Evolution of Revolutions ′Round the World
Lesson Overview
The American Revolution and the French Revolution were sparked by new ideals of freedom, equality, and popular sovereignty that
were first expressed by the philosophes of the Enlightenment era which came to fuel the cries for independence and revolt that would
be heard around the world for the next two hundred years. The lessons on the revolutions follow lessons on the Enlightenment, the
Scientific Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. In the study at hand, the students will be given the opportunity to develop an
understanding of the concept “revolution” as they explore the conditions that lead to revolutions in various world nations and compare
the course that those revolutions took.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to identify and understand the process and results of various revolutions throughout various historical
times periods and places.
2. Students will be able to synthesize his or her knowledge of causes and the courses that revolutions take
3. Students will develop understanding of connections between new ideals of the freedom, equality, and popular sovereignty and
revolutionary changes of the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th century that transformed societies on nearly every continent.
Intended for 10th Grade Advanced Placement Level
Lesson Timeframe: 5 days 90 minute block
Lesson & Activities Preview:
Day 1
Day 2
~Free Response
~Vocabulary activity
stories of revolution,
Frayer’s Model
etc. Matrix.
5 Revolution terms
~Read Aloud from
~Introduce Crane
Zlata’s Diary-reference Brinton’s Anatomy of a
movie “Freedom
Revolution-Research
Writer”-In what ways
~Revolutions Quote
was like a revolution?
Activity-sticky note
~Vocabulary Activity
discussion
Terms, concepts, and
HomeworkCh 30
people I know
Critical Thinking
HomeworkRead ch
questions
30 and complete
concept mapping
Day 3
~Internet Research
And creation of power
point presentations for
Reciprocal Teaching to
explain conditions and
course of various
revolutions.
Homeworkwork on
Revolution power Point
Day 4
~What questions do I
still have about the
revolution in ________?
~Continue internet
research to answer your
questions and complete
your power point for
tomorrow’s
presentation.
HomeworkFinish
Revolution Power Point
Day 5
Presentation of student
created Revolutions
lessons.
~Note taking with
Semantic Feature
Analysis
~Recipe for
Revolution reflection
activity
HomeworkRecipe
for a Revolution
Text Used: Traditions and Encounters by Jerry H. Bentley and Herbert Ziegler, Part VI, chapter 30, “Revolutions and National States
in the Atlantic World”
Text Structure: This chapter is an expository text that follows the “Process/Cause and Effect model adapted from the works
Marzano, etal. The revolutionary process is explained beginning with explanations of Enlightenment and revolutionary ideas that lead
to the American and French Revolutions. The revolutions, reign of Napoleon and the consolidation of national states in Europe
influence the abolition of slavery, universal women’s sufferage, liberation of Haiti, independence in Latin America, and the
emergence of the ideologies of conservatism and liberalism.
Fry’s Readability:
Bentley and Ziegler Chapter 30 “Revolutions and National States in the Atlantic World” pages 807-838 is the required text to be read
independently by the students to increase knowledge and understanding of the revolutionary ideas that led to the American and French
Revolutions that influenced the course of revolution around the world and the push for nationalism over the next 200 years.
According to estimates made using the Fry Readability Graph, the reading level of this text is beyond the levels recorded on the graph,
17+.
Syllables
Sentences
First hundred words
177
4.7
Second hundred words
194
4.7
Third hundred words
186
4.6
Average 185
4.6
1. . . . Gouges was as flamboyant as she was talented, and news of her well-publicized love affairs scandalized Parisian society.
Gouges was also a revolutionary and a strong advocate of women’s rights. She responded enthusiastically when the French revolution
broke out in July 1789, and she applauded in August when revolutionary leaders proclaimed freedom and equality for all citizens in
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. It soon became clear, however, that the view of revolutionary leaders, freedom and
equality pertained only to male citizens. They welcomed women’s contributions to the revolution but withheld the right to vote and
left women under the patriarchal authority of their fathers and husbands.
