This article examines the construction of two post-imperial societies comparatively by analyzing the leadership of a twentieth century Turk, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and a fifth century Christian, Augustine of Hippo. Both leaders offered credible alternative vision for their people. This article argues that both leaders provided feasible answers to a handful of basic questions that underlie any viable social order, using similar rhetorical strategies to powerfully reshape the hopes, dreams, and expectations of those they influenced.
