Theodor Herzl a založení židovského státu

Shlomo Avineri (1933), professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is the author of a monograph dedicated to the founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl. The book is not only for those interested in the history of the State of Israel, but for all those interested in the history of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Shlomo Avineri confronts the events of this period as recorded in Theodor Herzl's diaries, that is, through his eyes, with all the false hopes, mistakes, but also with the foresight and sense of diplomatic action, with his own analysis of the social developments of the time. This included the failure of democratic institutions in France and the crisis of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the associated rise of populism, nationalism and anti-Semitism. It was Herzl who was one of the few who correctly perceived how great the danger in this trend was and how urgently the Jews needed their refuge - their own state. Avineri's style is very reader-friendly, he writes in an informative yet engaging manner, he is able to emphasize historical paradoxes, to combine a personal view with the perspective of the historical and social context and our present.

Czech edition