James Burnham's hot war and the conservative movement.

Abstract

This thesis examines the post-World War II conservative movement, focusing on anticommunism, a major component of the movement. The main focus of the thesis is an examination of the anticommunist theory of James Burnham. It examines his life as an influential Trotskyist to his days as an important figure in the conservative movement. The thesis examines his Leftist and conservative thought, but primarily focuses on his anticommunist theory, which was developed in his books and National Review articles. Burnham's anticommunism was driven by his empirical thought and his interpretation of communism as an ideological threat. His anticommunist theory strengthened this strain in the American social and political tradition, a process that contributed to the downfall of Soviet-led global communism.