Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-12
COUP D. ETAT:, The Technique of Revolution
BY Curzio Malaparte Translated by Sylvia
Saunders New York: E. P. Dutton and Co

Saunders New YORK: E. p Dutton and Co.
Asst week. revolution in Chic set up
new provisional president, Carlos Davia,
who Immediately declared for social
istic state. Such sudden political over
turning has ringed South America
around from Chile to Argentina. 1t
has thrust nor,hward into Central America and
Mexico. Not long since SPAIN stronghold Of
sovereign rue, repudiated kingShip. Mussolini
and italy recent and conspicuous example
Of the same sudden form of upheaval Almost,
it seems, the coup d etat is of the Latin genius
for revolutionary change. Yet, in 1917, Slavic
Russia under Lenin and .Trotsky destroyed the
dynasty of czars and imposed commonwealth
of socialism. Today. the Teuton is facing
possible dictatorship under Hitler
1t appears, therefore. that strong states and
conservative, no. less than weak ones are subject
to conspiracy and a successful coup d etat
against their political integrity. against even
their long governmental security. Provided The
conditions exist ripened and ready, provided
a leader is at hand adept in the technique of
political overturning, even the strongest state
may succumb. BaSically, these ripening con-
ditions may not be wholly political, nor social,
nor economic. nor all of them together, at
bottom it is the everlasting impulse toward
democracy that drives the mass forward toward
the inherent CAPABILITIES Of mankind itself as
whole. Upon this fundamental and universal
possession of man. at whatever elementary or
advanced stage it may have reached is traced
the rise and fall of institutions political, eco
ncmic, social
In this study the author analyses the coup
d. etat as the instrument of revolution, setting
out its special technique and applying this to
the numerous cases in point supplied by a
current period wherein revolution is prime
preoccupation. Russia, Poland, Spain, Italy and
Germany provide immediate examples of the
successes and failures of this instrument OF
modern revolution the coup d. etat with defn-
lite finger print upon the exact point of weak
ness here or there. The coup d etat OF Bona
parte is cited and analysed as the first modern
usage of this special war means. The expert.
and arresting, study closes with discussion
of Hitler and Hitlerism A caustic and dis
crediting survey of this man and his measures
The object of this specialized and technical
study is tic snow that the problem of the
conquest and defense of the state is not a
political one that it is technical problem
that the art of state-defense is guided by the
same principles that guide the art of its
quest, and that circumstances favorable to
coup d etat are not necessarily of a political
and social order and do not depend the
general condition Of the country This may
cause some anxiety among the most stable and
best-policed countries. 1T is this anxiety
natural in a lover of freedom which gave birth
to my desire to show how a modern state can
be overthrow and how it can be defended"
Not of interest to military students alone nor
to armies of defense But, at this juncture
in world affairs, book for much wider reading
and for more general bordering.
VOICES FROM THE DUST. BY Jeffrey Farnol.
author of The Broad Highway etc. Illus
trations by Henry PITT. Boston: Little,
Brown & Co.
CINCE THE Broad Highway and its score o.
of lovers charmed over his secret and beautiful
understandings with nature. shade envious
too. since one would so like to take at first
hand that which here he must have at second
However, that is churl's thought. Let's get
with the pleasure offered by voices From
the Dust" Thirteen tales from English history.
Each compound in full of adventure
romance. beauty glamour. These. in wide
sweep, cover the whole of English story. From
Saxon and Dane from Roman invasion and
Norman conquest, the splendid pageant moves
forward to this morning of this day. Each.
therefore as you can see, sOlidly packed
budget its vast affairs contained inconceivably,
in slight compass. Yet there is no sense
of crowding, of being crowded, one moves
happily forward on the crest Of some incident.
romantic touching engrossing as to
conceal for the moment that great matters
are in the making for England And so well
knit these episodes to conceal, again,
the long lapses of time that intervene Rather
does one move if from yesterday into today,
even though high points in the long course of
English history mark the transit from peak
to peak.
Grand folks, and lowly move here in equal
favor to this big minded man. Nature, incom-
parably lovely, contributes also some of it's
cherished secrets. And, in decided helpfulness,
Henry PITT has added a pictorial pageant Of
English life that centers upon and portrays
the tides of fortune and misfortune that flowed
and ebbed between two English families.
Another Farnol gift to cherish for repeated
readings and ever-growing joy.