the Anatomy of revolution

BY CRANE BRINTON
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

W. W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC.
Publishers · New York

Copyright, 1938, by
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
70 Fifth Avenue, New York

First Edition

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO ALDEN AND HELEN HOAG,
WHO LISTENED TO IT ALL

CONTENTS

FOREWORD	9
Chapter I. THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REVOLUTIONS	11
I. THE NECESSITY FOR A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH, 11. II. THE BARE ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS, 16. III. THE APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO THIS STUDY, 21. IV. LIMITATIONS OF THE SUBJECT, 31.
Chapter II. THE OLD REGIMES	38
I. THE DIAGNOSIS OF PRELIMINARY SIGNS, 38. II. STRUCTURAL WEAKNESSES, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL, 39. III. THE DESERTION OF THE INTELLECTUALS, 52. IV. CLASSES AND CLASS ANTAGONISMS, 63. V. SUMMARY, 79.
Chapter III. FIRST STAGES OF REVOLUTION	82
I. THE ETERNAL FIGARO, 82. II. THE EVENTS OF THE FIRST STAGES, 85. III. SPONTANEITY OR PLANNING? 94. IV. THE ROLE OF FORCE, 105. V. THE HONEYMOON, 111.
Chapter IV. TYPES OF REVOLUTIONISTS	113
I. THE CLICHÉS, 113. II. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POSITION: RANK AND FILE, 117. III. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POSITION: LEADERS, 123. IV. CHARACTER AND DISPOSITION, 129. V. SUMMARY, 145.
Chapter V. THE RULE OF THE MODERATES	148
I. THE PROBLEM OF THE MODERATES, 148. II. EVENTS DURING THE RULE OF THE MODERATES, 151. III. DUAL SOVEREIGNTY, 161. IV. WEAKNESSES OF THE MODERATES, 166. V. THE FAILURE OF THE MODERATES, 176.
Chapter VI. THE ACCESSION OF THE EXTREMISTS	179
I. THE COUP D’ÉTAT, 179. II. ORGANIZATION OF THE EXTREMISTS, 181. III. FITNESS OF THE EXTREMISTS, 193. IV. THE MACHINERY OF DICTATORSHIP, 206.
Chapter VII. REIGNS OF TERROR AND VIRTUE	212
I. PERVASIVENESS OF THE TERROR, 212. II. THE TERROR AND THE OUTSIDER, 214. III. THE TERROR AND THE INSIDER: THE RELIGIOUS PARALLEL, 220. IV. WHAT MAKES THE TERROR? 236.
Chapter VIII. THERMIDOR	244
I. UNIVERSALITY OF THE THERMIDOREAN REACTION, 244. II. AMNESTY AND REPRESSION, 247. III. RETURN OF THE CHURCH, 255. IV. THE SEARCH FOR PLEASURE, 261. V. SUMMARY, 270.
Chapter IX. A SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF REVOLUTIONS	272
I. CHANGES IN INSTITUTIONS AND IDEAS, 272. II. SOME TENTATIVE UNIFORMITIES, 286. III. A PARADOX OF REVOLUTION, 299.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX	303
I. HISTORICAL WRITING ON THE FOUR REVOLUTIONS, 303. II. THE WISDOM OF THE AGES, 310. III. THE MARXISTS, 312. IV. THE SOCIOLOGY OF REVOLUTIONS, 315.
INDEX	321