Theories of Revolutions Flashcards
Do Revolutions actually exist?
History only happens ONCE - the events in America, France,China are all uniquely individual –>is there any underlining structure?
Revolution is a BUZZ WORD –> we must identify what is being described
Crane Brinton Argued…
if you can figure out the stages of a revolution, you could discover its beginnings
Stages of revolution according to Crane Brinton
Preliminary stage
-class antagonism
-tensions within society
First stage
-financial breakdown
-food shortages
Crisis stage
-moderates driven from power
-reformists are replaced by extremists
-often followed by international war
Recovery phase
-dictatorship (military or political) –> repression
Problems with Brintons Stages
overemphasizes the similarities but in turn does not focus on the dissimilarities
the french revolution is his model: looks at other revolutions through the eyes of the french revolution
he assumed England, China, Russia, experienced the same ‘thing’
Charles Tilly said…
“Not all revolutionary situations/strugg;es result in a revolutionary outcome”
Problems of defining ‘Revolution’
-historical events of their time, therefore unique
-‘revolution’ too often is used loosely to describe ‘big change’
-we should be wary of making complex events and histories fit into narrow definitions
different Revolutions
France –> French society structure completely altered
America –> structure of society was unchanged
how can these two events receive the same word?
Herbert Butterfield argued…
we use the term to celebrate momentous movements to underpin the legitimacy of the state in present?