ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the development of a national revolutionary dynamic in Libya in February 2011 is due to the strong and largely unexpected involvement of locally respected intermediate actors. The ideology of the new regime was a mix of pan-Arabism, socialism and religious conservatism. While the economic results of Gaddafi's policies were generally encouraging, the political and social consequences of his rule were far less positive. An analysis of modern Libyan politics cannot be conducted without a thorough examination of the political economy of the country and particularly of the role that the abundant rent stemming from the exploitation of oil resources played in the country's political and economic trajectory. The international sanctions of the early 1990s and the concomitant decline of oil prices in the mid-1980s proved to be a critical juncture for the regime both at the economic and political levels.
