Demonstrates how medieval institutional tendency could be continued in certain countries in the modern era, while autocratic backlash was the pattern elsewhere. England, Sweden, the Netherlands, and North America represent the former trend. Russia, Prussia, Spain, and France illustrate the latter. These different paths, which were conditioned by military and geographic constraints, strongly affected the prospects for democracy in modern times.

Demonstrates how medieval institutional tendency could be continued in certain countries in the modern era, while autocratic backlash was the pattern elsewhere. England, Sweden, the Netherlands, and North America represent the former trend. Russia, Prussia, Spain, and France illustrate the latter. These different paths, which were conditioned by military and geographic constraints, strongly affected the prospects for democracy in modern times.