In his discussion of the general psychological causes of revolution, LeBon draws detailed illustrations of fundamental points from the French Revolution, especially the period from 1789 to 1800. LeBon's treatment of psychological causes is not confined to crowd actions or to the immediate descriptions of violent episodes in revolutions. He draws upon contemporary French clinical psychology to describe the pathological characteristics of the revolutionary leadership in France and explains many of the events of the period as a consequence of their influence.

"The Psychology of Revolution" is a book written by Gustave Le Bon. In this book, Le Bon explores the psychological and sociological factors that contribute to the occurrence of revolutions. He analyzes the motivations of individuals and groups who engage in revolutionary activities, as well as the emotions and beliefs that drive them. Le Bon argues that revolutions are not simply driven by political or economic factors, but rather by deeper psychological impulses that are rooted in the human psyche. He posits that revolutions are often driven by a collective belief in a shared cause, as well as a sense of identity and belonging to a group. Additionally, he suggests that revolutionary leaders often use manipulation and propaganda to sway the masses and mobilize them toward their cause. The book also discusses the role of crowds in revolutionary movements, and how they can be influenced and controlled by those in power. Le Bon suggests that crowds are inherently irrational and prone to violence and that they can be easily manipulated by skilled leaders who know how to appeal to their emotions and desires.

This edition brings to you Le Bon's two most celebrated works, "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind" and "The Psychology of Revolution", which made a breakthrough in what is now known as crowd psychology. Le Bon theorised about a new entity, "psychological crowd", which emerges from incorporating the assembled population not only forms a new body but also creates a collective "unconsciousness". As a group of people gather together and coalesces to form a crowd, there is a "magnetic influence given out by the crowd" that transmutes every individual's behaviour until it becomes governed by the "group mind". Gustave Le Bon was a French polymath whose areas of interest included anthropology, psychology, sociology, medicine, invention, and physics. Ignored or maligned by sections of the French academic and scientific establishment during his life due to his politically conservative and reactionary views, Le Bon was critical of democracy and socialism. Le Bon's works were influential to such disparate figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Benito Mussolini, Sigmund Freud and José Ortega y Gasset, Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin.

When renowned French sociologist GUSTAVE LE BON (1841-1931), who pioneered the field of mass psychology, took a fresh, scientific look at the subject of revolution-and in particular, the French Revolution-he stripped away legend and illusion to find the core reality. In this profound and insightful work, a replica of the 1913 edition, he explores the mob mentality of revolutionaries-religious, scientific, and political-examines the motives of their leaders, and discusses how new forms of democratic belief and practice arise from popular movements. Students of history and the human mind alike will find it a fascinating read. ALSO FROM COSIMO: Le Bon's The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind