I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School's Centre for International Security in Berlin. Since July 2023, I have been the principal investigator of the project "The Anatomy of the Authoritarian Security Apparatus" (AASAP), funded by the German Research Foundation. Previously, I was postdoc with Anita Gohdes' Professorship of International and Cyber Security and interim Professor of International Political Studies at Witten/Herdecke University, substituting for Nils-Christian Bormann.
I hold a PhD from the Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Mannheim. During my doctoral studies, I worked with Sabine Carey's Chair of International Relations, the ERC Project "Repression and the Escalation of Violence," and the Collaborative Research Center "Political Economy of Reforms."
In my research, I want to understand how authoritarian regimes work and why they fail. I am particularly interested in the organization of state repression and its effects on ordinary citizens. Check out my research to find out more about the following questions: How do dictators make their subordinates terrorize entire societies? Under what conditions do officers turn against their political leaders? Who consumes authoritarian state propaganda? Does media censorship prevent public resistance? And what happens around international sports events in authoritarian host regimes?
My work has been published in leading academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution, European Journal of International Relations, and Comparative Political Studies, among others. It has been recognized with awards such as the APSA Best Article Award (Democracy & Autocracy Section) in 2024 and the Lorenz-von-Stein Prize for the best dissertation in 2020, and it has been featured in prominent media, including The Economist and Der Spiegel.
I hold a PhD from the Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Mannheim. During my doctoral studies, I worked with Sabine Carey's Chair of International Relations, the ERC Project "Repression and the Escalation of Violence," and the Collaborative Research Center "Political Economy of Reforms."
In my research, I want to understand how authoritarian regimes work and why they fail. I am particularly interested in the organization of state repression and its effects on ordinary citizens. Check out my research to find out more about the following questions: How do dictators make their subordinates terrorize entire societies? Under what conditions do officers turn against their political leaders? Who consumes authoritarian state propaganda? Does media censorship prevent public resistance? And what happens around international sports events in authoritarian host regimes?
My work has been published in leading academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution, European Journal of International Relations, and Comparative Political Studies, among others. It has been recognized with awards such as the APSA Best Article Award (Democracy & Autocracy Section) in 2024 and the Lorenz-von-Stein Prize for the best dissertation in 2020, and it has been featured in prominent media, including The Economist and Der Spiegel.
|
|
|
Publications
Book
|
Making a Career in Dictatorship: The Secret Logic Behind Repression and Coups. Oxford University Press, forthcoming on February 13, 2026. Who loyally carries out the dictator's dirty work? And which individuals actively conspire against the leader? This book uncovers the hidden career logic of authoritarian security forces. We show how stalled promotion prospects drive some officers into the regime’s repressive units while pushing others to gamble on coups. Loyalty and betrayal, we argue, spring from the same source: career pressure inside the dictatorship’s security apparatus. Drawing on unique data covering all 14,700 Argentine army officers, we demonstrate that those facing forced retirement were far more likely than their peers to become either henchmen or plotters. We then extend this logic beyond Argentina, tracing how similar pressures shaped extreme (dis)loyalty in Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Jawara’s Gambia. Finally, a global analysis of authoritarian regimes from 1945 to 2020 reveals the systemic link between repression and coup attempts. By exposing how dictatorships turn professional dead ends into engines of violence and subversion, the book reshapes our understanding of authoritarian politics, bureaucratic compliance, sabotage, and regime survival. Pre-order now |
"An intellectual milestone."
- James A. Robinson, University of Chicago; 2024 Nobel Laureate in Economics
|
"Mundane individual concerns often drive large-scale, collective phenomena. Scharpf and Gläßel provide a masterful demonstration of this important and relatively overlooked mechanism [...]."
- Stathis N. Kalyvas, University of Oxford "This groundbreaking book [...] is sure to fascinate and inform students and observers of authoritarian politics alike." - Erica Frantz, Michigan State University "In the present era of democratic backsliding, it has become crucial to understand what motivates today's aspiring strongmen. This timely monograph does precisely that, and it does it masterfully!" - Lars-Erik Cederman, ETH Zürich |
"A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the security apparatus that undergirds authoritarianism."
