The nature of revolutions

The nature of revolutions
The meaning of revolution
key elements
- some form of change
-relatively sudden or abrupt happenings or accelerations of previously existing rates of change
-significant and far reaching effects
-enormous variations and complexities that occur from one revolution to the next
-every revolution is unique to some extent
- Aristotle "revolution was a necessary fact of political change brought about by gross inequalities in society" (Fielding)

Political revolutions-sudden violent and fundamental changes to government
-mass movements whereby all of society is inevitably involved or affected
-Are aimed at the government or ruling class and involve the transfer of political power from this group to the new revolutionary government
-involves, in addition to political change, gradual long term social change whereby all the facets of society are altered
-unauthorized or illegal
-involves the use of threat of violence
-political revolutions change the nature of society
-unsuccessful revolutions called rebellions, revolts. insurrections or uprisings
-process rather than an event
-series of interconnected events involving significant change overtime
-conclusions are not always easy to see

Characteristics of revolutions
Violence and terror 
-violence used to achieve their goals of undermining the government regime
-destroying opposing forces and striking fear and hence compliance into the civilian population
-acts of violence: assassination, murder sabotage, destruction of property
-role of military is paramount-main source of equipment and the personnel are a source of potential power
-role in defending the existing government or supporting revolutionaries
-critical to determine the outcome of revolutions
Leadership
-majority of revolutions are spontaneous and popular outbreaks that occur with very little planning and leadership
-"it would be truer to say that the revolutionaries had been created by the revolution" (William Doyle)
-middle aged, middle or lower-class, lived in urban areas because towns and cities provided better opportunity to rally large groups and the middle class lived in urban areas, male, part of the intelligentsia
Ideology
-set of ideas or beliefs that characterize a particular revolutionary movement
-used to spell out hopes and dreams of a new social of the revolutionaries to the masses
-always contains the solution to societies problems
-revolutionary ideologies have a number of important features
      -often harness mass philosophies: nationalism, liberty or patriotism
      -often used as a medium for propaganda
      -parts of them are often directed towards morals and emotions
      -exaggeration or distortion of the truth
      -often a source for slogans and revolutionary symbols
      -source of social control-way of manipulating masses
Organisation 
-essential link between ideologies, leadership and action
-ability of revolutionaries to harness the energies of the people is dependent on their capacity to organize themselves into effective agents of change
-three main forms of organisations
      political organisation:political dubs, society and associations- usually small and elitist in structure and are                                        often dominated by 'professional' revolutionaries, lightly controlled and highly                                                disciplined, single minded in their determination to achieve their goal
     military organisation: fought the battles, sometimes large but mostly small forces playing guerrilla tactics
     popular organisation: spontaneous social groups thrown up by the revolution-the peoples response

Models of revolutions

Pattern in revolutions

‘…revolution too was a ‘species’ of social life, with its own particular features of form and substance. Since all revolutions had similar causes and were composed of similar elements, their courses were bound to follow a basically uniform pattern’ (K.Kumar)

Hegel(Germany 12^th century) revoltutions commencing wi the liberty or freedom as its aim but ending in suppression and the annihilation of ideals,the revolution ‘devouring its children’

The cause of revolutions 

 •preconditions:

•- economic-->downturn in economic activity

•-psychological-->alienation from socio-political system, discontent

•-political-->colonsiation and imperialism, corruption and inefficiancy, divinsion in ruling class

•-social--> povery, class struggle

•Precipants:

•-historical  accidents--> death by natural causes

•-special operations-->terrorist activity, guerilla warfare

•-specific events-->war, invasion , mutiny, general strife

•REVOLUTION