2. . . . During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, philosophes and others advocates of Enlightenment idea (discussed in chapter
24) began to question longstanding notions of sovereignty. The philosophes rarely challenged monarchical rule, but sought instead to
make kings responsible to the people they governed. The commonly regarded government as the result of a contract between rulers
and ruled. The English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) formulated one of the most influential theories of contractual
government. In his Second Treatise of Civil Government, published in 1690, Locke held that government arose in the remote past
when people decided to work together, form civil society, and appoint rulers to protect and promote their common interests.
3. . . . The abolition of slavery itself was a much bigger challenge than ending the slave trade because owners had property rights in
their slaves. Planters and merchant elites strongly resisted efforts to alter the system that provided them with abundant supplies of
inexpensive labor. Nevertheless, the end of the slave trade doomed the institution of slavery in the Americas. In Haiti the end of
slavery came with the revolution. In much of South America, slavery ended with independence from Spanish rule, as Simon Bolivar
freed slaves who joined his forces and provided constitutional guarantees of free status for all residents of Gran Colombia. Meanwhile,
as they worked to ban traffic in human labor, Wilberforcce and other moralists also launched a compaign to free slaves and abolish the
institutions of slavery itself.
Text Layout: This informational text is laid out to show a series of enlightenment ideas that served as causal sequences that
influenced several specific outcomes of revolutions and ideals of freedom. As the students read the chapter, I have developed a chapter
concept mapping activity that helps the students to understand how the chapter is laid out and to understand how various ideas
concepts, people and places are associated. It also gives me a way to assess students’ reading comprehension.
Day 1
Pre-Reading Activities
Prior Knowledge Activation:
Bellwork: Take a minute to think about as many stories of revolutions as you can recall. They may be stories that you have either
read, heard or watched as a movie. They may be real or fiction stories. Next list the names of the stories or revolutions, and take about
five minutes to write a one sentence summary of each revolution you listed. Ask students to share some of their stories of revolution.
Ask them to identify some of the reasons for revolutions. What features do revolutions stories you described have in common? Do
they have to be violent?
Purpose-Setting Activity:
Remind students that they have seen in their study of world history, civilizations have undergone various revolutionary processes.
(Have students identify some.) Explain that in this unit they will be studying various revolutions that emerged as humans began to
interact more intensely with one another. They will see that there are many reasons behind the various revolutions and some aspects of
revolutions are consistent across regions and cultures that experience revolutions.
Read-Aloud
Lead discussion about the film Freedom Writer. Relate students in the ghetto school need for change in an unjust system and the
various examples of social intolerance. What is the connection between Freedom Writers and The Anne Frank Diary? Discuss and
think about the Crane Brinton’s conditions that make a society ripe for a revolution. Did those conditions exist in the Freedom Writers
classroom? What were their goals? Who was the powerful leader? What classes were present? What were the early achievements? Did
they last? etc. Transition to Zlata’s Diary and ask for possible connections.
Read from Zlata’s Diary to show how children affected by discontentment and conflict in Sarajevo. Is a revolution occurring here?
Ask students to consider related experiences of youth in their life time. Have we had similar discontentment in America? When? Why
not?
Vocabulary Activity: This Activity will be use as a preview to the Chapter Review and Concept Map and word sorts Activities. Each
student is given this list of terms, concepts and people. They are given ten minutes during Bellwork to read through the list identifying
how well they know each entry. During whole group discussion students may take notes on classmates’ knowledge.
Terms & Concepts
Declaration of the Rights
of Woman and the
Female Citizen
The Declaration of the
Rights of Man and the
Citizen
Popular sovereignty
The Social Contract
“liberty, equality, and
fraternity”
American Revolution
Continental Congress
Waterloo
gens de couleur
Central American
Federation
“no taxation without
representation
The Declaration of
Independence
Peace of Paris (1783)
I Know
I Think I Know
I’ve Heard/Read
I Don’t Know
French Revolution
Volksgeist
Zionism
“Blood and iron”
A Vindication of the
Rights of Women
Ancien regime
People
Olympe de Gouges
John Locke
Voltaire
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
George Washington
Louis XVI
Maximilien
Robespierre
Napoleon Bonaparte
Francois-Dominique
Toussaint
Mary Wollstonecraft
I Know
I Think I Know
I’ve Heard/Read
I Don’t Know
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton
Johann Gottfried von
Herder
Guiseppe Mazzini
Theodor Herzl
Miguel de Hidalgo
Augustín de Iturbide
Simón Bolívar
Bernardo O’Higgins
José de San Martín
Pedro I
William Wilberforce
Bourman
Prince Klemens von
Metternich
Count Camillo di
Cavour
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Otto von Bismarck
Latin Amer
Society
TEACHER KEY
Individual
Freedom
Global influence of
enlightenment value
Enlightenment and
revolutionary ideas
Politiccal and legal
equality
Popular
sovereignty
The Estates
General
The Haitian
Revolution
The
Declaration of
Independence
The American
Revolution
The National
Assembly
Napoleonic
France
Creole
Dominance
Simon
Bolivar
Wars of
Independence in
Latin America
Brazilian
Independ.
