Revolution and World Politics

Author: (English) Harry Di / Zhang Fan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book explores the impact of revolutionary movements on international relations over the past two hundred years since the French Revolution of 1789. After studying the actions and words of revolutionaries and the influence of international factors on the fate of revolutionary international movements and the revolutions themselves, the authors critically evaluate various theories that explain revolutions, which are still popular today. The authors argue that revolutionaries, driven by idealistic aspirations, aim to establish a new system different from the past "old order" to eliminate inequalities in the world. On one hand, to realize their ideals and consolidate the new system, they need to support revolutionary movements in other backward countries. On the other hand, to ensure their own survival and development, they must engage in economic and trade relations with developed countries. This leads to a certain degree of contradiction in the foreign policy of revolutionary regimes. As revolutionary fervor fades and the call for economic development grows, the focus of foreign policy shifts from pursuing ideals to emphasizing realism, no longer advocating "exporting revolution" but striving to gain the greatest benefits within the existing international political and economic landscape. The authors conclude that in the era of globalization, although the international factors conducive to large-scale revolutions have greatly diminished, radical resistance to the existing status quo is inevitable as long as humanity continues to face inequality and subjugation.