Ch 09 - Color revolutions: The Philippines, Eastern Europe and the USSR, and Ukraine Flashcards
What are some hallmarks of violent revolutions?
Victims hanging from lamp posts, guerrilla warfare, terror, civil wars, and international conflicts.
What are some nonviolent actions that have toppled regimes?
Marches, general strikes, occupation of public spaces, refusals to obey government orders, efforts to win over soldiers, and exposing corruption.
What conditions help nonviolent resistance succeed?
When rulers depend on support from democratic foreign powers that disapprove of violent repression and do not want to bear the cost of backing the regime.
What are the key factors that make nonviolent resistance successful?
Depriving the government of resources, causing the military to defect, building a broad coalition of opponents, and causing foreign powers to abandon or pressure the government.
hat happened in Iran with the Shah in the 1970s?
President Jimmy Carter pressured the Shah to end violent repression and allow peaceful demonstrations, which weakened the regime’s support.
How did Gandhi’s Indian Independence movement succeed?
By exploiting the British public’s repugnance at brutal treatment of peaceful protestors and the economic costs of boycotting British goods.
What conditions typically lead to the failure of nonviolent resistance?
When the military remains loyal to the government, and the government is financially strong and independent.
Can you give examples of nonviolent resistance failures?
The Green Revolution in Iran (2009), the pro-democracy revolt in Burma (1988), and the Tiananmen Square revolt in China (1989).
What are “color revolutions”?
Nonviolent revolutions characterized by the adoption of symbols, such as yellow ribbons in the Philippines and orange in Ukraine.
What factors have improved the prospects for nonviolent resistance since the mid-1980s?
Global norms requiring elections, new mass media, international networks for training in nonviolent resistance, and reduced willingness for foreign military intervention after the Cold War.
Can you name some examples of color revolutions?
The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia (1989), the Bulldozer Revolution in Serbia (2000), the Rose Revolution in Georgia (2003), the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan (2005), and the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia (2011).
Who was Ferdinand Marcos?
A brilliant lawyer who became president of the Philippines in 1965, later ruling with autocratic powers, including declaring martial law in 1972.
What did Marcos do after coming to power in 1965?
He appointed family members to high positions, enriched himself and his family, and used his power to control media and bribe Congress.
How did Marcos stay in power initially?
By using vote-buying, violence, and suspected fraud to secure reelection in 1969, and later justifying martial law to suppress opposition.
What was Marcos’s approach to dealing with opposition after declaring martial law?
He arrested political opponents, including Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, who was sentenced to death but later released for medical treatment.
What strategy did Marcos use to maintain control during the late 1970s?
He relied more on the military, rewarding loyal officers with promotions and large raises.
How did Marcos maintain popularity in the early years of martial law?
By redistributing land and disarming private armies, although mainly those of his opponents.
What caused Marcos’s popularity to fade?
Economic stagnation, increased poverty and unemployment, and the growing contrast between his lavish lifestyle and the worsening conditions of the people.
What was the role of the elites during Marcos’s rule?
Wealthy businessmen and landowners opposed Marcos’s economic takeover but lacked unity and a common strategy to challenge him.
What was the fatal mistake that led to Marcos’s downfall?
In 1983, Ninoy Aquino returned to the Philippines and was shot and killed upon stepping off the plane, sparking opposition and rifts within the military.
How did the opposition unify after Ninoy Aquino’s death?
Cardinal Jaime Sin encouraged rallying around Aquino’s widow, Corazon “Cory” Aquino. The International Fellowship of Reconciliation trained union leaders, students, and clergy in civil resistance techniques.
What role did the military play in opposing Marcos after Ninoy’s death?
Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and junior officers formed the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), which met with the opposition. Gen. Fidel Ramos also became disillusioned with the corruption in the military.
What economic impact did Marcos’s rule have in the early 1980s?
Economic growth fell to just 1.1% by late 1983, down from an average of 6.4% per year in the early 1970s. There was a debt crisis, shortages of imported goods, and inflation rose to 50%.
What actions did Marcos take in response to economic troubles in 1984?
Marcos called National Assembly elections, used bribes, dominated the media, and intimidated voters, leading his party to victory.
What happened in the February 1986 presidential election in the Philippines?
The opposition, led by Cory Aquino, was better organized, and volunteers monitored the polling. Despite this, Marcos was declared the winner, with the election result widely condemned as fraudulent.
What was Cory Aquino’s response after the election results were falsified?
She called for a civil disobedience campaign to oust Marcos, addressing a rally of two million people in Manila.