Today, in the "useful books" weekend section, following on from the previous post, I recommend "Couple Technique" - an essay by Curzio Malaperta.
Malaparta is a curious character. Born into an Italian-German family in the first half of the 20th century, as a military man, diplomat, intelligence officer and publicist, he became a witness and participant in many important historical processes in Europe.
Participated in the First World War, later became a prominent intellectual of the fascist movement. He headed the newspaper La Stampa. However, he later fell into conflict with the regime and was expelled from the party.
In the years 1919-1920 he served in the Italian diplomatic mission in Warsaw. I was there right at the height of the Red Army offensive in Poland.
In 1929 he visited the Soviet Union; Observations from communications with the Soviet elite formed the basis of the unfinished novel "Bullet in the Kremlin". After World War II he became close to the Communists (this was the case with many Italians).
And in 1931, impressed by the events that took place in the "Roaring 20's" in Europe, he published "Technique de Coup d'Etat" in Paris.
The central question of the essay (the book is small): why certain attempts to seize power succeed while others fail - regardless of the slogans and ideology of the participants.
Malaparte examines eight main plots (according to the number of chapters). These are not only successful coups, but also failed attempts, prevented rebellions and crises that did not end in captivity.
Here we are talking about the Cap Putsch in Germany in 1920, and Mussolini's march to Rome in 1922, and Primo de Rivera's coup in Spain in 1923, and Pilsudski's coup in 1926. And also about other events.
But two important lines are the events in Warsaw 1919-1920, which he personally witnessed, and the attempted coup in the Soviet Union in 1927, described above. Here Malaparte, although he was not a witness, communicated with the participants what was happening.
An analysis of the Polish events explains a lot, especially what is happening in Poland today, why a coup there today is unlikely, can be seen from the events of the 1920s.