The Colour Revolutions in the Post-Soviet Space: Illusion and Reality of the Post-Soviet Civil Disobedience (original) (raw)

Abstract

The political events that took place at the end of 2003 in Georgia, in 2004 in Ukraine and in 2005 in Kyrgyzstan are popularly called the Rose, Orange and Tulip Revolution or collectively: the Colour Revolutions in the post-Soviet space. At first glance the term “revolution” may seem appropriate. The Colour Revolutions have resulted in the regime change in all the three states. However, from a decade-long perspective one may notice that the revolutionary changes in the political systems of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan did not actually take place. The post-revolutionary reality: the Russian-Georgian war and criminal charges against the revolutionary Georgian President Micheil Saakashvili, theinfamous ending to the political career of the revolutionary leader Victor Yushchenko just four year after the Orange Revolution and the spectacular collapse of the Victor Yanukovych regime, which led to a hybrid warfare with Russia, or Kyrgyzstan’s permanent political instability following th...

Key takeaways

sparkles

AI

  1. The Colour Revolutions did not lead to genuine systemic changes in Georgia, Ukraine, or Kyrgyzstan.
  2. Post-revolutionary elites often perpetuated the pre-existing political structures rather than democratizing them.
  3. Critics and supporters of the revolutions have both misinterpreted their nature and geopolitical implications.
  4. Civil society remains underrepresented, despite initial mass mobilization against authoritarian regimes.
  5. The long-term outcomes of the revolutions include increased political instability and disconnection from citizens.

Loading...

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

References (24)

  1. Ash T. G. [2009], Velvet Revolution: The Prospects, "New York Review of Books", December 3, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2009/dec/03/velvet-revolution-the-pros- pects (30.01.2015).
  2. Avioutskii V. [2006], Les Révolutions de velours, Armand Colin, Paris.
  3. Bodio T. [2010], Z problematyki badawczej nad teorią i metodologią transformacji, elit politycz- nych i ich liderów w WNP, in: Przywództwo, elity i transformacje w krajach WNP, vol. 1, T. Bodio (ed.), Aspra-JR, Warsaw.
  4. Bodio T. [2012], Psychologiczne uwarunkowania transformacji systemowej w Polsce, in: Społe- czeństwo i polityka. Podstawy nauk politycznych, K. A. Wojtaszczyk, W. Jakubowski (eds.), Aspra-JR, Warsaw.
  5. Bunce V., McFaul M. A., Stoner-Weiss K. [2009], The Changing Character of the Global Struggle for Democracy, in: Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Post-Communist World, V. Bunce, M. A. McFaul, K. Stoner-Weiss (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  6. Carothers T. [2002], The End of the Transition Paradigm, "Journal of Democracy", no. 13.
  7. Carothers T. [2006], The Backlash Against Democracy Promotion, "Foreign Affairs", no. 2.
  8. Eberhardt A. [2009], Rewolucja, której nie było. Bilans pięciolecia "pomarańczowej" Ukrainy, OSW, Warsaw.
  9. Grochmalski P. [2006], Kazachstan. Studium politologiczne, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwer- sytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Torun.
  10. Kara-Murza S. [2012], Narodnoe hozyaystvo SSSR, Algoritm, Moscow.
  11. Kozłowski K. [2009], Rewolucja tulipanów w Kirgistanie. Geneza, przebieg, następstwa, Elipsa, Warsaw.
  12. Kozłowski K. [2011], Iluzje rewolucji. Rewolucja Róż, rewolucja pomarańczowa, rewolucja tulipanów, Oficyna Wydawnicza SGH, Warsaw.
  13. Kozłowski K. [2012], Kolory Rewolucji, Poltekst, Warsaw.
  14. McFaul M. [2004-2005], Democracy Promotion as a World Value, "The Washington Quarterly", vol. 28, no. 1 (Winter).
  15. NED [2006], The Backlash against Democratic Assistance, National Endowment for Democracy, June 8, http://www.ned.org/docs/backlash06.pdf (30.01.2015).
  16. Nodia G. [2004], The Parliamentary and presidential elections in Georgia 2003-2004, in: In- ternational Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Election Assessment in the South Caucasus 2003-2004, http://www.idea.int/publications/ea\_caucasus/upload/Book Eng.pdf (30.01.2015).
  17. Pakulski J. [1991], Rewolucje wschodnioeuropejskie, "Kultura i Społeczeństwo", no. 3.
  18. Shevcov J. [2005], Boltijsko-Kaspijskij Majdan, "Severnyj Kovkaz", no. 30.
  19. Staniszkis J. [2005], Postkomunizm. Próba opisu, Słowo/Obraz Terytoria, Gdansk.
  20. Stępniewski T. (ed.) [2012], The New Great Game in Central Asia, Instytut Europy Środkowo- Wschodniej, Lublin.
  21. The Economist [2010], The Tasks Undone. Putinisation in Eastern Europe, "The Economist", December 16.
  22. Trzaskowski P. [2009], Gruzińska "rewolucja róż": Zachód i idea Zachodu a przemiany polityczne w Gruzji, Fundacja Studiów Międzynarodowych, Warsaw.
  23. Welt C. [2009], Georgia's Rose Revolution: From Regime Weakness to Regime Collapse, in: Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Post-Communist World, V. Bunce, M. A. McFaul, K. Stoner-Weiss (eds.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  24. WMD [2012], Defending Civil Society, World Movement for Democracy, http://www.wmd. org/documents/Defending%20Civil%20Society%20-%20English.pdf (30.01.2015).

FAQs

sparkles

AI

What were the societal responses to the Colour Revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan?add

The study reveals that while mass mobilization occurred, citizens felt abandoned by post-revolution governments, leading to widespread disillusionment and political radicalization by 2014.

Why are the Colour Revolutions seen as a reshuffle rather than systemic change?add

The analysis indicates that elite changes occurred without genuine ideological shifts; political realities remained largely unchanged, maintaining existing power structures.

How did international perceptions influence the interpretation of the Colour Revolutions?add

Observers categorized the events either as Western-inspired disruptions or spontaneous uprisings, often overlooking the complexity of local contexts and internal political dynamics.

What factors contributed to the sustained authoritarianism following the Colour Revolutions?add

The paper identifies that lack of genuine civil representation and foreign support led to the new regimes becoming authoritarian, failing to fulfill democratic promises.

How did the Colour Revolutions impact the geopolitical landscape of the region?add

Post-revolution, these events catalyzed a new phase of geopolitical rivalry, with Russia strengthening its influence in response to perceived Western encroachment.