Wife of one French king and mother of three others (Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III), Catherine de'Medici was, as Regent and Queen Mother, a key figure in French politics for 30 years. This text studies her historical influence.

Neither a comprehensive 'life and times' nor a conventional biography, this is an engaging and accessible exploration of rulership and monarchial authority in eighteenth century Russia. Its purpose is to see how Catherine II of Russia conceived of her power and how it was represented to her subjects. Simon Dixon asks essential questions about Catherin'es life and reign, and offers new and stimulating arguments about the Englightenment, the power of the monarch in early modern Europe, and the much-debated role of the "great individual" in history.

Kaiser Wilhelm II is one of the key figures in the history of twentieth-century Europe: King of Prussia and German Emperor from 1888 to the collapse of Germany in 1918 and a crucial player in the events that led to the outbreak of World War I. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including unpublished archival material, this study focuses on: * the character and extent of his power* his political goals* his success in achieving them* the mechanisms by which he projected authority and exercised influence.* his role in the formation of foreign policy and his impact on the events of July...

Most famous in Europe for his efforts to establish the League of Nations under US leadership at the end of the World War I, Woodrow Wilson stands as one of America's most influential and visionary presidents. A Democrat who pursued progressive domestic policies during his first term in office, he despised European colonialism and believed that the recipe for world peace was the self-determination of all peoples, particularly those under the yoke of the vast Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. His efforts to resist heavy reparations on Germany fell on deaf ears, while the refusal of France,...

Forced out of power in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and defeated in the subsequent battle of the Boyne by William of Orange, the short reign of James II has an importance that reaches far beyond his three years in power.

Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico (1876-1880 and 1884-1911) dominated his country during a crucial phase of its development into a modern nation. The political rule of Porfirio Diaz has mostly been viewed from the perspective of the Mexican Revolution which finally toppled him from power - holding that he was the cause of, and deserved, his own downfall. But Diaz has recently come to be seen in a rather different and less damning light. Nineteenth-century Latin American history shows the problem of promoting wider political participation and economic development whilst maintaining order and...

Gandhi's is an extraordinary and compelling story. Few individuals in history have made so great a mark upon their times. And yet Gandhi never held high political office, commanded no armies and was not even a compelling orator. His power therefore makes a particularly fascinating subject for investigation.

A lucid analysis of Mao as revolutionary general, ideologist and astute political manipulator, this introduction to the life and career of Mao Zedong provides an excellent introduction to modern Chinese history and its enigmatic protagonist.

An excellent introduction to Franco's rise to power and his four decades as autocratic head of state in Spain.

Robespierre was one of the most powerful and the most feared leaders of the French Revolution. John Hardman describes the career of this ruthless political manipulator, and in the process explores the dynamics of the French revolutionary movement and the ferocious and self-destructive rivalries of its leadership.This original book gets behind the polished but chilly surface of the public persona to reveal how Robespierre came by his extraordinary power and how he used it. *Focusing on Robespierre's administration, John Hardman provides a dramatic vantage point from which to survey the main...