A Pitiful Attempt at Summary & Comparison

1. A Pitiful Attempt at Summary & Comparison

2. Review: Criteria for Comparison • Geography • Character of old regime • Social scope of revolutions • Degree of violence & coercion • Private property • Religion • International & universal pretensions • Role of constitutions • Centralization & federalism

3. Geography • The US: a colonial revolution • Restricted to North America (Canada remains loyal) • Doesn’t really affect the monarchy in Britain • Westward expansion extends the revolution • Russia: affects all of the Russian Empire • Regime is overthrown, not just rejected from afar • USSR reconstructs most of old Russian Empire • Iran: revolution affects entire country • Here, too: old regime is destroyed • Borders remain the same (despite Iraqi attack)

4. Nature of Old Regime • American colonies – a constitutional monarchy • Monarchy limited by Parliament, laws & liberty • This was basis for colonists to challenge British rule • New notions popular sovereignty as result • Russia & Iran = autocracies • Both had constitutions by 1906, but not respected • In fact: unlimited, self-derived power for Tsar & Shah • Russia & Iran were both traditionalist & modernizing • Both faced challenges of “autocratic modernization” • Both regimes replaced by something very different • But authoritarianism remains strong for both

5. Social Scope of Revolutions • American revolution was not a social revolution • But: ties of dependence & patronage were broken • Am Rev = radical in 18th-century way • Russian revolution = full-scale social revolution • Liquidation & repression of bourgeoisie • Idea of the “Dictatorship of the Proletariat” • Social order fundamentally transformed by 1930s • Iran – more ambiguous • Many of wealthy westernized elite = forced to flee • But social landscape not radically transformed

6. Degree of violence • US – revolution itself = not so violent • But lengthy war (1775-83) to secure independence • Russia & Iran – extensive violence & coercion • Coercive repression of opposition in both cases • Civil war in both cases • Russia: Reds vs. Whites (1918-21) • Iran – Left vs. Islamists (1979-81) • Wars with neighboring states (Poland & Iraq) • Violence = central to consolidation of regime • Ultimately: more violence & coercion in Russia • No Iranian equivalent of Stalinist terror

7. Revolutions & Private Property • Defense of property = important for Am Rev • “Pursuit of happiness” (not property), but still… • No taxation without representation • Russian Rev = directed against private property • Socialism as absence / elimination of private property • Expropriation of bourgeoisie (Const. 1918) • Abolition of private land ownership (Const. 1918) • Iran – more ambiguous • Some Islamists influenced by Marxism • But regime does not really attack private property

8. Attitudes towards Religion • Am Rev – largely secular, but not hostile to religion • Limitations on role of religion (esp. at federal level) • But some notion of God is present • Soviet Rev – absolutely hostile to religion • Marx: religion = “opiate of the masses” • Anti-religious campaigns, confiscation, etc. • Iran – religion (Islam) is core of the revolution • True: diverse ideological coalition topples Shah • But all opposition recognizes Islam, supports Khomeini • Islamists eventually prevail over secular Left

9. Int’l & Universal Pretensions • US – idea that America will be model for others • Universalistic language (“all men,” etc.) • But no real effort to “export” revolution • Russia – 1917 as beginning of world revolution • Supposition is that revolution will spread • Marxist conception of universal stages of history • Comintern & war w/ Poland as attempts to “export” • Iran – universal implications for Muslim world • Const. refers to “a single world community” • Iranian counterattack goes into Iraq in 1982

10. Role of Constitutions • US – constitution is central • Importance of law for British political culture • Russia – instrumental view of law / constitutions • Tsar grants FL only when compelled • Soviet constitutions don’t regulate Com. Party • Constitutions as ideological instruments • Iran – similar to Russia • Shah ignores 1906 constitution almost entirely • Const. of IRI eclipsed by Khomeini’s charisma • Greater concentration of power in Faqih

11. Centralization & Federalism • US – separate colonies form the “united states” • Weak confederation under the Articles (1781) • Genuine federalism under Const. of 1787 • Powers not given to fed gov’t are left to the states • USSR – Pseudo-federalism • Russian empire as centralized (autocracy) • USSR: ethnically defined national republics (federation) • Com. Party remains highly centralized (thus “pseudo”) • Iran – resistance to federalism • Regime under Shah was highly centralized (autocracy) • Gov’t remains centralized under Khomeini (Kurds)