This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. For other meanings of the word, see revolution (disambiguation).
A revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely drastic change. This may be a change in the social or political institutions over a relatively short period of time, or a major change in its culture or economy. Some revolutions are led by the majority of the populace of a nation, others by a small band of revolutionaries. Compare rebellion.
Political revolutions are often characterised by violence, and the vast changes in power structures that result can often result in further, institutionalised, violence, as in the Russian and French revolutions (with the "Purges" and "the Terror", respectively). A political revolution is the forcible replacement of one set of rulers with another (as happened in France and Russia), while a social revolution is the fundamental change in the social structure of a society, such as the Protestant Reformation or the Renaissance. However, blurring the line between these two categories, most political revolutions have basic philosophical or social underpinnings which drive the revolution. The most common of these underpinnings in the modern world have been liberal revolutions and Marxist-Leninist revolutions. In contrast, a coup d'etat often seeks to change nothing more than the current ruler.
Some political philosophers regard revolutions as the means of achieving their goals. Most anarchists advocate social revolution as the means of breaking down the structures of government and replacing them with nonhierarchal institutions, while Marxistcommunists take revolution to be one strategy, possibly accompanied by the use of electoral politics to take over, rather than overthrow, the institution of government, their aim being to create a communist society.
Social and political revolutions are often "institutionalized" when the ideas, slogans, and personalities of the revolution continue to play a prominent role in a country's political culture, long after the revolution's end. As mentioned, Communist nations regularly institutionalize their revolutions to legitimize the actions of their governments. Some non-communist nations, like the United States, France, or Mexico also have institutionalized revolutions, and continue to celebrate the memory of their revolutionary past through holidays, artwork, songs, and other venues.
Russian Revolution -- (1917) -- The most famous and influential modern revolution, culminating in the Bolshevik seizure of power and the establishment of the USSR.
Revolution and After "Tragedies and Farces" of the French Revolution and post-revolution periods. http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/REV/
Britannia: The French Revolution From the Britannia Internet Magazine, take a look at this entry about the French Revolution by Raymond Betts. http://www.britannia.com/history/euro/1/2%5F2.html
Cornell: French Revolution Collections Online texts of the writings of Marquis de Lafayette, Comte de Maurepas, and Benoist La Forte. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/frenchrev/
The Napoleonic Revolution This lecture describes the Revolution instituted by Napoleon. Dr. Rempel of New England College provides this information at his web site on the Western Civilization. http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/napoleon.html
French Revolutionary Pamphlets Digital facsimiles of French Revolutionary pamphlet propaganda. http://humanities.uchicago.edu/homes/mark/fr_rev.html
The French Revolution Gives background on the French Revolution, including causes, principal personalities, major events, and recommended references. http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Arc/8639/
The Parisian Stage During the French Revolution A research project by professors at the University of Chicago whose goal is to list all the plays that were performed in Paris during the French Revolution. http://barkov.uchicago.edu/mark/projects/theatre/
On Political Morality This is a speech given by Maximilien Robespierre on February 1794. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1794robespierre.html
Links on the French Revolution Wide variety of annotated links from introductory to specialized sites; most are in English with a few in French. http://userwww.port.ac.uk/andressd/frlinks.htm
The Guillotine Headquarters Lavishly illustrated site dedicated to this execution machine http://www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/Pages/Guillot.html
Liberty and the French Revolution A project site for part of a degree course, offering articles about Napoleon, Revolutionary culture, Haiti, and the French social system, as well as text of documents, links, bibliography. http://www.geocities.com/revolutioninfrance/
Reflections On The Revolution In France The classical work of Edmund Burke "Reflections On The Revolution In France" about the French revolution, with notes and an easy guide index. http://www.ourcivilisation.com/burke/index.htm
The French Revolution, Jacobins and Jacobites Excerpt from a book, alleging that the French Revolution was instigated and directed by Freemasons and Masonic organizations. http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/frenchrevolution.html
The French Revolution Historical documents, essays, bibliographical information, and links. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
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