Modern Revolutions

Polish Solidarity Revolution. Sol Jae, Lucian

Question 1: What methods did the group use to express their frustrations and ultimately lead to a revolution?
It all started on 1970, when workers in Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk couldn’t afford food because of the price increase by the Communist party. So therefore the workers decided to march to the Communist party headquarters and burned the entire place. Violence struck everywhere and a lot of people were left to die. Years later the food still increased by the government which enraged the workers and sent waves of attacks. On 1978 Pope John Paul II encouraged the angry workers to force the Communist workers forced to use defensive matters. Which led into multiple strikes on 1980 during summer which forced the government to raise meat prices again. After the raise, on 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, first secretary of the Communist party, sent out military operations and arrested the solidarity leaders.Question 2: How is your revolution similar and/or different to one of the revolutions previously studied? The Polish Solidarity Revolution is similar to the French Revolution because they were both started because of the rising price of food and a government that was widely disliked.
Another similarity is that in both cases a ruling class was overthrown. The Polish Communist party was similar to the nobles and royal family in the French Revolution.
It is different because there was no large scale fighting like the storming of the Bastille like in the French Revolution. One other difference is that in the polish revolution there were outside troops that helped the government maintain its stability in the French Revolution there was no outside help when King Louie was in power.
Question 3: What was the eventual outcome of the revolution, and did the nation/people become better due to the revolution?The revolution was a success it threw out the communist government in Poland and created a new democratic government. The people became better off from the revolution because there is more individual and economic freedom. The nation became better because it changed from being a poor country to one that has a chance in developing; it is also free of being controlled by the Kremlin.
Question 4: Eventually the solidarity was recognized and the Polish government and the solidarity signed a 400-page contract getting rid of political and economic reforms.On June, 1989, the first free elections were held, and both the communist and the solidarity parties were allowed to join. Poland was a non-communist country after this, because Lech Walesa had won the election.
Question 5: Briefly state whether or not your revolution follows Crane Brinton’s stages of revolution.We see most of this in the Solidarity movement, especially symptoms and rising fever. One difference is that conflict was not too bloody as the Communist government gave in before bloodshed like that in France occurred, so over all it does fit a lot of the structure.  
Bibliography:  
Dovonan, Jeffrey. "Poland: Solidarity -- The Trade Union That Changed the World." RadioFreeEurope, Radioliberty. 24, August, 2005. 29 Jan 2008 .   "History of solidarity." Wikipedia.org. 29 Jan 2008 .   "Solidarity In Poland." Seventeen moments in Soviet history. 29 Jan 2008 http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/8b89d311-5067-4c03-9aa6-72500d1f986d.html. 
 

Bus Boycott and the Start of the US Civil Rights Movement - Stevii and Matt

This blog post is about the event that began the US Civil Rights Movement: the bus boycott. It was led by Rosa Parks, a young African-American woman who was determined to create equal rights for all citizens. It was the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement, sweeping across America and subsequently, the world.

