This article represents a shortened and revised version of a paper presented at the Session on Revolutions of the 1973 Meetings of the American Sociological Association. For criticism, advice (not all of it heeded), intellectual stimulation and encouragement offered to the author in the long course of preparing this paper, thanks go to: Daniel Bell, Mounira Charrad, Linda Frankel, George Homans, S. M. Lipset, Gary Marx, John Mollenkopf, Barrington Moore, Jr., Bill Skocpol, Sylvia Thrupp and Kay Trimberger.

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¹¹⁹ Normally ‘class structure’ is analyzed only or mainly with reference to the mode of production of a society, but state organization and activities influence patterns of stratification as well. State influences were crucial in creating social forces that played key roles in the great historical social revolutions.