- Jennifer Gandhi, Yale University "Compelling reading for anyone seeking to understand the banality of evil, or at least of evil organizations." - Jacob N. Shapiro, Princeton University "This must-read and incredibly timely book explains how the handmaidens of authoritarianism and those risking their lives to stop it through coups are driven by the same misfortune: stalling careers in the security services." - Jennifer Earl, University of Delaware |
Articles
|
2025. "Dictatorships and Western Public Relations Firms: Evidence from the United States." Security Studies (Online First) [with Adam Scharpf and Alexander Dukalskis]
|
|
|
2025. "Does Sportswashing Work? First Insights from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar." The Journal of Politics 87(1): 388-392 [with Adam Scharpf and Pearce Edwards]
|
|
|
2024. "Media Impact on Perceptions in Postwar Societies: Insights from Nepal" Conflict Management and Peace Science 42(4): 394-417 [with Sabine Carey and Katrin Paula]
|
|
|
2023. "The Political Effects of Witnessing State Atrocities: Evidence from the Nazi Death Marches." Comparative Political Studies (Online First): 1-36 [with Alexander de Juan, Felix Haaß, and Adam Scharpf]
|
|
|
2023. "International Sports Events and Repression in Autocracies: Evidence from the 1978 FIFA World Cup." American Political Science Review 117(3): 909 - 926 [with Adam Scharpf and Pearce Edwards]
|
|
|
2022. "Career Pressures and Organizational Evil: A Novel Perspective on the Study of Organized Violence." International Studies Review 24(3): 1-23 [with Adam Scharpf]
|
|
|
2022. "Divergent Perceptions of Peace in Post-conflict Societies: Insights from Sri Lanka." Journal of Conflict Resolution 66(9): 1589–1618 [with Sabine Carey and Belén González]
|
.
|
|
2020. "Sometimes Less Is More: Censorship, News Falsification, and Disapproval in 1989 East Germany." American Journal of Political Science 64(3): 682-698 [with Katrin Paula]
|
|
|
2020. "Why Underachievers Dominate Secret Police Organizations: Evidence from Autocratic Argentina." American Journal of Political Science 64(4): 791-806 [with Adam Scharpf]
|
|
|
2020. "Grist to the Mill of Subversion: Strikes and Coups in Counterinsurgencies." European Journal of International Relations 26(4): 1032-1060 [with Belén González and Adam Scharpf]
|
|
Chapters in Edited Volumes
.
|
2024. "The Authoritarian Security Apparatus: Officer Careers and the Trade-offs in Command." In Natasha Lindstaedt & Jeroen J.J. Van den Bosch (Eds.), Research Handbook on Authoritarianism (111–126). Edward Elgar Publishing [with Belén González and Adam Scharpf]
|
|
Work in progress
The Audiences of Propaganda in Autocratic Regimes: Evidence from the East German `Black Channel.'
Coup Threat? Cadillac! Evidence from Perón's Car Bribe Scheme in Argentina [with Adam Scharpf]
Military Collaboration under Occupation: Evidence from Danish Officers during Nazi Rule [with Lasse Aaskoven and Adam Scharpf]
Merch in Dictatorships.
Entertainment and Excessive Violence.
Weapons of Mass Deterrence: How Nuclear Threats Succeed [with Julian Wucherpfennig, Dino Kolonic, and Felix Lemmer]
Coup Threat? Cadillac! Evidence from Perón's Car Bribe Scheme in Argentina [with Adam Scharpf]
Military Collaboration under Occupation: Evidence from Danish Officers during Nazi Rule [with Lasse Aaskoven and Adam Scharpf]
Merch in Dictatorships.
Entertainment and Excessive Violence.
