Comparative Study Of Revolutions Research Articles

Revolutionary: George Washington at War by Robert L. O’Connell

Reviewed by: Revolutionary: George Washington at War by Robert L. O’Connell W. Stephen McBride Revolutionary: George Washington at War. By Robert L. O’Connell. (New York: Random House, 2019. Pp. xxviii, 368. $32.00, ISBN 978-0-8129-9699-9.) In this lively and fast-paced history of George Washington and the American Revolution, author Robert L. O’Connell examines the motivations and actions of Washington, the political, social, and economic origins of the Revolution, and a politico-military history of the war itself. O’Connell suggests three main points of departure from earlier studies: First, that revolutionary fervor moved very rapidly across America and became accepted by a great majority because of the combination of radical Whig critiques of the British government, the ability of rebel leaders to quickly gain control of colonial legislatures and militias, and a wildly touted and believed “conspiracy theory” that the British were attempting to enslave white Americans (p. xvi); second, that the British effort to crush the American Revolution was doomed from the beginning and could not succeed (this conclusion is based on the widespread popular support for the Revolution and the British misunderstanding of this support); and third, that not only was George Washington’s military and political leadership vital in preserving and regenerating the Continental army, but also that his “rectitude and moderation” toward the enemy (British and Loyalists) and his rivals were the reasons the American Revolution was comparatively bloodless and led to a stable national republic rather than civil war (p. xxi). After an introduction, the book moves to “The Gentrification of George,” a chapter that presents a lively discussion of Washington’s upbringing, growing ambition, political and social climbing, frontier experience, including interaction with Native Americans, and finally French and Indian War diplomatic and military experience. This last experience, which, as colonel of the Virginia Regiment, included military administration, choosing officers, troop training, fortification design, and irregular combat tactics, proved vital to his later position as commander of the Continental army. In the third chapter, “Rage Militaire,” which covers the beginning of the Revolutionary War, O’Connell investigates his contention about the American fear of enslavement. O’Connell presents a well-documented discussion of American opinions about various British acts and taxes and the tremendous acceleration of revolutionary thinking after the British reaction to the Boston Tea Party and First Continental Congress. Americans’ actions, O’Connell effectively argues, are explained by their fear of losing liberty and therefore of being enslaved. The final four chapters investigate Washington’s leadership and British military strategies and actions during the war itself. O’Connell demonstrates that Britain’s often poorly conceived strategy, brutal tactics, and rough occupation could never lead to victory, but he does not, in my opinion, demonstrate that the British could not have won the war under a different strategy [End Page 137] and tactics. These chapters also present excellent summaries of many major battles of the war and examine Washington’s evolution as commander from amateur to professional; they show his many strengths in military strategy, logistics, and even fund-raising. These four chapters also illustrate some of Washington’s weaknesses, particularly his extreme class consciousness, his poor judgment of some officers, and his inability to understand the rank and file. Finally, these chapters present convincing data in support of O’Connell’s third argument, that Washington’s personality and leadership prevented the Revolutionary War from deteriorating into an internecine bloodbath or civil war; as O’Connell writes, one of Washington’s main tenets was “always behave better than they [the British] do” (p. xxiii). Only Washington had the status and clout, as “Generalissimo,” according to O’Connell, to accomplish this mission (p. xiii). Revolutionary: George Washington at War is well researched and wonderfully written, and it presents interesting and important research problems that are thoughtfully investigated and argued. It is an excellent example of the combination of military history and biography and should be read by all who are interested in not only the American Revolution but also political and military leadership and the comparative study of revolutions. W. Stephen McBride Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument Copyright © 2020 The Southern Historical Association

Scripting Revolution: A Historical Approach to the Comparative Study of Revolutions

Scripting Revolution: A Historical Approach to the Comparative Study of Revolutions

