A unique theory of what happens when leaders fear a revolution abroad will spread to their own country and how that affects international relations. When do leaders fear that a revolution elsewhere will spread to their own polities, and what are the international effects of this fear? In Revolutionary Contagion, Chad E. Nelson develops and tests a theory that explains how states react to ideological-driven revolutions that have occurred in other nations. To do this, he analyzes four key revolutionary movements over two centuries-liberalism, communism, fascism, and Islamism. He further explains that the key to understanding the response to revolutions lies in focusing on the extent to which leaders fear upheaval in their own countries. According to the theory, Nelson argues, fear of contagion is driven more by the characteristics of the host rather than the activities of the infecting agents. In other words, leaders will fear revolutionary contagion when they have significant revolutionary opposition movements that have an ideological affinity with the revolutionary state. A powerful theory of the profound effects revolutions have on international relations, this book shows why one simply cannot make sense of international politics--including patterns of alliances and wars--in certain situations without considering the fear of contagion.

About the Author
Chad E. Nelson is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Brigham Young University. His research interests include the international effects of revolutions, ideology and international politics, and the rise of great powers.

Reviews
Using historical examples, Nelson (Brigham Young Univ.) develops a theory of international relations centered on ideological conflicts between states that originate from an established state's fears that a revolutionary movement in a foreign state will spread to its borders and threaten the status quo...The book's detailed analysis of these case studies is a worthwhile contribution to the vast literature theorizing the causes of revolution, how revolution spreads, and the subsequent reaction. * Choice *
This book greatly advances our understanding of when relations among international ideological enemies are likely to be hostile. The argument is of high importance for both theory and policy, including helping to predict the likelihood of a coming ideological clash between the United States and China." -Mark L. Haas, Duquesne University, and author of Frenemies
Nelson gives us the deepest and broadest treatment yet of how fears of revolutionary contagion affect international relations. By elucidating mechanisms and examining historical cases with care, he shows how governments that fear a revolution is coming their way become hostile to the source country and find new and unexpected foreign allies to combat it. A convincing and timely book." -John Owen, University of Virginia
In this lucid and historically rich book, Nelson breaks important new ground in our understanding of how ideology shapes cooperation in international relations. By drawing attention to the conditions that give rise to leader fears of revolutionary contagion, Nelson forcefully and convincingly goes beyond standard accounts to systematically demonstrate the critical role of domestic politics in explaining how ideology affects alignment between states across history. In sum, this book is a brilliant addition to the study of international relations." -C. William Walldorf, Jr., Wake Forest University


Awards
Winner of Winner, 2023, The Robert Jervis Best International Security Book by a Non-tenured Faculty Member.



Book Information
ISBN 9780197601938
Author Chad E. Nelson
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 435g
Dimensions(mm) 154mm * 234mm * 16mm