Nonviolent revolution

Anonviolent revolutionis arevolutionconducted primarily by unarmed civilians using tactics ofcivil resistance,including various forms ofnonviolent protest,to bring about the departure of governments seen as entrenched andauthoritarianwithout the use or threat of violence.While many campaigns of civil resistance are intended for much more limited goals than revolution, generally a nonviolent revolution is characterized by simultaneous advocacy ofdemocracy,human rights,andnational independencein the country concerned.

An effective campaign of civil resistance, and even the achievement of a nonviolent revolution, may be possible in a particular case despite the government in power taking brutal measures againstprotesters.The commonly held belief that most revolutions that have happened indictatorialregimes were bloody or violent uprisings is not borne out by historical analysis. Nonviolent Revolutions came to the international forefront in the 20th century by the independence movement of India under the leadership of Gandhi with civil disobedience being the tool of nonviolent resistance. An important non-violent revolution was in Sudan in October 1964 which overthrew a military dictatorship. Later it become more successful and more common in the 1980s asCold Warpolitical allianceswhich supportedstatus quogovernance waned.

In the 1970s and 1980s, intellectuals in theSoviet Unionand otherCommunist states,and in some other countries, began to focus oncivil resistanceas the most promising means of opposing entrenched authoritarian regimes. The use of various forms of unofficial exchange of information, including bysamizdat,expanded. Two major revolutions during the 1980s strongly influencedpolitical movementsthat followed. The first was the 1986People Power Revolutionin thePhilippines,from which the term 'people power' came to be widely used, especially inHispanicandAsiannations.Three years later, theRevolutions of 1989that oustedcommunistregimes in theEastern Blocreinforced the concept (with the notable exception of the notoriously bloodyRomanian Revolution), beginning with the victory ofSolidarityinthat year's Polish legislative elections.The Revolutions of 1989 provided the template for the so-calledcolor revolutionsin mainlypost-communiststates, which tended to use acolororfloweras asymbol,somewhat in the manner of theVelvet RevolutioninCzechoslovakia.

In December 1989, inspired by the anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe, theMongolian Democratic Union(MDU) organized popular street protests and hunger strikesagainst the communist regime.In 1990, dissidents in theAzerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republicstarted civil resistance against the government, but were initially crushed by theSoviet Armed Forcesin theBlack Januarymassacre.

Recent nonviolent revolutions include theOrange Revolutionin Ukraine, which was highlighted by a series of acts ofcivil disobedience,sit-ins,andgeneral strikesorganized by the opposition movement.

Overview

See also:Nonviolent resistance

Historical examples of nonviolent resistance for significant political change go back as far as Ancient Rome.The majorityplebeianclass of Rome held general strikes andabandoned the cityto force changes in the written constitution of the Republic.

Nonviolent revolution was popularized in the 20th century by thesatyagrahaphilosophy ofMahatma Gandhi,who guided the people ofIndiatoindependencefromBritain.Despite the violence of thePartition of Indiafollowing independence, and numerous revolutionary uprisings which were not under Gandhi's control, India's independence was achieved through legal processes after a period of nationalresistancerather than through a military revolution.

According to thesocialistFourth International,Karl Marxacknowledged a theoretical possibility of "peaceful" revolutions, but the Fourth International articles also say "The development and preservation of good relations with the military forces is one of the absolute priorities of preparatory revolutionary work". Some have argued that a nonviolent revolution would require fraternisation with military forces, like in the relatively nonviolent PortugueseCarnation Revolution.

Peaceful revolution

Apeaceful revolutionor bloodless coup is an overthrow of a government that occurs without violence. If therevolutionistsrefuse to use violence, it is known as a nonviolent revolution. If the revolutionists are willing to use force, but theloyalists(government)negotiateorsurrenderto divert armed conflict, it is called abloodless war.

Peaceful revolutions that have occurred are theCarnation Revolutionof 1974 inPortugal,thePeople Power Revolutionof 1986 in thePhilippines,and thePeaceful Revolutionof 1989 inGermany.

