ePub The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race; Law; and Justice in the Reconstruction Era by Michael A. Ross in History

Description

From 1789 in France to 2011 in Cairo; revolutions have shaken the world. In their pursuit of social justice; revolutionaries have taken on the assembled might of monarchies; empires; and dictatorships. They have often; though not always; sparked cataclysmic violence; and have at times won miraculous victories; though at other times suffered devastating defeat. This Very Short Introduction illuminates the revolutionaries; their strategies; their successes and failures; and the ways in which revolutions continue to dominate world events and the popular imagination. Starting with the city-states of ancient Greece and Rome; Jack Goldstone traces the development of revolutions through the Renaissance and Reformation; the Enlightenment and liberal constitutional revolutions such as in America; and their opposite--the communist revolutions of the 20th century. He shows how revolutions overturned dictators in Nicaragua and Iran and brought the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; and examines the new wave of non-violent "color" revolutions-the Philippines' Yellow Revolution; Ukraine's Orange Revolution--and the Arab Uprisings of 2011-12 that rocked the Middle East. Goldstone also sheds light on the major theories of revolution; exploring the causes of revolutionary waves; the role of revolutionary leaders; the strategies and processes of revolutionary change; and the intersection between revolutions and shifting patterns of global power. Finally; the author examines the reasons for diverse revolutionary outcomes; from democracy to civil war and authoritarian rule; and the likely future of revolution in years to come.About the Series:Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology; Politics to Classics; Literary Theory to History; and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions; each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question; demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually; the series will encompass every major academic discipline; offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing; whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader; the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.