End Slave
trade
The influence
of revolution
Testing the Limits
of Revolutionary
Ideals: Slavery
Building an
Independent
State
Tightened
British
control of
the
Colonies
Popular
sovereignty &
political upheaval
The Emergence
of Ideologies:
Coservatism &
Liberalism
Mexican
Independence
Revolutions and
National States
in the Atlantic
World
Testing the Limits of
Revolutionary
Ideals: Women’s
Rights
Abolition
of Slavery
Freedom
without
equality
Unification
of Italy &
Germany
Otto von
Bidmarck
Cavour and Garibaldi
The French
Revolution
Liberty,
Equality, and
Fraternity
The
Convention
The reign of
Napoleon
The
Directory
Napoleon’s
Empire
Zionism
Consolidation of
national states in
Europe
Nations and
Nationalism
The Fall of
Napoleon
Political
Nationalism
Cultural
Nationalism
AntiSemitism
The Emergencce
of National
Communities
The Congress
of Vienna
Nationalist
Rebellions
Chapter 30 “Revolutions and National States in the Atlantic World” Concept Mapping
Revolutions and
National States
in the Atlantic
World
Assessment
The students will be assessed based on the quality of their completion of the required graphic organizers, RUBRIC directions,
teacher observation of participation, and the percentage earned on all assigned activities. Expectations will be explained and
discussed with students at the beginning of each lesson, and the students will be assessed accordingly.
CLOZE Reading Assessment Activity for optional supplemental reading article.
“The October Revolution” pages 990-992
The Bolsheviks, who were a small minority among revolutionary working class parties, eventually gained control of the Petrograd
soviet. Crucial to this development ______________ the government’s insistence on _______________ the war, its inability
1 (was)
2 (continuing)
_______________ feed the population, and _______________ refusal to undertake land ______________. The tsarist regime’s
3 (to)
4 (its)
5 (reform)
policies ______________ to a growing conviction _______________ workers and peasants that _______________ problems could
6 (led)
7 (among)
8 (their)
be solved _______________ by the soviets. The _______________ capitalized on this mood _____________ effective slogans such
9 (only)
10 (Bolsheviks)
11 (with)
as “______________ Power to the Soviets” _______________, most famous, “Peace, land, _______________ bread.” In September,
12 (All)
13 (and)
14 (and)
Lenin ______________ the Central Committee of ______________ Bolshevik party to organize ______________ armed insurrection
15 (persuaded)
16 (the)
17 (an)
and seize _______________ in the name of ___________ All Russian National Congress ____________ Soviets, which was
18 (power)
19 (the)
20 (of)
then ________________ in Petrograd. During the ________________ of 24 October and ______________ following day, armed
21 (convening)
22 (night)
23 (the)
workers, ______________, and sailors stormed the _____________ Palace, the home of _____________ provisional government. By
24 (soldiers)
25 (Winter)
26 (the)
the _______________ of 25 October, the _______________ bloodless insurrection had run ______________ course and power
27 (afternoon)
28 (virtually)
29 (its)
passed _______________ the provisional government into ______________ hands of Lenin and ______________ Bolshevik Party.
