"Tragedy and Hope" is a history of the world in the author's time, written by Carroll Quigley and published in 1966. It covers a wide range of topics from the evolution of civilizations to the political and economic events of the 20th century.
Here's a quick summary of the key themes and areas covered in the book:
- Western Civilization in its World Setting: The book begins by examining Western civilization within the context of global cultural evolution, including the diffusion of the demographic cycle.
- Economic Stages: The text outlines several stages of economic development including: manorial, commercial capitalism, industrial capitalism, financial capitalism, monopoly capitalism and the pluralist economy. It identifies financial capitalism as beginning about 1850 and ending about 1932.
- Social Change: It discusses population shifts in Europe, specifically the move from a stage of growth to one of stabilization, as well as the rise of cities and then suburbs.
- Financial Practices: The text notes that in each country, the money supply was like an inverted pyramid, with gold at the base, notes in the middle, and deposits at the top. It highlights the secrecy of bankers' activities.
- British Empire and the Commonwealth: The book details the evolution of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations, with a focus on the roles of key figures like Cecil Rhodes and the Round Table group. It examines the push for self-governance in places like India.
- World War I and the Versailles System: The text covers the causes and events of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, and the subsequent return to "normalcy". It discusses the role of the Supreme Council and the Council of Four in shaping the peace.
- Disarmament Efforts: It describes the attempts at disarmament in the interwar period, including naval conferences and the debate between direct and indirect methods.
- Economic Fluctuations: The book analyzes the economic periods from 1897 to 1947, which include reflation, inflation, stabilization, deflation, and again, reflation and inflation. It discusses the impact of the Great Depression and the failure of the 1933 World Economic Conference.
- International Socialism and the Soviet Challenge: The text examines the rise of international socialism and the Soviet Union.
- Germany from Kaiser to Hitler: The book discusses the Nazi movement as a counterrevolutionary force against internationalism, democracy and communism, and how the Nazis sought to avert dangers to their profit system.
- British Politics and Appeasement: It explores the political and social background of Britain leading up to the policy of appeasement, and how the Round Table group influenced it.
- World War II: It covers the events leading up to World War II, the war itself, and the post-war period. It examines the atomic bomb and its impact on the war and subsequent events.
- The New Era: The book also analyzes the period from 1957-1964, a time of complexity marked by simultaneous and interconnected events.
- The Pluralist Economy: The text points to the rise of a new "pluralist economy" after World War II, with planning involving both public and private sectors.
- Cold War and Nuclear Rivalry: The book details the nuclear rivalry between the US and USSR during the cold war. It also highlights the Red Scare and the persecution of people accused of being communist sympathizers.
- Establishment Power: The book discusses the establishment, particularly in the US and Britain, and how they influenced world events.
