Radical Revolutions Are Inevitable

Since 1789, increasing discontent for food shortage and dire living conditions in France triggered massive protests against the Old Regime. By overthrowing Louis XVI and absolute monarchy, French citizens began to march toward democracy. However, the desire for participating in political decisions became so radical that fueled by internal and external conflicts, people shifted away from the principles they drew up. To restore stability and enforce laws, the government turned more centralized. Unlike what the revolution intended initially, its ending with Napoleon’s dictatorship totally resembled what it was like before. Such turmoil throughout the revolution merely undermined democracy despite its original aim to increase the public voice in politics.

In order for a revolution to be successful, there are many components and stages that play into it. Matter of fact, George Didi-Huberman, the author of the article Uprisings argues that there are five different parts: elements, gestures, words, conflicts, and desires. Each part is unique and significant in its own way. This can be noted from analyzing different revolutions and rebellions throughout time and the outcome of them. Agreeing with Didi-Huberman, I will provide examples of each division and demonstrate how each one is necessary.

But where is the strong arm that will vigorously turn the key that is fatal to traitors? Where is the proud and immovable being, unyielding to any kind of intrigue and corruption, who will tear up the pages of the book written with the blood of the people, and turn it immediately into a death sentence against those who are starving the people?" People with factions are conspirators, traders, enemies and counter revolutionaries. These people associated with factions were executed. This is how The Reign of Terror started. "Under a constitutional régime it is more or less enough to protect individuals against abuses of government. Under a revolutionary régime the government itself is obliged to defend itself against all the factions which threaten it. Revolutionary government gives public protection to good citizens: to the enemies of the people it deals out only death...". France was forcing their people to be free, but by forcing them to be free, they really are not free (Ziegler 226 - 227, Ziegler 234).

It is human nature to search for patterns. In the stars, lines of a poem, or in Crane Brinton’s case, in history. To fight for what we believe in is natural, but history has proven that while seeking an improved quality of life, a reform stage is implemented. Once it is found that the current system cannot help the cause, radical measures are taken to overthrow one structure in favor of a more effectively organized mode of leadership. Finally, the reactionary stage addresses any unexpected consequences by stepping back and evaluating what may have gotten out of hand and prioritizing, because consequential rebellions tend to take on a force of their own. France and Russia are a couple of countries who have carried out these steps, but to really analyze the model we head to the new world. The American Revolution serves as a prime example of Crane Brinton 's Anatomy of a Revolution because it consisted of reform stage of rising expectations, revolutionary ideologies and the accompanying coalitions were crucial during the radical stage, and unexpected consequences were seen during the reactionary stage, though the revolutionaries did not shy away from their cause. It is country with rich and involved history, but it has not always been so well structured.

Whether through culturally divergent beliefs, tactics, or both, political radicals exist, by definition, on the often negative fringes of societal opinion. While the idealistic goals of most radicals are generally not fully achieved, often giving way to irrelevance in the changing course of material and societal progression or being coopted by more commonly palatable moderates, a rare yet significant few succeed, whether directly or not, in making their demands a reality. Thus, when remembering these successful radicals, it is common practice for the latter societies to patriotically or nostalgically claim them as enlightened moral crusaders, as is seen in the likes of the American revolutionaries and Martin Luther King. It is an interesting phenomenon, however, and one that causes much more nuanced reflection on the past, when a radical whose ends become the

Through history, there has been revolutions that have affected the world in many different ways. There is two kind of revolutions political revolutions ,that are changes to the government, and non political revolution, that are intellectual, economic or social changes. The non political revolutions are important because they had shaped the way we all think, act and work in the actuality. Some of those non political revolutions are the enlightenment that was a change in the way that everybody thinked; and the Industrial revolution in Europe that changed the way goods were produced.

England, France, Russia, America, and countries all across the world have housed many different rebellions in the form of riots, strikes, massacres, protests, and debates. It has been stated that there are two constants to a revolution: they begin moderate then turn radical, and no one is more conservative than a successful revolutionary. The French Revolution is the perfect archetype of this. What began as a want for a constitutional monarchy due to economic and political issues, soon turned to a ruthless massacre of nobility at the guillotine with the rise of Jacobins. With the dawning of Enlightenment, came criticisms of absolute monarchy. Along with this, the strain of finance after the American revolution led to issues of taxation and contributed to the mistreatment of the poor (ABC-CLIO). However, not all rebellions involve the shedding of blood. In England, the industrial revolution was one without bloodshed. The industrial revolution fought for new innovations to better many people’s lives. In a way, it rebelled against the old ways in order to

If the spring of popular government in time of peace is virtue, the springs of popular government in revolution are at once virtue and terror: virtue, without which terror is fatal;

As a person radicalises, they begin to develop and adopt attitudes and behaviours that seek to substantially transform the nature of society and government. These attitudes differ significantly from how most members of society view social issues and participate politically. In most instances such behaviour does not pose a danger and can even benefit the Australian

If one needs advice on how to assume power over a nation, “The Prince” and “Rules for Radicals” has the answer. Niccolo Machiavelli published “The Prince” in the year of 1532, while Saul Alinsky wrote “Rules for Radicals” in 1971. Although these books were written centuries apart, they both bear the same message: “The end justifies the means”. The purpose of this paper is to show just how much “Rules for Radicals” was influenced by “The Prince”

As the monster “saw [Frankenstein] destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness,” he knew that his plea would never be answered, and that Victor would pay for his crimes (Shelley 203). A similar situation can be seen with business and government, the first few acts of revolt by the lower classes against an overbearing upper class are cries for attention, but when that cry for attention is ignored, acts of revolt are meant as a precursor to revolution. The proletariat commit themselves to

In the event that the government turns out to be tyrannical, the people have the power and the right to overthrow it and bring appropriate changes for the good of all. However, this change has to be instituted rationally (Riley, 1990).

The freedom to openly criticise a government is completely necessary to ensure that the people and their ideals and beliefs are being fairly represented in the state. Sometimes, when it is widely believed that the government is not and will not justly represent its people, the people will start to desire a new form of government. A desire for political reform is almost always the initial step towards national self-determination. The result can be a superior system or a significant disappointment. This is blatantly evident in the French Revolution, which occurred partially because of unfair political representation in the Estates General assembly. The French monarchy at the time was not promoting positive change in areas such as war, finances, and social classes. Without change, the country could not grow and find success. The demand for change was formulated in terms of Enlightenment ideals. Therefore, the Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, experienced violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon that rapidly brought many of its principles to Western Europe and beyond. The lack of political control directly after the Revolution led to extreme social instability highlighted by the bloody Reign of Terror in which approximately 16,500 people were executed. Ultimately, the French people’s efforts to establish a fair representative government through self-determination failed as Napoleon formed France into

A people that are repressed and have a strong national identity are prone to violent and unpredictable revolutions and uprisings. We see examples of that precept in the French Revolution and the tumultuous republics that followed in the aftermath of Emperor Napoleon.

Throughout history many societies have, and will likely continue to have revolutions as we as humans strive towards a utopian society. Each and every one of these revolution follows some pattern, a pattern that most often includes a great number of civilian casualties. But what is it that pushes such revolutions forward? Why have people risked and given their lives fighting against their own leadership? Looking at both the French Revolution and the Arab Spring can help uncover the answer to these questions, as for people to willingly risk their lives, they must have been living in destitute situations. Both of these societies did indeed have many social and economic problems, as well as a poor quality of life, specifically for the bottom class, or in the case of the French Revolution, the Third Estate. It is because of these issues that the people stood up to their leaders and demanded a better life, overtaking the government in the process.