30 (from)
31 (the)
32 (the)
The U.S. _______________ John Reed (1887-1920), who witnessed _______________ Bolshevik seizure of power,
33 (journalist)
34 (the)
_______________ the significance of the _______________ when he referred to ______________ as “ten day that ______________
35 (understood)
36 (events)
37 (them)
38 (shook)
the world.” Lenin and ____________ followers were poised to ____________ the traditional patterns and ______________ of
39 (his)
40 (destroy)
41 (values)
Russian society and ______________ the institutions of liberal _______________ everywhere.
42 (challenge)
43 (society)
The Bolshevik rulers______________ Russia’s involvement in the _______________ War by signing the _______________
44 (ended)
45 (Great)
46 (Treaty)
Brest-Litovsk with Germany ________________ 3 March 1918. The _______________ gave the Germans possession
47 (on)
48 (treaty)
_______________ control of one-third of _______________ territory (the Baltic states, _______________, Finland, Poland, and the
49 (or)
50 Russia’s
51 (Caucasus)
_______________) and one-quarter of its _______________. The terms of the _______________ were harsh and humiliating,
52 (Ukraine)
53 (population)
54 (treaty)
______________ taking Russia out of _______________ war gave the new _______________ an opportunity to deal _____________
55 (but)
56 (the)
57 (government)
58 (with)
internal problems. Russia’s departure _______________ the war meant that _______________ could concentrate all of
59 (from)
60 (Germany)
_______________ resources on the western_____________. There was small consolation _____________ the fact that Russian
61 (its)
62 (front)
63 (in)
_______________ no longer tainted the _______________ purity of the Allied _______________ to “make the world
64 (autocracy)
65 (ideological)
66 (cause)
_______________ for democracy.”
67 (safe)
Day 2
BELLWORK Students complete FRAYER’S Model (pgs 1-4) revolution terms independently and discuss and correct as necessary
Definitions of revolution on the Web: TEACHER RESOURCE PAGES
a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving; "the industrial revolution was also a cultural revolution"
 the overthrow of a government by those who are governed
 A revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely drastic change. This may be a change in the social or political institutions
over a relatively short period of time, or a major change in its culture or economy. Some revolutions are led by the majority of
the populace of a nation, others by a small band of revolutionaries. Compare rebellion. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution
 The period of the French Revolution is very important in the history of France and the world. It covers the years between 1789
and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to
undergo radical restructuring. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Révolution
 "Revolution" was the title given to the May 2000 issues of Marvel Comics' X-Men-related comic books,. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_(comics)
 "Revolution" is a series of three songs by The Beatles. All three were written by John Lennon and attributed to
Lennon/McCartney. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_(song)
 "...means an alteration in the personnel, structure, supporting myth, and functions of government by methods which are not
sanctioned by prevailing constitutional norms. These methods almost invariably involve violence or the threat of violence
against political elites, citizens, or both . . . and a relatively abrupt and significant change in the distribution of wealth and
social status." (9) www2.truman.edu/~marc/resources/terms.html
 A complete or drastic change of government and the rules by which government is conducted.
www.nmlites.org/standards/socialstudies/glossary.html

(1776-1783). After repeated attempts to obtain the rights of freemen, representative government, and relief from the
discriminatory taxes and despotism of King George III (1738-1820), representatives of the thirteen American colonies,
assembled in the Second Continental Congress, declared their independence from England on July 4, 1776. ...
www.mises.org/easier/R.asp
 Process of change involving the mobilizing of a mass social movement in order to break the political status-quo and radically
transform the society. www.elissetche.org/dico/R.htm
 complete and usually violent process by which the government and its manner of rule are taken out of power, and a new
government is established. Many Americans fought the Revolutionary War in order to remove the colonial British government
and establish a new system. www.historycentral.com/Civics/R.html
 Rapid and extensive culture change generated from within a society.
highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072549238/student_view0/glossary.html
 The "dress rehearsal" for the revolution of 1917, when the working class clearly established itself as the leading force in the
struggle and gave rise to the first Soviets, before it was crushed. www.socialistalternative.org/literature/rus-rev/app.html
 or political system; The 1917 revolution ended the monarchy in Russia. schools.cbe.ab.ca/b628/social/russia/glossary.html

the violent overthrow of both the government and the entire state structure by the citizens of a state.
www.naiadonline.ca/book/01Glossary.htm
Definition of Moderates
Opposed to radical or extreme views or measures, especially in politics or religion.n.
