day ‘shamans’ of the world, including Hitler, Stalin, Mao and other infamous dictators.”

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Table of Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Introduction Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Contributors Albrecht Koschorke and Konstantin Kaminskij Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
The Tyrant with His Back to the Wall: Nero’s Artistic Self-Expansion Ulrich Gotter Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Benito Mussolini: “Babeuf ” (1902) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	36
Poetry and Tyranny: The Case of Benito Mussolini Richard James Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	37
Joseph Stalin: “Over This Land” (1895) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	60
Stalin’s Writing: From the Romantic Poetry of the Future to the Socialist Realist Prose of the Past Evgeny Dobrenko Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
Adolf Hitler: Excerpt from Mein Kampf (1924) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	130
Ideology in Execution: On Hitler’s Mein Kampf Albrecht Koschorke Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	131
Kim Il-sung: “Poem Dedicated to Comrade Kim Jong-il on His 50th Birthday” (1992) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	156
Dead Father’s Living Body: Kim Il-sung’s Seed Theory and North Korean Arts Suk Kim Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	157
Mao Zedong: “Snow” (1936) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	168
Mao Zedong’s Poetry: Form as Statement Karl Pohl Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
Muammar al-Gaddafi: Excerpt from “Escape to Hell” (1993) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	188
A Poor Despot Descends to Hell: On the Writing and Thinking Styles of Muammar al-Gaddafi Heiner Lohmann Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
Saddam Hussein: “Unbind It” (2007) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	218
The Principle of Single-Handed Tyranny: On Saddam Hussein’s Literary Works Burkhard Müller Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
Saparmyrat Niyazov: “You Are Turkmen” (2001) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	232
Saparmyrat Niyazov’s Ruhnama: The Invention of Turkmenistan Riccardo Nicolosi Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	233
Radovan Karadžić: “Sarajevo” (1971) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	250
“Nothing Is Forbidden in My Faith”: The Metamorphoses of Radovan Karadžić Slavojž Žižek Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	251
List of Contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261

Language: English
Publisher: Central European University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 286
Keywords: Communism; Dictatorship; Fascism; Literature; Personality cult; Political violence; Totalitarianism

eBook

Published: November 10, 2017
ISBN: 9789633862032