Political Revolutions you should know:
- American Revolution
- French Revolution
- Latin American Revolutions
- Russian Revolutions
- Chinese Communist Revolutions
- Iranian Revolutions
American Revolution:
Causes:
Effects:
Causes:
- 13 colonies were upset about taxes and lack of representation (led to protests and demonstrations)
Effects:
- Based on Enlightenment Ideas, America Republic became symbol of freedom in Europe and Latin America.
- United States Constitution became a model for Liberal Governments
- American Revolution inspired other civilians to revolt against their goernments
*VERY IMPORTANT REVOLUTION* French Revolution:
Causes:
Effects:
Causes:
- Politically: France suffered under an Absolute Monarchy
- most people were denied basic rights, or a say in their government
- Socially: France was divides in 3 estates. The Third estate consisted of 98% of the population and they had the fewest rights, least amount of land and heaviest tax burdan.
- Economically: France face severe financial crisis due to overspending
- Bad harvests led to food shortages
Effects:
- French Revolution provided as an example to other nations
- Democratic ideas of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" spread across Europe
- Nationalist ideas spread which lead to unification of Italy and Germany
- Monarchy were less favored as a government in other countries after watching the French
Latin American Revolution:
- main cause of Latin American revolution:ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS!!
- Example of influences from American and French Revolution
- wealthy landowners were tired of Eueropean control
- all classes worked together to revolt
- gained independence from Europe but didn’t adress social class problems
Russian Revolution:
Causes:
Causes:
- Russian Czars wanted to westernize and industrialize; USED ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS
- Rigid social class system; no basic rights for peasants
- peasants (farmers/urban workers) were poor, hungry, overworked SUPPORTED LIBERAL IDEAS
- shortage of supplies from World Wars encourages people to revolt
- Bolsheviks took control of country
- led by Vladimir Lenin; communists
- based government on writing of Karl Marx
- By 1992, Lenin removed Old Russian Empire (NOW SOVIET UNION)
- improved living conditions, and involvement in World Wars
- failed to provide a government of equal rights and participation
Chinese Communist Revolution:
Causes:
Causes:
- Kuomintang or Nationalist Party led by Jiang Jieshi began war against communist party, led by Mao Zedong
- Jiang Jieshi saw Mao Zedong as a threat to his power
- Long March: Mao and 100,000 supporters were forced to retreat from Kuomintang
- Mao overthrew government in 1949
- new government: communist principles
- China changed: agricultural society to INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
- got rid of landlords/business classes
- free health care to peasants
- Women legally equal to men (wasn't achieved much)
- Chine now One-Party Dictatorship
- Like Soviet Union, China didn't fulfill promises of quality and brotherhood
Iranian Revolution:
Causes:
Effects:
Causes:
- 1953, U.S and Great Britain helped Muhammed Reza Pahlavi take control of Iran government
- Pahlavi called himself Shah, ruled as dictator
- created policies of westernization and modernization that caused problems among Islamic Fundamentalists
- 1970s, Ayatollah Khomeini (Islamic relgious leader) led opposition movement against Pahlavi
- Shah was exiled; Khomeini took control
Effects:
- Iran transformed into Islamic Republic (rejection of western ideas/cultures)
- kept traditional Islamic beliefs
- extreme hostility towards west
- supported terrorist activities against US
- After death of Khomeini (1989), moderate leaders took control
- remains Islamic Republic today but has worked for positive relations with West