The Role of External Pressures in the Success, Failure and Continuation of Revolutionary Situations in Arab Countries

This article aims to answer the question: can the factor of "external pressures" explain the difference in the success, failure, or continuity of revolutionary situations in Arab countries in 2011? The findings by studying seven Arab countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen as revolutionary cases and Algeria, Morocco, and Bahrain as non-revolutionary cases) in a historical-comparative method show that the four countries, before the ruling regime overthrow, have experienced various forms of external pressure. But the other three countries (Algeria, Morocco, and Bahrain) which, despite the many similarities with the revolutionary cases, remained immune from the forced and non-institutional transfer of power, have been spared from external pressures against the ruling regime during popular protests. Moreover, can be said that external pressure in support of the established government or the protesters is an essential and critical factor in determining the difference between failed revolutionary situations (such as what happened in Bahrain) or the continuation of the revolutionary situation in Arab countries.