Ø What methods did the group use to express their frustrations and ultimately lead to a revolution? Rosa Parks inspired a year-long bus boycott after refusing to give up her seat to a white man in the segregated city of Montgomery, Alabama. She was a simple seamstress, and active in the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. On her way home from work, the bus driver demanded she surrender her seat to a white man. When she refused, her arrest and subsequent fine motivated local black leaders to take action. A young pastor and emerging civil rights movement leader, Martin Luther King Jr. led the boycott. Ø How is your revolution similar and/or different to one of the revolutions previously studied? In comparing the Bus Boycott to the People Power revolution in the Philippines, there are many similarities as well as differences. For example, they both involved boycotting. The Bus Boycott obviously boycotted buses, as well as other segregated modes of transportation such as elevators and taxis. However, People Power was designed to overthrow President Marcos, whereas the Bus Boycott was simply aimed at creating equal rights for all citizens and ending segregation. Both were peaceful revolutions, although there was some violence from others. In People Power, the rebels were threatened violently by the government, whereas with the Bus Boycott, the government was more peaceful, and the violence came from individuals and small groups who were against integration. Furthermore, the violence from the Bus Boycott did not become that bad until the boycott was over. Ø What was the eventual outcome of the revolution, and did the people become better due to the revolution? The bus boycott was meant to be for only a few weeks, but ended up lasting for over a year. This dealt a serious blow to the companies involved, as African Americans constituted roughly 70% of all riders. In the end, the boycott not only succeeded to let blacks all over the nation ride buses as equals, but also spurred on the Civil Rights movement to then unheard of heights. They became closer and even more determined for racial equality because they were forced overcome the many pressures put upon them, from bombings to shootings, and still move forward. Ø Was the revolution justified? Would other methods have worked? The revolution was justified, because it was a fight for equal rights which everyone deserves. I think that a peaceful boycott worked very well, and that it was the best choice for the revolution, because if they had resorted to violence, the government would have put them in jail, and never believed them. A peaceful demonstration is respectable, as well as effective, and people are much more likely to listen to you if you have a great deal of support and aren’t tearing the country apart. It also sparked many other revolutions, such as women’s rights. These revolutions are a very big part of the world that exists today, and without them, things would be very different now. For example, the 2008 elections in the US would be extremely different. There is an African-American, as well as a women running for president, and without the bus boycott, that might not have been possible in this age. Ø Briefly state whether or not your revolution follows Brinton Crane’s stages of the Revolution?The boycott followed the first few stages, but then deviate from the rest. The middle class, or in this case, the blacks loudly expressed their anger. Previous incidents like this had stoked their flames, and Rosa Parks was just what they needed to get going. The formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association (headed by King), while not a government, pushed for changes in the current one. From here, the boycott ran its course, with the federal district court taking down the laws on bus segregation after 381 days. The revolution was stopped, as the current government agreed to change. Sources:
"Parks, Rosa." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. 17 Jan. 2008

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"Interview with Rosa Parks." Scholatic, Helping Children Around the World to Read and Learn |

Scholastic.com. 2008. Scholastic Inc.. 28 Jan 2008

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"Rosa Parks Bus - The Story Behind the Bus." The Henry Ford: America's Greatest

History Attraction. 2002. The Henry Ford. 29 Jan 2008

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*NOTE - Our podcast got compressed for some reason or another.  Check it out WITHOUT the chipmunk voices here: http://boomp3.com/m/a41f6e8c0054/bus-boycott-podcast
 

Tiananmen Square, 1989

This post is about the famous event of Tiananmen Square, 1989. This was the time when the Chinese Communist Party was still in rule; this leading to protestations of wanting democracy. Although united in their cause, the government was still able to extinguish its opposition; by simply turning non-violent riots into a massacre of innocent hundreds.

