Ch.3 Revolutionary processes, leaders, and outcomes Flashcards
What marks the beginning of a revolution?
A revolution begins when the government loses control of a portion of its population and territory to groups demanding a change in government to rectify perceived injustices.
What are the two main patterns of state breakdown during revolutions?
The two main patterns are central collapse, where the regime rapidly disintegrates, and peripheral advance, where opposition forces gradually gain control from remote areas.
What happens during the first phase of revolution, known as state breakdown?
During state breakdown, the government starts losing control over society, marked by economic problems, restive populations, and declining loyalty among officials and elites.
What is a central collapse in a revolution?
A central collapse occurs when a government, already weakened by economic and legitimacy problems, quickly falls due to mass urban demonstrations and military defections, often resulting in the ruler fleeing or being captured.
What triggers central collapse revolutions?
Central collapse revolutions may be triggered by short-term events like economic downturns, manipulated elections, military defeats, or unpopular government actions, followed by mass demonstrations.
What is the role of the military in central collapse revolutions?
In central collapse revolutions, the military’s refusal to decisively suppress protests signals the regime’s vulnerability, leading to mass defections and the regime’s downfall.
What is a peripheral advance in a revolution?
Peripheral advance occurs when opposition groups gain control of rural or remote areas and gradually build strength as the regime weakens, eventually leading to a civil war or mass protests to seize power.
What is an example of a central collapse revolution?
Examples include the French and Russian Revolutions, the Iranian Islamic Revolution, and the Arab Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
How do opposition forces grow in peripheral advance revolutions?
Opposition forces grow through guerrilla warfare, strikes, and symbolic raids, gaining support as the government becomes more unstable, eventually turning into a conventional army or mass movement.
How long does the peripheral advance process usually take?
Peripheral advance revolutions often take years, sometimes more than a decade, as opposition forces gradually gain strength and legitimacy while the government weakens.
What is the role of external powers in peripheral advance revolutions?
External powers may help arm and organize the opposition or withdraw support from the ruling regime, tipping the balance of power in favor of the opposition.
What are examples of peripheral advance revolutions?
Examples include the American Revolution, the Chinese Communist Revolution, the Cuban Revolution, and the Indian Independence Movement.
What is the difference between central collapse and peripheral advance in a revolution?
Central collapse happens quickly when the regime in the capital falls, often after mass protests and military defections. Peripheral advance is a gradual process where opposition forces build strength in remote areas before eventually taking control.
What role do economic or fiscal problems play in revolutions?
Economic or fiscal problems weaken regimes by reducing their ability to maintain support, finance the military, and manage unrest, creating conditions that favor revolutionary outbreaks.
How do demonstrations signal the start of central collapse?
Demonstrations begin in urban centers, often following short-term crises, and expand when the government’s initial attempts to suppress them fail, leading to mass protests and military inaction or defections.
Why do peripheral advance revolutions take longer to unfold?
Peripheral advance revolutions take longer because opposition forces initially control remote areas, slowly gathering strength while the regime weakens over time, often needing years to challenge the central government.
How do guerrilla warfare tactics contribute to peripheral advance revolutions?
Guerrilla warfare allows opposition forces in peripheral advance revolutions to harass government forces, gain supporters, and demonstrate the government’s inability to maintain control, eventually leading to larger military or popular movements.
What are key factors that lead to a regime’s loss of legitimacy?
Key factors include economic decline, military defeat, corruption, exclusion of elite or popular groups, and the perception of government injustice, all of which contribute to a regime losing the loyalty of its elites and population.
How does international support impact the success of revolutions?
International support can tip the balance of power in favor of the opposition by providing arms, resources, or legitimacy, while the withdrawal of foreign support from the regime can hasten its downfall.
What happens to the military during a central collapse revolution?
During a central collapse, the military may hesitate, refuse to suppress protests, or defect to the opposition, signaling the regime’s vulnerability and accelerating its downfall.
Why do revolutions often lead to civil wars or repeated upheavals?
After the old regime falls, different factions often compete for power, leading to civil wars, repeated uprisings, or counterrevolutions as groups struggle to establish new institutions and a stable government.
What are some common triggers for the beginning of a revolution?
Common triggers include manipulated elections, economic downturns, price spikes (especially of food), unpopular government policies, and military defeats, which can ignite protests and opposition movements.
How can small initial uprisings lead to large-scale revolutions?
Small uprisings in an unstable society can grow rapidly as more territory and population fall to the opposition, especially when the regime is already weakened by fiscal, economic, or legitimacy problems.
How do revolutions impact the elites of a society?
Revolutions often cause elites to defect from the regime, either because they feel alienated by government policies or because they believe siding with the opposition will serve their interests better.
What is the role of popular uprisings in the revolutionary process?
Popular uprisings fuel revolutions by mobilizing mass protests, strikes, and demonstrations, weakening the regime’s control and increasing the pressure on elites to defect or join the opposition.
What is the significance of control over the capital in a revolution?
Control over the capital is crucial in many revolutions, as it symbolizes the fall of the old regime and often leads to the establishment of a new government.
What is a “negotiated revolution”?
A negotiated revolution occurs when the regime, unable to defeat the opposition, negotiates to share power with revolutionary forces. Examples include South Africa’s anti-apartheid revolution, Poland’s Solidarity revolution, and Czechoslovakia’s “velvet” revolution.
How does a revolution typically begin, regardless of type?
Revolutions begin with mass demonstrations or local uprisings, where the opposition gains control of territory, leading to either swift regime collapse, civil war, or negotiations for power sharing.
