What is a revolution? In political science, a revolution is a change in political power or organization which takes place when the people or population revolt against the government that is oppressing them. The word revolution comes from the Latin word ‘revolutio’ which means ‘a turn around’. Aristotle described revolution as Complete change from one constitution to another or Modification of an existing constitution. The human race has witnessed many revolutions since its existence. Some of the famous revolutions are Industrial Revolution, American Revolution, French Revolution etc. The article List of Revolutions in the World will provide you with information on types of revolutions, current revolutions, modern revolutions and important revolutions.
List of Revolutions in the World
Different fields of studies like Political Science and Sociology have different types of revolutions mentioned. Let us take a look at them below.
Types of Revolutions
The revolutions are generally classified into political and social revolutions. Let us take a look at other types of revolutions.
According to the Marxists, the different types of revolutions are –
- Pre-capitalist
- Early bourgeois
- Bourgeois
- Bourgeois-democratic
- Early proletarian
- Socialist
According to a modern scholar of revolutions, Charles Tilly, the revolutions are –
- Coup d’état(seizure of power)
- Civil war
- Revolt
- Revolutions of 1848
According to Mark Katz, there are six types of revolutions –
- Rural revolution
- Urban revolution
- Coup d’état, e.g. Egypt, 1952
- Revolution from above. Example – Mao’s Great leap forward of 1958
- Revolution from without. Example – the allied invasions of Italy, 1944 and Germany, 1945.
- Revolution by osmosis.
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List of Modern Revolutions
Researchers state that the modern revolutions were some of the important revolutions that changed the demographic of the world. Let us take a look at some of the modern and important revolutions of the world.
- Industrial Revolution – In the period from between 1760 to 1820, United States and parts of Europe witnessed a transition to new manufacturing processes. This transition was called Industrial Revolution. The primary three industrial revolutions that transformed our modern society are – the steam engine, the age of science and mass production, and the rise of digital technology. The word Industrial Revolution was first popularly used by the English economic historian Arnold Toynbee (1852–83)
- American Revolution – The American Revolution which began in the colonial North America, was a political and ideological revolution. They defeated the British in thirteen colonies in the American Revolutionary War. They gained independence from the British Crown and called themselves United States of America.
- French Revolution – The French Revolution which began with the Estates General of 1789, was a time of fundamental societal and political change in France. It came to an end in November 1799, along with the formation of French Consulate. One of the main reasons for French Revolution was the inadequacy and regime’s failure to manage economic and social inequality.
- Haitian Revolution – The Haitian revolution is famously known as one of the most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. Slaves began the revolution in 1791 and by 1803 they had achieved success in ending not just slavery but also the French control over the colony. Toussaint l’Overture, lead the Haitian Revolution. Under his leadership, the slaves acted on rebelling against the planters. On 1st January, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines who was one of the slaves and general of the revolution, declared the nation independent and renamed it Haiti.
List of Current Revolutions around the World
Revolutions are not a thing of the past anymore. People these days are quite aware of their political rights. They cannot be fooled by a ruler who dies not have their best interests in his mind. The revolutions have been coined as protests or revolts. Let us take a look at some of the famous and influential current revolutions around the world.
Country/Place of Revolution |
Time |
Yellow Vests in France |
October/November 2018 |
Sudanese Revolution |
19 December 2018 |
Haiti Mass Protests |
7 February 2018 |
Algeria: Revolution of Smiles |
6 February 2019 |
Hong Kong Revolt |
March 2019 went mass 9 June |
Iraq: Tishreen Revolution |
1 October 2019 |
Puerto Rico: Telegram gate |
8 July 2019 |
Ecuador Protests |
3 October 2019 |
Catalonia Protests |
14 October 2019 |
Chile Protests |
14 October 2019 |
Lebanon Protests |
7-18 October 2019 |
It is very important that a person knows about their country’s revolutions and success stories. We hope this article on List of Revolutions in the World will provide you with enough and necessary information on revolutions. Check List of Vitamins and their Functions and Sources.