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In an interview, Henry Laurens revisits the concept of “the Age of Revolutions” in the Middle East, which refers to a period stretching from the 1940s until the 1970s. He likewise emphasises the historiographical misunderstandings that occurred with regard to this topic. The military, viewed as the promoter of modernity, was supposed to ensure reforms that would prevent these States from tipping over into Communism. In fact, however, the governmental systems implemented often resembled police states ( mukbabarat) in which intelligence services played a key role. If these governments can be seen as revolutionary, it is only in so far as they aimed to effect social transformation.