Weapons of Mass Deterrence: How Nuclear Threats Succeed [with Julian Wucherpfennig, Dino Kolonic, and Felix Lemmer]
Teaching
Seminars
2025. PhD Defense Prep Workshop
[PhD Seminar, Hertie School]
2025-2022. Centre PhD Colloquium
[PhD Seminar, Hertie School]
2023, 2022. Authoritarian Politics in International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Hertie School]
2022. Authoritarian Politics in International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Witten/Herdecke University]
2022. Contentious Politics in International Perspective
[BA Substantive Seminar, Witten/Herdecke University]
2021. Authoritarian Politics & International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Hertie School]
2020. Research Design and Practice
[PhD Methods Seminar, German Institute for Global and Area Studies Hamburg]
2020. Survey Methods and Experiments
[PhD Methods Seminar, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznán] [with Anna-Lena Hönig]
2020. State Repression
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim] [with Anna-Lena Hönig]
2019. Actors and Dynamics of Authoritarian Rule
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2019. Coercive Bureaucracies
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2017, 2016. Contentious Politics, Mobilization and Repression
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2016, 2015. Political Violence and Repression
[BA Methods Seminar, University of Mannheim]
[PhD Seminar, Hertie School]
2025-2022. Centre PhD Colloquium
[PhD Seminar, Hertie School]
2023, 2022. Authoritarian Politics in International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Hertie School]
2022. Authoritarian Politics in International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Witten/Herdecke University]
2022. Contentious Politics in International Perspective
[BA Substantive Seminar, Witten/Herdecke University]
2021. Authoritarian Politics & International Relations
[MA Substantive Seminar, Hertie School]
2020. Research Design and Practice
[PhD Methods Seminar, German Institute for Global and Area Studies Hamburg]
2020. Survey Methods and Experiments
[PhD Methods Seminar, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznán] [with Anna-Lena Hönig]
2020. State Repression
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim] [with Anna-Lena Hönig]
2019. Actors and Dynamics of Authoritarian Rule
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2019. Coercive Bureaucracies
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2017, 2016. Contentious Politics, Mobilization and Repression
[BA Substantive Seminar, University of Mannheim]
2016, 2015. Political Violence and Repression
[BA Methods Seminar, University of Mannheim]
Lectures
2022. Fundamentals of International Relations and Global Governance
[MA Lecture, Witten/Herdecke University]
2022. Introduction to International Politics
[BA Lecture, Witten/Herdecke University]
[MA Lecture, Witten/Herdecke University]
2022. Introduction to International Politics
[BA Lecture, Witten/Herdecke University]
FAQ
1. You have a very cryptic surname, what should I do?
Please calm down and call me Christian or Chris.
If you insist on formalities, my last name is pronounced ɡlɛːzl̩ (follow the link to enjoy the full listening experience. Interestingly, Gwyneth from Wales and Astrid from Sweden sound more authentic than Marlene from Germany).
FYI, the letter ß (called sharp s or backpack s) is the cornerstone of the German language and a constant companion of tens of millions of people in their everyday lives since it is a constituent part of the most important German words: Bußgeldbescheid (penalty notice), Fleiß (diligence), Kloß mit Soß (potato dumpling with sauce), Preußen (Prussia), and Scheiße (doo-doo).
For all LaTeX users, {\"a} produces "ä" and {\ss} gives "ß".
If you insist on formalities, my last name is pronounced ɡlɛːzl̩ (follow the link to enjoy the full listening experience. Interestingly, Gwyneth from Wales and Astrid from Sweden sound more authentic than Marlene from Germany).
FYI, the letter ß (called sharp s or backpack s) is the cornerstone of the German language and a constant companion of tens of millions of people in their everyday lives since it is a constituent part of the most important German words: Bußgeldbescheid (penalty notice), Fleiß (diligence), Kloß mit Soß (potato dumpling with sauce), Preußen (Prussia), and Scheiße (doo-doo).
For all LaTeX users, {\"a} produces "ä" and {\ss} gives "ß".
