On the Receiving End

IN an important symposium published in 1985, Mr. Charles Moser took me to task in these words: “So firm an anti-Communist as Brian Crozier, who published a detailed book on insurrection as early as 1960, included a section on anti-Communist rebellions like the Hungarian revolution of 1956 simply for the sake of completeness, and not because he thought them of any theoretical importance.” True, he added in mitigation: “He may be forgiven for adopting such an attitude at the time.”

I recall these words today, and commend the symposium, published for the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation under the title Combat on Communist Territory, as a contribution of continuing validity. I have to add on the mitigation issue that when I started a systematic study of insurrections in 1958, I was interested in the phenomenon per se, in the frustration that was the common denominator of all rebel leaders, whatever their political complexion. In this context, I merely noted that insurgencies could go in either direction, Communist-inspired, or in rebellion against Communism. Hungary was only one of the examples I considered; others included Tibet and an anti-Communist uprising in what was then the Communist half of divided Vietnam.

BC

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Brian Crozier

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IN an important symposium published in 1985, Mr. Charles Moser took me to task in these words: “So firm an anti-Communist as Brian Crozier, who published a detailed book on insurrection as early as 1960, included a section on anti-Communist rebellions like the Hungarian revolution of 1956 simply for the sake of completeness, and not because he thought them of any theoretical importance.” True, he added in mitigation: “He may be forgiven for adopting such an attitude at the time.”

I recall these words today, and commend the symposium, published for the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation under the title Combat on Communist Territory, as a contribution of continuing validity. I have to add on the mitigation issue that when I started a systematic study of insurrections in 1958, I was interested in the phenomenon per se, in the frustration that was the common denominator of all rebel leaders, whatever their political complexion. In this context, I merely noted that insurgencies could go in either direction, Communist-inspired, or in rebellion against Communism. Hungary was only one of the examples I considered; others included Tibet and an anti-Communist uprising in what was then the Communist half of divided Vietnam.