Strategic acquiescence: revolutionary survival versus international transformation

Abstract

All revolutionaries seek to remake their domestic orders, but only some pursue transformative change beyond the state. Those revolutionaries that are transformative at home and abroad have challenged imperialism (Nicaragua 1927), exported revolution (Iran 1979) and upset international alliances (Cambodia 1975). However, there is another category of revolutionaries who want to transform international order(s), but refrain from doing so. For these revolutionaries, survival of the revolution limits their ability to effect international change. I call this disjunct between revolutionary aspirations and actions “strategic acquiescence.” Using a novel dataset of revolutionary pragmatism, this article conceptualizes, maps and typologizes the phenomenon of strategic acquiescence in the period between 1900 and 2020. Doing so not only shows the different ways in which revolutionaries have navigated the trade-off between survival and transformation, but also widens our understanding of the difficulties facing those seeking to effect radical change in world politics. Show more