One of the most 'successful' revolutions I know of is the French Revolution and from what little I know it was a good example of what you are talking about.
Three choice quotes near each other Robespierre's Wikipedia page:
* In July he was appointed as a member of the powerful Committee of Public Safety.
* Robespierre is best known for his role during the "reign of Terror"
* Robespierre was eventually brought down by his obsession with the vision of an ideal republic and his indifference to the human costs of installing it. The Terror ended with Robespierre's arrest on 9 Thermidor and his execution on the day after.
As a rule, revolutionaries are simply not the sort of people who are best left in charge.
Three choice quotes near each other Robespierre's Wikipedia page:
* In July he was appointed as a member of the powerful Committee of Public Safety.
* Robespierre is best known for his role during the "reign of Terror"
* Robespierre was eventually brought down by his obsession with the vision of an ideal republic and his indifference to the human costs of installing it. The Terror ended with Robespierre's arrest on 9 Thermidor and his execution on the day after.
As a rule, revolutionaries are simply not the sort of people who are best left in charge.