Uprising! Political Upheavals that have Shaped the World

Coups and Uprisings that Changed History; Revolutions have been called the motors of history. They have overthrown centuries - old regimes and empires, brought new and powerful ideas into the forefront of politics, created new nations and allowed ordinary people to step onto history's stage. Almond's thematic approach draws together the common strands linking these events, exploring within a single volume the events of five centuries worldwide. Thematically divided into four sections - ideological, popular, coups d'etat and national revolts - Revolution! unites events from disparate eras and locations. Ideological uprisings include the American and French revolutions, powered by the ideal of representation. Popular upheavals are those like the Cuban revolution, generated by people's mass discontent. Others are characterized by the rapid seizure of power, some swiftly successful as in Allende's Chile. The final thematic section tackles the national revolts that inspired the 19th-century uprisings in Greece and the Hapsburg Empire, and the final overthrow of South African apartheid.Written in a stimulating and accessible style, this thematic approach allows important examples of worldwide revolutions to be brought together, enabling the reader to make connections between revolutionary activity in different historical periods and geographical areas...