It has been more than a century since the birth of Mao Zedong. From the collapse of the old Chinese Empire in 1912 to the foundation of the People’s Republic in 1949, his history is linked with that of contemporary China, and beyond national borders, with the history of communism as well. His version of guerilla warfare and revolution resulted in the construction of a socialist society that became a model of socialism throughout the world. Both a tyrant and rebel, Mao wanted to rule through revolution. Yet the Big Leap Forward (1958) and the Cultural Revolution (1966) each plunged China into chaos without saving it from totalitarianism. After 1978, de-Maoization and economic reforms by Deng Xiaoping helped heal the country’s wounds, but the future yet remains uncertain. Whether to be an empire united or broken, serenely "open" or in conflict, democratic or authoritarian, egalitarian or prosperous—so many lingering questions remain of those that Mao and his generation began asking nearly a century ago. Was the Maoist Revolution futile? Would China have been better off without Mao—and is such a thing imaginable?

In February 1917, the immense centuries-old empire of the Czars, which had entered into war against Germany and Austria-Hungary in alliance with Britain and France, suddenly collapsed. Eight months later,Bolshevik revolutionaries under Lenin's leadership, took power and an armistice with Germany was signed.Few would have bet on the government of inexperienced Bolsheviks against the White Russian counter-revolutionaries sustained by the West. But the mobilisation of the population, the power of the Red Army and the political police and the experience the communists had gained dur-ing the war, together with Lenin's skills in directing the new political economy, allowed the new regime to strengthen its hold on Russia.By the time of Lenin's death on 21 January 1924 the continued existence of the communist regime was assured although Stalin's rise to promi-nence meant that the nature of communist power was very different from that envisaged by the heroes of the October Revolution.Antonella Salomoni was educated at the University of Bologna. She teaches history and contributes regularly to international journals.

Interlink's new illustrated history series seeks to explore the persistent themes of our recent past in order to prepare for the new century. Each volume offers a concise yet comprehensive analysis of a particular political, cultural or social phenomenon and is lavishly illustrated with color and b&w photographs and maps.

On October 29, 1922, while the fascist squads marched through the streets of Rome, the king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, gave Benito Mussolini the mandate to form a new government. Many believed the fascist period in power would not last long. But the reality turned out quite differently. The march on Rome of the black shirts dealt a decisive blow to the fragile liberal democracy. The murder of Matteotti, the attempt to create a totalitarian state, the annihilation of the opposition, the alliance with Hitler, and the wars in Ethiopia and Spain were the most significant steps of the long journey of the Italian people through dictatorship. Ending with the disaster of the Second World War and the tragic finale of the Republic of Salò, it was an experience that would mark the history of the 20th century and throw its shadow across post-war Italy.

On July 17, 1936, Spain suddenly breaks onto the world scene when a group of generals rebels against the legitimate Republican government. The youngest, Francisco Franco, stands out among them. It might have been just another of the many military uprisings characterizing Spanish history, but this time the rebels receive the immediate support of Hitler and Mussolini. The world takes sides: Stalin and the Communist International line up alongside the Popular Front government, which is only lukewarmly supported by France and England. What was just a failed coup thus leads to a long war, in which thousands of volunteers fight and die. The world interprets the war as a struggle between fascism, communism and democracy. But the war is first of all a civil war, in which the two faces of Spain confront each other: on one hand the rural, nationalist, Catholic country, and on the other, the metropolitan, secular, Republican one. The terrible fighting — as in every civil war — lowers the level of civilization on both sides. For three long years, Spain offers a scene that prefigures the future horrors of World War II, before the country finally sinks into dictatorship.

The Media Book provides today's students with a comprehensive foundation for the study of the modern media. It has been systematically compiled to map the field in a way which corresponds to the curricular organization of the field around the globe, providing a complete resource for students in their third year to graduate level courses in the U.S.

This open access book explores new research directions in social inequality and urban segregation. With the goal of fostering an ongoing dialogue between scholars in Europe and China, it brings together an impressive team of international researchers to shed light on the entwined processes of inequality and segregation, and the implications for urban development. Through a rich collection of empirical studies at the city, regional and national levels, the book explores the impact of migration on cities, the related problems of social and spatial segregation, and the ramifications for policy reform. While the literature on both segregation and inequality has traditionally been dominated by European and North American studies, there is growing interest in these issues in the Chinese context. Economic liberalization, rapid industrial restructuring, the enormous growth of cities, and internal migration, have all reshaped the country profoundly. What have we learned from the European and North American experience of segregation and inequality, and what insights can be gleaned to inform the bourgeoning interest in these issues in the Chinese context? How is China different, both in terms of the nature and the consequences of segregation inequality, and what are the implications for future research and policy? Given the continued rise of China’s significance in the world, and its recent declaration of war on poverty, this book offers a timely contribution to scholarship, identifying the core insights to be learned from existing research, and providing important guidance on future directions for policy makers and researchers.

American Identities is a dazzling array of primary documentsand critical essays culled from American history, literature,memoir, and popular culture that explore major currents and trendsin American history from 1945 to the present. Charts the rich multiplicity of American identities through thedifferent lenses of race, class, and gender, and shaped by commonhistorical social processes such as migration, families, work, andwar. Includes editorial introductions for the volume and for eachreading, and study questions for each selection. Enables students to engage in the history-making process whiledeveloping the skills crucial to interpreting rich and enduringcultural texts. Accompanied by an instructor's guide containing reading,viewing, and listening exercises, interview questions,bibliographies, time-lines, and sample excerpts of students' familyhistories for course use.

The Millennium Dome, Braveheart and Rolls Royce cars. How do cultural icons reproduce and transform a sense of national identity? How does national identity vary across time and space, how is it contested, and what has been the impact of globalization upon national identity and culture?This book examines how national identity is represented, performed, spatialized and materialized through popular culture and in everyday life. National identity is revealed to be inherent in the things we often take for granted - from landscapes and eating habits, to tourism, cinema and music. Our specific experience of car ownership and motoring can enhance a sense of belonging, whilst Hollywood blockbusters and national exhibitions provide contexts for the ongoing, and often contested, process of national identity formation. These and a wealth of other cultural forms and practices are explored, with examples drawn from Scotland, the UK as a whole, India and Mauritius. This book addresses the considerable neglect of popular cultures in recent studies of nationalism and contributes to debates on the relationship between ‘high' and ‘low' culture.

The 2011 WDR on Conflict, Security and Development underlines the devastating impact of persistent conflict on a country or region's development prospects - noting that the 1.5 billion people living in conflict-affected areas are twice as likely to be in poverty. Its goal is to contribute concrete, practical suggestions on conflict and fragility.