One who holds or champions moderate views or opinions, especially in politics or religion
The political philosophy of avoiding the extremes of right and left by taking a moderate position.
In politics, a moderate is an individual who holds the middle position between those generally classified as being left-wing, liberal, or
socialist and those seen as right-wing, conservative, or capitalist. An alternate definition, and one widely held among swing voters, is
that a moderate is one who has firm convictions on all issues, yet some convictions fall just to the left of the spectrum and some fall
just to the right. Political moderates usually seek conciliation between the views of various political parties, and often take positions
partially derived from opposite views. For example, political moderates might not support the end of private property in the way
advocated by Marxists, but they also might not support laissez-faire capitalism.
Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value.[1]
Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment, but the term has taken on different meanings in different time periods
(for example now in the United States generally it means new liberalism while in the rest of the world has the meaning of classical
liberalism).
Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals,
limitations on power (especially of government and religion), the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that
supports free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected.[2] In modern
society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal
opportunity to succeed.[3]
Definitions of Liberals
Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value.[1]
Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment, but the term has taken on different meanings in different time periods
(for example now in the United States generally it means new liberalism while in the rest of the world has the meaning of classical
liberalism).
Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals,
limitations on power (especially of government and religion), the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that
supports free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected.[2] In modern
society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal
opportunity to succeed.[3]
Definitions of Conservatives
Conservatism is a political philosophy that favors traditional values. The term derives from the Latin, conservāre, to conserve; "to
keep, guard, observe". Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have different
goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo
ante.
Teacher will introduce the students to Crane Brinton and guide them in understanding his study of revolutions. May use
supplemental reading “Over the Hill? The Anatomy of a Revolution at Fifty” by Torbjorn L. Knutsen and Jennifer L. Bailey.
Anatomy of a Revolution
Adapted from Crane
Brinton
CONDITIONS WHICH SEEM TO BE PRESENT AS CAUSES OF MAJOR REVOLUTIONS:
1. People from all social classes are discontented.
2. People feel restless and held down by unacceptable restrictions in society, religion, the economy or the government.
3. People are hopeful about the future, but they are being forced to accept less than they had hoped for.
4. People are beginning to think of themselves as belonging to a social class, and there is growing bitterness between social
classes.
5. The social classes closest to one another are the most hostile.
6. The scholars and thinkers give up on the way their society operates.
7. the government does not respond to the needs of its society.
8. The leaders of the government and the ruling class begin to doubt themselves. Some join with the opposition groups.
9. the government is unable to get enough support from any group to save itself.
10. The government cannot organize its finances correctly and is either going bankrupt or trying to tax heavily and unjustly.
THE COURSE THAT REVOLUTIONS SEEM TO TAKE:
1. Impossible demands made on the government which, if granted, would mean its end.
2. Unsuccessful government attempts to suppress revolutionaries.
3. Revolutionaries gain power and seem united.
4. Once in power, revolutionaries begin to quarrel among themselves and unity begins to dissolve.
5. The moderates gain the leadership but fail to satisfy those who insist on further changes.
6. Power is gained by progressively more radical groups until finally a lunatic fringe gains almost complete control.
7. A strong man emerges and assumes great power.
8. the extremists try to create a “heaven on earth” by introducing their whole program and by punishing all their opponents.
9. A period of terror occurs.
10. Moderate groups regain power. The revolution is over.
EXAMINE THE RESULTS OF THE REVOLUTION WITH THESE QUESTIONS IN MIND:
1. Did the ideals of the revolution change as its leadership changed?
2. Were the original goals of the revolution achieved? At what point? Were these achievements conserved?
3. Which social classes gained most from the revolution? Which lost? Did the original ruling group or individuals from this group
return to power?
4. How was the old political, social, and economic order of society (Acien Regime) changed as a result of the revolution?
Reflection Activities
Discussion Activity: Revolution Quotes 1750-1914
(Adapted from Allison Freedman
School for Legal Studies
msfreedman2003@yahoo.com)
Background & Materials:
Each quote from below printed on a separate piece of paper.
