THE ARAB REVOLUTION IN THE MAKING: THE PARADIGMATIC CASES OF EGYPT AND TUNISIA

Abstract

The two major Arab Revolutions that succeeded in overthrowing the autocratic governments
in a short span of time were the Tunisian (28 days) and the Egyptian (18 days). In spite of the
copycat effect they exerted on the other societies, these two uprisings were different in many
respects. The Tunisian Revolution ended up in a new secular constitution and the democratization process went on rather successfully. The Egyptian Revolution entailed periods of uninterrupted violence that resulted in a military coup and the end of the democratization
process. These two paradigmatic cases raise the question of the specific national contexts and
history and the way violence is tackled in each society.