The Anatomy of Revolution

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The Anatomy of Revolution

• A Brightman Splashcast Exclusive

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Revolution

• A drastic, sudden substitution of one group in
  charge of a territorial political entity by
  another group hitherto not running that
  government
• (Crane Brinton,The Anatomy of Revolution, p. 4)

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Moderate Phase

• New government tries to make political reforms
  moderate faction
• Rival factions criticize government from both
  sides
• Conservatives want to limit change
• Radicals want to maximize change
• Radicals slowly gain power

4
Radical Phase

• Radicals gain power because they have more
  discipline, ambition and support from the
  population at-large
• Introduces great changes in political and social
  organization
• Results in widespread protest and reaction

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Phase of Terror

• Radical control leads to mass protest and violent
  responses
• Radical leaders resort to violence, fear,
  military rule and any other means necessary to
  maintain order
• The behavior of the radicals does not match the
  ideals they proclaimed when they took power

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Thermidor Phase

• A military leader restores order
• Radicals are imprisoned or executed
• Moderates reclaim government control
• Politics focus on economic and social stability
  instead of political reform
• Population trades one form of authoritarian
  government for another

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Does your revolution look like this?

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  to this Splashcast.