As it relates to democracy

One theory of democracy is that its main purpose is to allow peaceful revolutions. The idea is that majorities voting in elections approximate the result of a coup. In 1962,John F. Kennedyfamously said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

George Lakey in his 1973 bookand in his 1976 "A Manifesto for Nonviolent Revolution",laid out a five-stage strategy for nonviolent revolution:

• Stage 1 – Cultural Preparation or "Conscientization": Education, training and consciousness raising of why there is a need for a nonviolent revolution and how to conduct a nonviolent revolution.
• Stage 2 – Building Organizations: As training, education and consciousness raising continues, the need to form organizations. Affinity groups or nonviolent revolutionary groups are organized to provide support, maintain nonviolent discipline, organize and train other people into similar affinity groups and networks.
• Stage 3 – Confrontation: Organized and sustained campaigns of picketing, strikes, sit-ins, marches, boycotts, die-ins, blockades to disrupt business as usual in institutions and government. By putting one's body on the line nonviolently the rising movement stops the normal gears of government and business.
• Stage 4 – Mass Non Cooperation: Similar affinity groups and networks of affinity groups around the country and world, engage in similar actions to disrupt business as usual.
• Stage 5 – Developing Parallel Institutions to take over functions and services of government and commerce. In order to create a new society without violence, oppression, environmental destruction, discrimination and one that is environmentally sustainable, nonviolent, democratic, equitable, tolerant, and fair, alternative organizations and structures including businesses must be created to provide the needed services and goods that citizens of a society need.

Gene Sharp,who influenced many in theArab Springrevolutions, has documented and described over 198 different methods of nonviolent action that nonviolent revolutionaries might use in struggle. He argues that no government or institution can rule without theconsent of the governedor oppressed as that is the source of nonviolent power.Mahatma GandhiandMartin Luther King Jr.argued this as well.

List of nonviolent revolutions by era

Decolonization

Dates	nonviolent revolution	Notes
1919	March 1st Movement	Koreain an attempt to annul theJapan-Korea Treaty of 1910and declare independence.
1930	Salt SatyagrahainIndia	an attempt to overthrowBritish colonialrule.
1942	Quit India movement	demanding immediate independence for India from British rule.

Cold War

In nations of the Warsaw Pact

Dates	nonviolent revolution	Notes
1968	ThePrague Spring	a period of political liberalization inCzechoslovakia.
1989	TheRevolutions of 1989	Even though many of these revolutions did not take place entirely in 1989, they are usually grouped together as such.
1980–1989	TheSolidaritymovement	popular resistance to communist rule, though progress is halted by the imposition ofmartial law.
1987–1989/1991	TheSinging Revolution	a cycle of singing mass demonstrations, followed by aliving chainacross theBaltic states(Estonia,Lithuania,Latvia), known as theBaltic Way.
1989	ThePeaceful Revolution	in theGerman Democratic Republicleading to thefall of the Berlin Wall
1989	TheVelvet Revolution	– the bloodless revolution inCzechoslovakialeading to the downfall of the communist government there.
1989	The bloodless revolution inBulgaria	led to the resulted in the downfall of the communist government.
1990	TheGolaniad	a protest inRomaniain April byBuchareststudents who demanded a non-communist government. The protests ended in bloodshed after an intervention of miners called in by PresidentIon Iliescu(June 1990 Mineriad).
1991	1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt	led to the effect of a revolution, was mostly non-violent.

Outside of the Warsaw Pact

Dates	nonviolent revolution	Country
1964	The October Revolution	Sudan
1952	TheEgyptian Revolution	Egypt
1969	Theal-Fateh Revolution	Libya
1973	The1973 Afghan coup d'état	Afghanistan
1974	TheCarnation Revolution	Portugal
1985	The April Intifada	Sudan
1986	ThePeople Power Revolution	Philippines
1990	TheMongolian Revolution of 1990	Mongolia

Post–Cold War period

Colour revolutions

Main article:Colour revolution

These are revolutions inpost-communistauthoritarianEurope and other new countries that were part of the formerSoviet UnionorWarsaw Pact.Each of these had massive street protests and/or followed disputed elections and led to the resignation or overthrow of leaders considered by their opponents to beauthoritarian.Almost all of them used a particular colour or a flower to be their symbol of unity.