Revolutions Reloaded: Updating the Literature

Democratic Revolutions: Asia and Eastern Europe. By Mark R. Thompson. New York: Routledge, 2004. 192 pp., $104.95 (ISBN: 0-41530415-6). Mark Thompson's Democratic Revolutions is a much-needed update that seeks to address a variety of conceptual challenges that recent revolutions around the world have created for the comparative revolution literature. Unfortunately, the book is just a patch and not a truly significant work that helps us understand revolutions in a new way. The greatest drawback of this interesting book is that it could have been so much more. Thompson's introduction positions the book among other recent comparative studies of revolution—such as Jeff Goodwin's No Other Way Out (2001) and Misagh Parsa's States, Ideologies, and Social Revolutions (2000). However, Democratic Revolutions does not measure up to these works. The key difference between Thompson's democratic revolutions and Goodwin's peripheral revolutions or Parsa's social revolutions is that Thompson has no overarching theoretical framework. He does not give us an explanation for democratic revolutions. What Thompson does do, however, makes Democratic Revolutions an interesting addition to the revolution literature that suggests new applications of old ideas. Rather than setting out a theoretical framework, Thompson is content to make the case that democratic revolutions do exist and are valid objects of study. He defines democratic revolutions as “spontaneous popular uprisings—peaceful, urban-based, and cross-class in composition—which topple unyielding dictators to begin a transition process which leads to the consolidation of democracy” (p. 1). To highlight …

No Other Way Out: States and Revolutionary Movements, 1945–1991. By Jeff Goodwin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 428p. $60.00 cloth, $23.00 paper.

“Do we need yet another comparative study of revolutions?” (p. 5; emphasis in original), Jeff Goodwin asks in this eagerly (and long) anticipated and important new book, which is destined to influence scholars in several disciplines and fields. The answer, as this volume makes abundantly clear, is “yes,” and few will be disappointed with this well-written, accessible, and compelling volume, the most nuanced and sophisticated argument yet for the state-centered (but, pace Goodwin, not structuralist; see p. 53) approach, and worthy heir to Theda Skocpol's (1979) still paradigmatic States and Social Revolutions. But therein lies the rub: Rather than the first book of the (putative) emergent fourth generation of scholars of revolution(s), this is likely the last of the third generation. Goodwin concedes he has “largely moved beyond” (p. xvi) the perspective he articulates here, and he, along with John Foran, is one of the most likely suspects to produce the next paradigmatic statement on revolutions. This, then, would seem the third generation's crowning glory; given the long gestation period and the prolific Goodwin's many and impressive contributions to matters revolutionary, this is almost more a legend than a book.

Response to Goodwin

I want to thank Jeff Goodwin for his careful and sympathetic exposition and critique of my book, Autocracy, Modernization, and Revolution in Russia and Iran. He and I obviously have many common points of orientation on how to study social revolutions, including an impatience with overly general abstract schemes. Nonetheless, he himself sometimes faults me for not extending my analysis further than I am willing to do. Therefore, it is useful to explain why I did not do so and discuss what, in a larger sense, the comparative study of revolutions should involve. He, as opposed to bolder generalizers such as Goldstone or Tilly, will probably agree with much of what I say.

Reluctant Rebels: comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment by John Walton New York, Columbia University Press, 1984. Pp. xiii+230. $36.50. $10.00 paperback. - The People's Cause: a history of guerrillas in Africa by Basil Davidson Harlow and London, Longman, 1981. Pp. xi+210. £6.50 paperback. - Peasant Consciousness and Guerrilla War in Zimbabwe by Terence Ranger London, James Currey, 1985. Pp.

