New Books in Political Science Killian Clarke, "Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Nov 21, 2025
In this insightful discussion, political scientist Killian Clarke, a Georgetown professor and author of "Return of Tyranny," dives deep into the dynamics of counterrevolutions. He reveals that half of revolutions face counterrevolutionary efforts, often led by regimes reemerging from upheaval. Using Egypt’s 2013 coup as a case study, he explains how unarmed revolutions struggle to maintain power. Clarke emphasizes the importance of elite coalitions and public support to thwart such threats, offering crucial lessons for today’s resurgent authoritarianism.
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Counterrevolution Is Uncommon
- Counterrevolutions are defined as the restoration of the ousted regime and are rarer than commonly believed.
- Of 123 successful revolutions (1900–2014), ~50% faced counterrevolution attempts and ~20% saw the old regime return.
Movement Type Predicts Counterrevolution Risk
- The type of revolutionary movement strongly predicts counterrevolution risk because old-regime capacity and perceived threat vary.
- Counterrevolutions peak after hybrid revolutions that are threatening but leave some old-regime capacity intact.
Armed Organization Secures Durability
- Whether counterrevolutions succeed depends on revolutionaries' ability to maintain leverage and institutionalize power.
- Revolutions that produce their own armed organizations resist counterrevolution far more successfully than unarmed mass uprisings.
