The course examines the role of revolution in shaping this history of the modern world. From the French and American Revolutions of the late 18^th century to the Arab Spring of this decade, we will analyze how revolutions began and the scope of political, social, economic, and cultural change wrought by these upheavals. In the process of studying and analyzing several case studies, we will interrogate the definition of revolution itself and determine its feasibility as a historical category.