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The Glory Trap offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of how political actors ranging from populist leaders to authoritarian regimes exploit collective memory to mobilize domestic support, reshape identity, and challenge international norms. Introducing the original "Memory Humiliation Mission" framework, the book examines the weaponization of history across educational systems, media platforms, monuments, and ceremonies. Through six detailed country case studies (Russia, Turkey, China, Hungary, the United States, and France) and thematic chapters on media, leadership styles, digital discourse, and civilizational diplomacy, The Glory Trap not only diagnoses the risks of nostalgic politics but also proposes concrete, evidence-based policy solutions for building an ethical memory ecosystem that strengthens democratic resilience.
List of contents
Chapter 1-Introduction.-Part I Theoretical Foundations.- Chapter 2-Conceptualizing the Glory Trap: Memory, Trauma, and Identity.- Chapter 3-Theoretical Foundations: Memory Politics and Populist Governance.-Part II Country Case Studies.- Chapter 4-Russia: Historical Mission and the Repressive Cult of Victory.- Chapter 5-Turkey: Neo-Ottomanism, Trauma, and Erased Pluralism.- Chapter 6-China: Glorious Civilization and Authoritarian Reassertion.- Chapter 7-Hungary: Turanism, National Trauma, and Memory Sovereignty.- Chapter 8-United States: Civil Religion, Racial Reckoning, and the Fractured Past.-Chapter 9-France: Civilizational Exceptionalism and Memory Conflict.-Part III Cross-Cutting Themes and Institutional Mechanisms.-Chapter 10-Media: Virtual Memory, Spectacle, and the Globalization of Glory.-Chapter 11-Digital Memory: Algorithms, Surveillance, and the Future of History.-Chapter 12-Politics of Glorious Leadership and Symbolic Governance Styles.-Part IV Global Implications and Future Pathways.-Chapter 13-The Global Glory Order: Toward a Normative Struggle over Historical Truth.-Chapter 14- Policy Implications and Paths Forward.-Chapter 15-Escaping the Glory Trap and Envisioning Democratic Memory Futures.
About the author
Lisheng Dong
is a political science professor and Pierre de Celle Award recipient. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Antwerp and has held posts in Glasgow, Tartu, and Zurich. He has published extensively, including his latest book,
China’s Path to Global Status
(Palgrave, May 2025).
Summary
The Glory Trap
offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of how political actors—ranging from populist leaders to authoritarian regimes—exploit collective memory to mobilize domestic support, reshape identity, and challenge international norms. Introducing the original
"Memory–Humiliation–Mission"
framework, the book examines the weaponization of history across educational systems, media platforms, monuments, and ceremonies. Through six detailed country case studies (Russia, Turkey, China, Hungary, the United States, and France) and thematic chapters on media, leadership styles, digital discourse, and civilizational diplomacy, The Glory Trap not only diagnoses the risks of nostalgic politics but also proposes concrete, evidence-based policy solutions for building an ethical memory ecosystem that strengthens democratic resilience.