Reluctant Rebels: comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment by John Walton New York, Columbia University Press, 1984. Pp. xiii+230. 10.00 paperback. - The People's Cause: a history of guerrillas in Africa by Basil Davidson Harlow and London, Longman, 1981. Pp. xi+210. £6.50 paperback. - Peasant Consciousness and Guerrilla War in Zimbabwe by Terence Ranger London, James Currey, 1985. Pp. 400. £25.00. £9.95 paperback. - Mozambique: the revolution under fire by Joseph Hanlon London, Zed Books, 1984. Pp. xii+292. £6.95 paperback. - Volume 25 Issue 3

Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment.John Walton

<i>Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment.</i>John Walton

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:Agnew, J., Mercer, J. and Sopher, D. editors, 1984: The city in cultural context.Blowers, A. 1984: Something in the air: corporate power and the environment.Boddy, M. and Fudge, C. editors, 1984: Local socialism?Seabrook, J. 1984: The idea of neighbourhood: what local politics should be about.Clark, T.N. and Ferguson, L.C. 1983: City money. Political processes, fiscal strain and retrenchment.Sbragia, A.M. editor, 1983: The municipal money chase. The politics of local government finance.Cope, D.R., Hills, P. and James, P. editors, 1984: Energy policy and land‐use planning: an international perspective.Daunton, M.J. editor, 1984: Councillors and tenants: local authority housing in English cities̀, 1919–1939.Davies, T., Mason, C. and Davies, L. 1984: Government and local labour market policy implementation.Dawson, A.H. 1984: The land problem in the developed economy.Gore, C. 1984: Regions in question: space, development theory and regional policy.Redclift, M. 1984: Development and the environmental crisis. Red or green alternatives.Greer, A.L. and Greer, S. editors, 1983: Cities and sickness: health care in urban America.King, A. 1984: The bungalow. The production of a global culture.Leitner, H. 1983: Gastarbeiter in der städtischen Gesellschaft: Segregation, Integration und Assimilation von Arbeitsmigranten Am Beispiel jugoslawischer Gastarbeiter in Wien.O'Connor, A. 1983: The African city.O'Connor, J. 1984: Accumulation crisis.Pahl, R.E. 1984: Divisions of labour.Palen, J.J. and London, B. editors, 1984: Gentrification, displacement and neighborhood revitalization.Papadakis, E. 1984: The Green Movement in West Germany.Peil, M. and Sada, P.O. 1984: African urban society.Preteceille, E. and Terrail, J. 1985: Capitalism, consumption and needs.Rodwin, L. and Hollister, R.M. 1984: Cities of the mind: images and themes of the city in the social sciences.Schoorl, J.W., van der Linden, J.J. and Yap, K.S. editors, 1983: Between Basti dwellers and bureaucrats: lessons in squatter upgrading in Karachi.Sharpe, L.S. and Newton, K. 1984: Does politics matter? The determinants of public policy.Walton, J. 1984: Reluctant rebels. Comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment.White, P. 1984: The west European city: a social geography.ARAU 1984: Bruxelles vu par ses habitants—quinze années d'action urbaine.Wild, T. editor, 1983: Urban and rural change in West Germany.

Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment

Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment

Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment

John Walton. Reluctant Rebels: Comparative Studies of Revolution and Underdevelopment. New York: Columbia University Press. 230 pages. $27.50 cloth; $10.00 paper.

Reluctant rebels: comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment and Revolution and international politics

Journal Article Reluctant rebels: comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment and Revolution and international politics Get access Reluctant rebels: comparative studies of revolution and underdevelopment. By John Walton. New York: Columbia University Press. 1984. 230pp. Index. $36.50. Pb.: $10.00.Revolution and international politics. By Peter Calvert. London: Pinter. 1984. 222pp. Index. £15.00. Adrian Guelke Adrian Guelke 1Queen's University, Belfast Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Affairs, Volume 60, Issue 4, Autumn 1984, Pages 677–678, https://doi.org/10.2307/2620061 Published: 01 October 1984

Toward a Comparative Study of Revolutions

Revolutions have been studied for many different reasons—some involving the scholarly task of understanding the transformations of societies, and some involving the pragmatic problems of promoting or preventing revolution. However, the contributions to the study of either orientation and of the social sciences as a whole remain quite unimpressive. Analytical talent and availability of information are not in question here. On the contrary, few fields in social science have produced a comparable array of theories and findings. Some practitioners are even asking how the embarrassment of riches can be reduced: a veiled recognition that perhaps something has gone wrong.