What makes a revolutionary age—and are we living in one now? This edition of Flash Points examines the nature of revolutions and revolutionaries past and present, from Europe’s political tumult in 1848 to the post-Soviet “color revolutions” that Russian President Vladimir Putin still fears. The essays below consider the historical upheavals that shaped today’s world and the power of revolutionary thought.—Chloe Hadavas
A protester dressed as American Revolution-era George Washington argues with police officers before being pushed out of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.Brent Stirton/Getty Images
Is This a Revolution? Or Are People Just Very Ticked Off?
FP’s Michael Hirsh reviews Fareed Zakaria’s new book which explores how much the times are a-changin’. At risk, Zakaria says, is the entire global system.
A painting by Eugene Hagnauer depicts the Burning of the Chateau d’Eau at the Palais-Royal of Paris on February 24, 1848. De Agostini Collection via Getty Images
Why Some Revolutions Fail to Make History
Europe’s tumultuous year of 1848 is often forgotten, but a new book argues that it could teach us a lot about politics today, Sheri Berman writes.
In this pool photograph distributed by Russia’s Sputnik state news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a TV interview at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12.Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
How Putin Came to Fear ‘Color Revolutions’
A new graphic novel reexamines the Russian leader’s biography—with lessons for the present, Andrew S. Weiss writes.
Foreign Policy illustration/Getty Images and Reuters photos
What the World Got Wrong About Frantz Fanon
Fanon is a global anti-colonial icon, but he could never truly embody the revolution he supported, Kevin Ochieng Okoth writes.
Paramilitary police officers march past the portrait of Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate as it undergoes renovations in Beijing on May 18, 2019. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
Mao’s Legacy Is a Dangerous Topic in China
Discussing the Cultural Revolution has become increasingly risky, Tania Branigan writes.