• 2000 – TheBulldozer RevolutioninYugoslavia,which led to the overthrow ofSlobodan Milošević.These demonstrations are considered by many to be the first example of the revolutions that followed in Georgia and Ukraine; however, the Serbs adopted an approach that had already been used in parliamentary elections inSlovakiaandCroatiain 1998 and 2000, respectively, characterized by civic mobilization through get-out-the-vote campaigns and unification of the political opposition. The protesters in Serbia didn't adopt a colour or specific symbol (the most recognizable symbol of the revolution was a stylized fist), and despite the commonalities, many others refer to Georgia as the most definite beginning of the series of "colour revolutions." The demonstrations were supported by youth movementOtpor!.
• 2003 – TheRose RevolutioninGeorgia,following the disputed2003 Georgia legislative election,led to the overthrow ofEduard Shevardnadzeand his replacement byMikhail Saakashviliafternew electionswere held in March 2004. The Rose Revolution was supported by the civic resistance movement,Kmara.
• 2004 – TheOrange RevolutioninUkraine,followed the disputed second round of the2004 presidential electionand led to the annulment of the result and the repeat of the round—the leader of the oppositionViktor Yushchenkowas declared President, defeatingViktor Yanukovych.The Orange Revolution was supported byPORA.
• 2018 - TheVelvet Revolution in Armenia,which began with the nomination ofPresidentSerzh Sargsyanfor the post ofPrime Ministerand against the rulingRepublican Party of Armenia,achieved a non-violent transition of power to the opposition, which received widespread public support throughout thecountry.Inelectionsto theNational Assembly,held seven months after the resignation of the former leader,the partyof the new government won 88% of the vote. However, it is not common to refer to it as aColour Revolution,nor do its leaders use the term.

List of nonviolent revolutions by region

Middle East

The media attention given to thecolor revolutionshas inspired movements in theMiddle East,and their supporters, to adopt similar symbology.

• TheCedar RevolutioninLebanonfollowed the assassination of opposition leaderRafik Haririin 2005. Chiefly, the movement demanded the withdrawal ofSyriantroops from Lebanon, ending ade factooccupation.Unlike the revolutions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this movement did not seek to overturn disputed election results, but did cause the pro-Syrian government of Lebanon to fall.

Latin America

Drawing inspiration from thePeople Power Revolutionof 1986 in thePhilippines,as well as other succeedingcolor revolutionmovements, severalSouth Americancountries experienced what were effectively non-violent revolutions.

• Dominican Republic– "The Butterflies" or "Las Mariposas". TheMirabal sistersfought to change their government, by underground movements. Also, by rejecting sexual advances from the president himself. Three sisters were ordered to be killed by the president at the time, Rafael Trujillo, and only one survived to tell the story. There is also a movie made about their ordeal.
• Ecuador– The impeachment of PresidentLucio Gutiérrez,by the Congress of that country after days of increasing demonstrations and protests by citizens led by the citizens ofQuito,the capital. Thousands of demonstrators were present in the Plaza of Independence. Flags were waved in celebration shortly after Congress voted out Gutierrez 62–0. Airport runways were blocked by demonstrators to prevent Gutierrez from leaving the country. The former president was later given asylum byBraziland was transported out of the country on April 24. Protesters also intended to depose the Congress after accusing the body of alleged corruption as well.

Asia

• South Korea– TheJune Struggleof 1987. It led to the end of military rule in South Korea and the establishment of democracy.
• Taiwan– TheWild Lily student movementof 1990. Prior to the demonstrations, Taiwan was under one-party rule by theKuomintang.The student protesters demanded popular elections for the president and members of theNational Assembly.Previously, the National Assembly was dominated by representatives from provinces ofmainland Chinawho effectively held lifelong terms since theRepublic of Chinacould not hold elections in mainland China after the Kuomintang lost theChinese Civil War.PresidentLee Teng-hui,who was not awaishengrenfrom mainland China, supported the students' goals and institutedconstitutional reformswhich effectively transformed Taiwan into a democracy.
• ThePhilippines– TheSecond EDSA Revolutionof 2001, a four-day popular revolt that peacefully overthrew PhilippinepresidentJoseph Estradain January 2001, self-organized throughSMSmessaging.

Africa

• Sudan - TheSudanese Revolutionin 2018 was a major shift of political power in Sudan that started with protests throughout the streets on 19 December 2018 and continued with sustained civil disobedience for about eight months, during which the 11 April 2019 Sudanese coup d'état deposed President Omar al-Bashir after thirty years in power and ultimately leading to a "Political Agreement and a Draft Constitutional Declaration" legally transitioning to a civilian democracy.

See also

• Peaceful transition of power
• Social defence
• 1908 Venezuelan coup d'état
• 2007 Georgian demonstrations
• 2011 Bahraini uprising
• 2020–2021 Belarusian protests

External links

• peace news – for nonviolent revolution
• How to Start a Revolution,documentary directed byRuaridh Arrow
• Right to Nonviolence
• Nonviolent Social Change – the Bulletin of the Manchester College Peace Studies Institute- a journal on nonviolent social change
• Nonviolent Resistance, Reform, & Revolution~ Civil Rights Movement Archive (U.S.)
• 12 Lessons in Nonviolent Resistancefrom the 1989 student occupation of Beijing's Tienanmen Square (2014-06-09),Chris Hedges,Truthdig