1) What methods did the group(s) use to express their frustrations and ultimately lead to a revolution?
The protesting group, which consisted of students, intellectuals and labor activists had used numerous ways in order to express their frustration with the current government (the Chinese Communist Party). In order for their views to be heard, they had camped in the square for two weeks, staging hunger strikes, erecting monuments, coming up with slogans, and daily marches. Their man slogans were ‘Law, not Authoritarianism” and “Long Live Democracy”. Their complaints had ranged from minor criticisms to the wanting of democracy. Students started to boycott classes, and held daily marches where they sang ‘The Internationale’; a world socialist anthem. Although they were cheered on by the police, the group was unable to gain an audience with government leaders; despite their gatherings in front of the Zhongnanhai, the residence of the government.
2) How is your revolution similar and/or different to one of the revolutions previously studied?
This revolution in certain ways, was similar to the People Power, American and French Revolution. One thing is sure: they had made their thoughts heard. During the People Power Revolution, the Filipinos had stayed and camped out on the streets (EDSA) for three days, and similar to the Tiananmen Square incident, the government had sent troops to disperse the enormous crowd. French women had showed up in the Palace of Versailles during the French Revolution; having a demonstration and demanding for grain. Being united for a single goal, the people had also stormed the Bastille in order to show their support for the National Assembly, which at that time were doing their best to change the old ways. And lastly, during the American Revolution, the Americans had created the famous ‘no taxation without representation’ slogan in demand of changing the Sugar and Stamp Act. The people had also started to group together and formed secret societies; this similar to the students coming together and gathering at Tiananmen Square. Threats, similar to the hunger strikes, were also issued; for the Americans this was stopping all trade with Great Britain. Finally, creating a representation for their cause was another way of expressing their demands an dissatisfaction. In Tiananmen Square, the students had created a ‘Goddess of Democracy’, while the Americans made the Declaration of Independence.
3) What was the eventual outcome of the revolution, an did the nation/people become better due to the revolution?
The outcome was that all the protestations were put down by the government as the Chinese Communist Party had decided to use hard force in order to stop all the revolts. The government had decided to send in army troops; this including tanks, soldiers and the use of weapons. Tear gas was used, and soldiers began shooting off in all directions, perhaps even wounding their own. The student revolters apparently were unarmed, despite their efforts on using vehicles to block the assault of the army. Students who tried to leave Tiananmen Square were beaten by the soldiers and people who tried to hide within the buses were dragged out. Eventually the square was cleared, and all of the leaders in the revolt were jailed. To put it simply, the revolution was unsuccessful despite how united the protesters were in their cause. After the government had stopped the demonstrations by killing all who stood in their way, fear broke out and this resulted to the breakdown of all the student organizations; causing infighting among themselves.
4) Was the revolution justified? Would other methods have worked?
The revolution was in ways justified as the students or intellectuals were concerned that the Chinese Communist Party were still in control, and despite the new reforms, they thought it was not enough. People believed that in order to change, China's political and social system would have to convert; most thought it was better to have the government change into a democracy. The event that had sparked the revolts however was the death of Hu Yaobang, who was an outspoken member of the Chinese Communist Party. Other methods would not have worked as the government had control of the military. Unless the revolutionists had their own army, they would not have been able to change the government using demonstrations to show their dissatisfaction. The revolutionists tried using other methods like negotiating with the government. They filed six appeals to the Chinese Communist Party but the results were disappointing. The government criticized them afterwards in an editorial in the people's daily paper on April 26; the revolutionists being accused of causing turmoil which lead to the situation eventually becoming worse.
5) Briefly state whether or not your revolution follows Crane Brinton’s Stages of a Revolution.
This 'mini' revolution does fit the first phase of Brinton Crane's Analogy; the Symptoms. The middle class, which would be described as the students, intellectuals, and labor activists do indeed 'loudly expresses their anger' towards the government. This 'anger' could be shown in the numerous riots, strikes, demonstrations, marches, and even monuments all held on Tiananmen Square. The ruling party, or the Chinese Communist Party is indeed deserted by the intellectuals who join in on protesting against the government. The 'rising fever', 'crisis', and 'convalescence' do not fit the event in Tiananmen Square as eventually the protesters were overthrown by force. Many were jailed and some killed in order to be controlled. Usually, during the 'rising fever' stage, the government is unable to repress the rebellions and the moderates then forms a new government. In Tiananmen Square however, it is clearly shown that the government, or Chinese Communist Party, was able to take down the rebels when the revolution was only at the first stage. The 'crisis' and 'convalescence' phases definitely did not happen, as the opposition of the current government was extinguished.
Bibliography
"The Declassified History ." Tiananmen Square, 1989 . 17 Jan 2008 .
Holt, Jennifer. "TIANANMEN SQUARE." The Museum of Broadcast Communications. 17 Jan 2008 .
"Tiananmen Square." China's Communist Revolution . BBC News. 17 Jan 2008 .
"Tiananmen Square protests of 1989." Wikipedia. 15 January 2008. Wikipedia. 17 Jan 2008 .
By Caitlin Coyiuto and Monica Seet