A revolution is any fundamental change in the social or political
aspects of a state. Most revolutions are political, occurring when the citizens of a
country try to oust the existing government and replace it with a new one. Political
revolutions tend to be tumultuous, violent events. There is no clear-cut explanation
as to why people revolt, but scholars believe that some or all of the following
factors lead to revolution:
-
Injustice: Aristotle argued that the cause of revolution was
the perception of injustice. If the underclasses feel that they are being
treated unjustly, they will revolt.
-
Relative deprivation: Some scholars have argued that
revolutions occur after a period of good times has ended. The citizens begin to
expect a higher quality of life and feel cheated when they perceive a stagnation
or decline in the quality of their lives.
-
State of the government: Revolutions are more likely to
happen in countries with corrupt governments. If citizens believe in the
efficacy of their government, then revolution is unlikely. But if a regime
appears to exist solely to enrich the rulers, then revolution is more likely.
-
The military: As the strongest power in most states, the
military frequently determines whether a revolution will occur and be
successful. If the military backs the government, then revolution is unlikely. A
turning point in many revolutions occurs when soldiers decide to stop obeying
the government and decide to fight alongside the revolutionaries.
Revolutions in History
Although people have always rebelled against their rulers and governments,
the modern area witnessed many significant revolutions. Since the sixteenth
century, most revolutions have been attempts to overthrow traditional regimes in
the name of liberty. In the twentieth century alone, there were important
revolutions in Russia, China, Egypt, and parts of communist Eastern Europe, as
well as countless others in smaller countries. Revolutions, and countering
revolutions, were a driving force of foreign policy in the twentieth century.
However, three revolutions in particular have served as models for most of the
world’s revolutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:
-
American Revolution (1776–1783): Leaders of the American
Revolution overthrew British colonial rule to establish an independent
republic. These colonial leaders considered the revolution to be a necessary
evil and restricted the use of violence. Although the revolution affected
the lives of most Americans, there was little social upheaval.
-
French Revolution (1788–1799): The French Revolution
began much as the American Revolution had but quickly turned violent. Tens
of thousands of French citizens were executed during Maximilian
Robespierre’s so-called Reign of Terror. Order was restored only when
Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the government.
-
Russian Revolution (1917): Russian revolutionaries sought
both the removal of the monarchy and the complete restructuring of civil
society in accordance with Vladimir Lenin’s version of communism. The second
phase of the Russian Revolution served as the model for dozens of other
communist revolutions.
MAJOR REVOLUTIONS IN MODERN HISTORY
|
Revolution
|
Place
|
Dates
|
Major Impact
|
| English Civil War | England | 1642–1653 | Set the stage for limited monarchy, and eventually
democracy, in England |
| Glorious Revolution | England | 1688 | Permanently ended absolute monarchy in
England |
| American Revolution | United States | 1775–1783 | Created the first modern democratic
state |
| French Revolution | France | 1789–1799 | Destroyed the old French monarchy, led to the creation
of the French nation-state, and promoted nationalism around
Europe |
| Haitian Revolution | Haiti | 1804 | Created the first free black republic |
| French Revolution of 1830 | France | 1830 | Permanently ended French monarchy |
| Mexican Revolution | Mexico | 1910 | Overthrew the dictator Porfirio Díaz and created the
modern Mexican state |
| Russian Revolution | Russia | 1917 | Ended czarist rule in Russia and created the first
communist state |
| Spanish Revolution | Spain | 1936 | Turned Spain into a fascist state |
| Chinese Civil War | China | 1949 | Turned China into a communist state |
| Algerian War of Independence | Algeria | 1954–1962 | Ended French imperial control of
Algeria |
| Cuban Revolution | Cuba | 1959 | Overthrew Batista and created a communist
regime |
| Iranian Revolution | Iran | 1979 | Overthrew the shah and created an Islamic
regime |
| Nicaraguan Revolution | Nicaragua | 1979 | Overthrew the despotic regime and brought Marxist
Sandinistas to power |
| Revolutions of 1989 | Eastern Europe | 1989 | Ended Soviet and communist rule of many Eastern European
states |
Success and Failure
Revolutions are extremely difficult to achieve. For a revolution to
succeed, many people must agree that the government needs to be overthrown, and
these people must be willing to put themselves in danger and prepare for the
possibility of civil war. Moreover, revolutions usually fail. For example, in
Europe in 1848, democratic ideas and the free market spawned a series of
revolutions across the continent. Most of them failed miserably, and perhaps the
main impact of the revolutions of 1848 was the strengthening of authoritarian
rule.
