Over the years, leaders, especially in the political and religious sectors, have always been met with fierce or subtle oppositions from their followers to check, reform or put a complete end to their excesses. This art is known as a revolution. Revolutions have occurred in almost every continent of the world and are still happening as the vices of abuse of power, corruption, instability and injustice continue to plague nations around the world.
Below are some of the shocking revolutions the modern world has ever seen:
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1775 - 1783
The American Revolution was an eight-year heated war between the 13 original States of America and the Royal forces of Great Britain. With thousands of casualties, it eventually resulted in the Independence and founding of the United States and the end of the First British Empire.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1789 - 1799
Largely inspired by the American Revolution, the French citizenry, out of frustration from excessive taxation and abuse of power by the Monarchy, in 1789, took up arms against the French Nobility. This led to the overthrow of absolute monarchy on France, the capture and destruction of the Bastille and the execution of the French king, Louis XVI by guillotine.
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION 1945 - 1950
This was a revolutionary war fought by the Communist Party of China, headed by Mail Zedong, against the Nationalist Chinese government headed by Chiang Kai-shek. After 4 years of almost 2 million casualties, the triumphant Communists established the People's Republic of China in mainland China while forcing the defeated Republic or China to evacuate to Taiwan.
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION 1953 - 1959
The Cuban Revolution was another bloody scuffle between the Batista-led Cuban government and the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro, resulting in the defeat and ousting of the dictator, Fulgencio Batista and the establishment of a revolutionary government by Fidel Castro.
THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION 1979
The Iranian Revolution was a rather less violent revolution which expressed wide discontent with the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran thereby leading to the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and replaced with an Islamic Republic led by the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
THE 2020 NIGERIAN #ENDSARS PROTEST
This was a full-blown Nationwide protest against police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria. Starting out as a peaceful demonstration, the protest eventually took a violent turn after military forces opened fire at protesters in Lagos.
Also, there are a number of uprising currently ongoing in some nations around the world. Two of them are featured below:
THE 2020-2021 BELARUSIAN PROTESTS
For well over a year and two months now, the people of Belarus have been calling for the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko whose government is believed to have been married by abuse of power, police brutality, massive electoral fraud and unconstitutional arrest of opposition figures. The protests have been characterised by series of online demonstrations, road blockades, riots, civil boycotts and downtooling.
THE 2021 MYANMAR PROTESTS
After the military of Myanmar seized the government in a coup that saw the president, his ministers and members of parliament detained in February earlier this year, the people of the southeast Asian nation have so far refused to accept the legitimacy of the military government as they call for the release of their jailed leaders and a return to civil rule.
As of the moment, over two thousand deaths have been recorded with arrests nearing 5000.
At times, to bring about a desirable political change, sacrifices are made in form of revolutions and mass protests. And that is proof that humans can only be oppressed for only so long. In the end, we eventually stand up to combat oppression and highhandedness.
And yet now, look at the Chinese (CCP)... they are the ones abusing their power. Ugh I just hate how it has become a bully.