Includes bibliographical references and index.

Social movements and revolutions -- Revolutionary movements: critical factors -- Revolutions that failed -- Theories of revolution -- Are revolutions developing or occurring now? -- Summary -- References and further readings -- The Russian revolutions and Eastern Europe -- Geography and population -- The setting for revolution -- The Russian Social Democratic party -- The attempted Revolution of 1905 -- The Revolutions of 1917 -- Assessing the Bolshevik seizure of power -- The Civil War -- Leadership struggle -- The Soviet Union under Stalin -- The Russian revolution: long-term consequences -- The Soviet Union and revolution in Eastern Europe -- The solidarity movement and the roots of conflict in post-Communist party states -- The disintegration of the Soviet Union -- Economic and political trends -- Corruption -- Health and related issues -- The disintegration of Yugoslavia and the tragedy of Bosnia -- Color revolutions -- Conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008 -- Summary and analysis -- Russian revolutions: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- Revolution in China -- Geography and population -- Social and historical settings for revolution -- The development of the Republican movement -- Civil war in China -- The People's Republic of China: 1949-1990 -- The great proletarian cultural revolution: 1966-1968 -- Post-1978 reforms -- The 1989 prodemocracy demonstrations -- China's economic and political systems in the 1990s -- China's economic success relative to the former USSR -- morality and the future of the Chinese revolution -- China's progress, problems, policies, and plans for the future -- Summary and analysis -- Chinese revolution: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- The Vietnamese revolution -- Geography and population -- Early cultural and political characteristics -- French conquest -- The French impact on Vietnam -- Resistance to French rule -- The impact of World War II -- Insurrection -- The French Indochina War: 1946-1954 -- The 1954 Geneva Accords on Indochina -- U.S. involvement in Vietnam: 1954-1975 -- Aftermath and related developments -- Summary and analysis -- Vietnamese revolution: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- The Cuban revolution -- Geography and population -- Prerevolutionary political history -- Economy and social classes -- Revolution -- Revolutionary Cuba -- U.S. reactions to the revolution -- Cuba and revolution in other countries -- Cuba and Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution and the democratic shift to the left of Latin America -- Cuban economy and political system -- Summary and analysis -- Cuban Revolution: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- Revolution in Nicaragua -- Geography and population -- Nicaragua before the revolution -- The revolution -- Postrevolutionary government, changes, and conflicts -- U.S. and world reactions to the revolution -- 1989 peace agreement and 1990 election -- Nicaragua in the 1990s -- Why were Republican administrations so hostile? -- Nicaragua after the Violeta Chamorro presidency -- Daniel Ortega and the FSLN regain the presidency -- Summary and analysis -- Nicaraguan revolution: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- The Iranian revolution and Islamic fundamentalism -- Geography and population -- National culture -- The Qajar dynasty and foreign influence -- The Pahlavi dynasty -- The setting for revolution -- The revolutionary process -- Revolutionary Iran -- Iran after Khomeini -- Iran and the 1991 Gulf War -- Iran and Islamic revolution elsewhere -- Iran, Afghanistan, the war on terror, and the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq -- Developments after the election of Obama -- Summary and analysis -- Iranian revolution: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- Islamic revolutionary movements -- Historical background of Islamic fundamentalism -- Fundamentalism, millenarianism, and revolutionary potential in Shia Islam -- Contemporary revolutionary fundamentalism in Sunna Islam: Hamas, Al Qaeda, Taliban -- The war in Iraq -- Hezbollah and the war with Israel -- Summary and analysis -- Islamic revolutionary movements: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- South Africa -- Geography and population -- Dutch and British colonization -- The union of South Africa -- The apartheid state -- Changes in the apartheid system -- Opposition to apartheid -- Counterinsurgency strategies of the regime in the 1980s -- Reforming apartheid -- The dismantling of apartheid -- South Africa after apartheid -- Summary and analysis -- South Africa: chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- Revolution through democracy -- Revolution to democracy -- Revolution through democracy: the Venezuelan exception -- Revolution through democracy -- Bolivia -- Elections in other nations -- Summary and analysis -- Chronology of major events -- References and further readings -- Selected DVD, film, and videocassette documentaries -- Conclusions -- Some comparisons among the case studies -- Inadequacies in the theories of revolution -- Revolutions of the future? -- References and further readings.