To what extent do revolutionary states succeed in altering the international society of which they find themselves members, and to what extent does it succeed in ‘socializing’ them? On what basis can international order be built in a world where revolutionary states may even deny the very existence of a society of states with common interests, rules, and institutions? These are the central questions considered in this book, and the Introduction considers in more detail what the four key terms that are employed throughout the book—‘revolutionary state’, ‘world order’, ‘international society’,...

To what extent do revolutionary states succeed in altering the international society of which they find themselves members, and to what extent does it succeed in ‘socializing’ them? On what basis can international order be built in a world where revolutionary states may even deny the very existence of a society of states with common interests, rules, and institutions? These are the central questions considered in this book, and the Introduction considers in more detail what the four key terms that are employed throughout the book—‘revolutionary state’, ‘world order’, ‘international society’, and ‘socialization’—mean. It also suggests some of the implications of the book for theoretical aspects of international relations, particularly the concept of an ‘international society’.