Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics
Why do some revolutions fail and succumb to counterrevolutions, whereas others go on to establish durable rule? My recently published book with Cambridge University Press is one of the first systematic studies of counterrevolution. A counterrevolution is an effort by members of the ancien régime to reverse a revolution and restore themselves in power. The book explains both why counterrevolutions emerge and why they succeed, marshalling original data on counterrevolutions worldwide since 1900 and new evidence from the reversal of Egypt's 2011 revolution.
The book forwards a movement-centric argument that emphasizes the strategies revolutionary leaders embrace both during their opposition campaigns and after they seize power. Movements that wage violent resistance and espouse radical ideologies establish regimes that are very difficult to overthrow. By contrast, democratic revolutions like Egypt's are more vulnerable, though the book also identifies a path by which they too can avoid counterrevolution. By preserving their elite coalitions and broad popular support, these movements can return to mass mobilization to thwart counter-revolutionary threats.
The book also speaks to current concerns about democratic backsliding and resurgent authoritarianism worldwide. It makes sense of one particularly violent way in which democratic experiments can be cut short. In doing so, it also sheds light on how autocrats, tyrants, and reactionaries of all stripes can cultivate mass support and rise to power.
Below you may find more information about the book, including endorsements, media coverage, upcoming talks, and links to the datasets and appendices that went into the book. If you are in the DC area please consider coming to the book launch on October 30, 2025 at 4:30PM in the Mortara Center for International Studies.
Buy the book!
CUP website **use offer code REOTY2025 for 20% discount**
Bookshop.org
Endorsements
A path-breaking book that explores the susceptibility of regimes born through popular uprising to reversal by elites from the ‘ancien regime'. Built on exemplary research including in-depth analysis of authoritarian relapse in the case of Egypt, sophisticated large-n quantitative analysis, and structured case comparison with countries such as Cuba, Hungary and Tunisia, Return of Tyranny engages with some of the liveliest debates in political science today. Elegantly written and logically constructed, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the dynamics of regime change, democratization and revolution.
— Eva Bellin, Brandeis University
Comparative politics has needed a book like this – one that directly and dedicatedly tackles the topic of counterrevolutions – for a very long time. We have not lacked such a book because comparativists fail to appreciate the importance of counterrevolutions, but because the subject is devilishly hard to conceptualize, measure, and theorize. Killian Clarke succeeds mightily at all these tasks, casting new light on ‘tyranny's return' in specific nations like Egypt and across the world.
— Dan Slater, University of Michigan
This splendid book teaches us why counterrevolutions emerge and why they succeed. Grounded in an original dataset, a detailed study of Egypt, plus comparative studies of six other cases across three continents, it is daring in its reach but careful in its methods. Clarke's work exemplifies comparative politics at its best.
— Nancy Bermeo, University of Oxford
Much has been written about revolution, but we still know remarkably little about counter-revolution. Whether it be early 20th century Hungary, Cold War Guatemala, or contemporary Egypt, counterrevolutions have powerfully reshaped political regime trajectories. As the first major comparative study of counterrevolutions, Return of Tyranny breaks new ground. It offers a novel theory to explain why some revolutionary governments fall prey to counter-revolution and others do not. Although in retrospect counterrevolutions often seem inevitable, Clarke makes a compelling case that they can be avoided-and that the strategies pursued by revolutionary governments make an important difference. I learned much from this book. Anyone interested in political regimes should read it.
— Steven Levitsky, Harvard University
Events and Media Coverage
October 30, 2025, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Mortara Center for International Studies, Georgetown University
In conversation with Laia Balcells, Georgetown Department of Government
Other upcoming events
November 6, 2025 — Stanford University, Center for the Study of Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law — 12PM-1:15PM [event link]
November 22, 2025 — Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC — Roundtable on Counterrevolution and Reaction Since 2011 — 6PM-8PM — Westin Washington, DC Downtown, Room II-02
January 30, 2026 — University of Virginia, Department of Politics’ Seminar in Global Politics — 12:15PM-1:30PM
February 9, 2026 — University of Wisconsin, Madison, Middle East Studies Program
March 2, 2026 — University of Oxford, TE Lawrence Program on the Study of Conflict — 4PM
March 3, 2026 — London School of Economic, Middle East Centre — 6PM-7PM
March 4, 2026 — School of Oriental and African Studies, Department of Politics and International Studies
Media coverage
Data and Appendices
The book is based on multiple original datasets and empirical sources. First, it uses an original global dataset of counterrevolutions since 1900, including all instances of failed and successful counterrevolution (n = 98). Second, it draws on nearly one hundred interviews with figures who were centrally involved in Egypt’s post-2011 transition, including politicians, activists, diplomats, government officials. Third, it uses an original dataset of roughly 7,500 protest events from Egypt’s post-revolutionary transition, drawn from the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm.
The figures below provide an overview of some of these data. You may also download the cross-national dataset via the links below. There is also a link to the book’s online appendix, which includes the regression tables for all figures in the book.
Dataset of revolutionary outcomes (the main quantitative dataset used in the book) — [link to download]
Dataset of counterrevolutionary challenges (an inventory of all 98 counterrevolutionary challenges, with accompanying characteristics) — [link to download]
Qualitative dataset (brief analytical accounts of each revolution’s post-revolutionary period) — [link to download]
Codebook for cross-national datasets — [link to download]
Codebook for protest event dataset — [link to download]
Online appendix (includes regression tables for all analyses in the book) — [link to download]
Global distribution of counterrevolution, by country
Historical trends in counterrevolution, by decade
Weekly protest counts in Egypt, January 1, 2012 - July 3, 2013
Weekly protest counts in Egypt and in Cairo, January 1, 2012 - July 3, 2013