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Abstract: The article analyzes preconditions, characteristics, processes and outcomes of revolutions through the lens of political elite theory with the aim to study the revolutionary elites formation and development. The article states that the necessary preconditions of revolutions include a severe political crisis, the elite fragmentation and disunity and the predominance of labor force capable of launching an egalitarian revolution in preindustrial societies and an egalitarian revolution in industrial ones. The theory of revolutionary elite formation is illustrated using two revolutionary scenarios. The first scenario changes elite configuration, but leads neither to a complete transformation of elites and their behavioral models nor to the formation of revolutionary elite (England, France, Mexico). The second revolutionary scenario transforms the political elite nature and forms a new revolutionary elite (Russia, Germany, Italy). Findings suggest that revolutionary elite formation results from a combination of multiple sovereignty and an elaborate and guiding ideology.
John Higley (Fri,) studied this question.