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The Secret Life of Dictators with Frank Dikötter | Hoover Institution

Hoover Institution

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Why do tyrants crave loyalty more than love? Why do they all end up surrounded by liars? And what happens when a dictator starts believing his own propaganda? Frank Dikötter gives a fascinating look at how modern dictatorships are built—and why they always collapse from within.

Pick up a copy of "How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century" by Frank Dikötter now: https://www.hoover.org/research/how-b...

To learn more about Andrew Roberts' podcast, Secrets of Statecraft, visit: https://www.hoover.org/publications/s...

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20 Comments

@JM-vh7oc 11 months ago

I almost didn't watch - but so glad I did. Very interesting.

@dualissyndrome8666 11 months ago

Excellent conversation. I couldn't help notice the furniture which is absolutely horrible but perfect for the topic. General secretary's office.

@mulen-x8u 11 months ago

Policy system by its nature is a very uncertain and vulnerable part of society because politician has no special knowledge, doesn’t create some goods or hasn’t any skill like businessmen, workers, farmers, teachers, priests. Politicians must serve and protect society and when they do it directly we call it democracy. But when politicians serve their private and group interests and protect only themselves we call it dictatorship. Dictatorship is a degradation of policy system.

@janpieterverhoog679 10 months ago

From Leeuwarden, Thank you dr. Dikötter.

@vich1393 11 months ago

Dikotter! A name and person to watch. His experience and insight is far above the norm.

@WagesOfDestruction 11 months ago

About the only dispute I would make is that I think we can say that Hitler did not get 50% plus of the vote, but neither did other German leaders who I think both of them would say are democratic, eg Friedrich Merz got 28.6%, Olaf Scholz got 25.7%, Angela Merkel got 35.2%, etc.

@kencusick6311 10 months ago

That’s interesting about Hitler and statues. It supports my previous thinking that Hitler is unique among dictators. All the others wanted power for themselves. They may have used an ideology and followed the course charted by it but primarily they wanted power for themselves. Hitler wanted power to accomplish a mission. One doesn’t really see him exercising power for the sake of exercising power. He wanted to exterminate the Jews. All his decisions make clearer sense if you use that criteria.

@hypnosishelps6173 10 months ago

I notice he and Kotkin don't seem to reference each other. Anyone know why? After all Kotkin styles Stalin and the ultimate dictator.

@mountainrambler7926 11 months ago

Dikotter said dictators lacked “empathy” but he probably meant they refused to offer “sympathy” or “mercy.”

@fredanklam6281 11 months ago

Power attracts the corruptible

@stQZuO 11 months ago

Haha, I like the part where Jeff Sachs name is uttered.

@Br0therHO0dClan 3 months ago

What’s the music piece at the end?

@azmike3572 11 months ago

Looked like Bob Hope in the thumbnail, on the left.

@1sweettime207 11 months ago

Very educational conversation.

@cjd123_ 10 months ago

“cult of personalitiessssssss”

@patricksullivan4329 11 months ago

"uneasy lies the head that wears the crown"--Henry IV, part 2. Of course, a big question is, How did Shakespeare know this?

@cristobalistic 10 months ago

This guy is the living example of human ingenuity and craftmanship per excellance combined. He is the proof of AI's existential limitation.

@joebeatty7961 11 months ago

The Private Life of Chairman Mao: The Memoirs of Mao's Personal Physician Dr. Li Zhisui was published by Random House in 1994. The paperback came out in 1996.

@michaelfox9013 10 months ago (edited)

The collective responsibility of say a British cabinet, can that make a minister come to believe and assert the moral imperatives of the day, anti racism, multiculturism , feminism etc, so sincerely participate in group think but never know what some of his colleagues actually believe or think ,as in dictatorships ?