(Post all quotes around the room before class.)
2 drastically different colored post-it note pads.
(Enough for each student to have 4-5 of each color.)
Implementation:
Part I: Students will brainstorm initially for a definition of revolution.
As a class, you can have students share and discuss their definitions.
Consider the following questions in the discussion: Which aspects do all of the definitions include? Which aspects seem to fit only
specific situations? What might be the most universal definition? What might be the most restrictive?
Part II: Explain the guidelines and process to the students.
 Identify each of the colored post-it notes as either “responses directly to the quotes” or “responses to your peers”
 All post-it notes are anonymous.
 All responses are to what the person said, not to the person him/herself.
Part III
1. Have students walk around the room and READ each of the quotes.
2. Have students walk around the room and REACT/RESPOND to the quotes on a post-it note (the color assigned as “responses
directly to the quotes.”) They should post it directly on the paper with the quote. Suggested questions for the students to consider:
Do you agree with the quote and why/why not? What was this person talking about? Can you think of an example when this
might/might not be effective?
3. Have students walk around the room and READ/RESPOND to their peers’ responses on the second color of post-it note (the color
assigned as “responses to your peers.”) They should post this directly on the post-it note they are responding to.
4. Have all students return to their seats and then have one student select a quote from the wall and then read the quote, the responses,
and the “discussion” that follows on the post-it notes. Which quotes surprised you the most? Which of your peers’ responses
surprised you most? You can repeat this for as many quotes as time allows.
Teacher observes and records each student’s level of participation for assessment. End with a student lead discussion on the
various meanings and understandings of revolution throughout different times and places in history. (Teacher may question to
probe and stimulate student thinking.)
QUOTES
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Col. William S. Smith, November 13, 1787
If you feed the people just with revolutionary slogans, they will listen today, they will listen tomorrow, they will listen the day after
tomorrow, but on the fourth day, they will say “To hell with you.”
-Nikita Krushchev, quoted in The New York Times, October 4, 1964
Desperate diseases require desperate remedies.
-Guy Fawkes, attributed in connection with the Gunpowder Plot
What is a rebel? A man who says no.
-Albert Camus, The Rebel
All modern revolutions have ended in a reinforcement of the power of the state.
- Albert Camus, The Rebel
The blow by which kings fall causes a long bleeding.
-Pierre Corneille, Cinna
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?…
Or does it explode?
-Langston Hughes, Harlem
A great revolution is never the fault of the people, but of the government.
-Goethe, quoted in Johann Peter Eckermann, Conversations with Goethe
Inciting to revolution is treason, not only against man, but also against God.
-Pope Leo XIII, Immortale Dei
Revolutions never go backward.
-William Henry Seward, Speech at Rochester on the Irrepressible Conflict, 1858
Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny. They have only shifted it to another shoulder.
-George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, “The Revolutionist’s Handbook”
I will have no laws. I will acknowledge none. I protest against every law which an authority calling itself necessary imposes upon my
free will.
-Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Idée générale de la révolution
In revolutions everything is forgotten…Gratitude, friendship, parentage; every tie vanishes, and all that is sought is self-interest.
-Napoleon Bonaparte, quoted in Barry E. O’Meara, Napoleon at St. Helena
The workers have nothing to lose in this but their chains. They have a world to gain. Workers of the world, unite!
-Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto
Revolution is the proper occupation of the masses.
-Mao Zedung, quoted in Dennis Bloodworth, The Messiah and the Mandarins
When smashing monuments, save the pedestals—they always come in handy.
-Stanislaw J. Lec, Unkempt Thoughts
All changed, changed utterly.
A terrible beauty is born.
-William Butler Yeats, Easter 1916
Name ____________________________________
Date _________________________
Class Period _____________
During Reading Activities: CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
EVALUATING EVIDENCE (MAPS)
44. Examine the map of the American Revolution on page 813. What inspired the colonists to become revolutionaries? How did they
win? How did the American Revolution inspire other revolutionary movements?
45. Examine the map of Napoleon’s empire on page 819. Why was he successful, and why did he eventually fail? Was he a child of
the Enlightenment?
46. Look at the map of Latin America on page 826. How was Latin America transformed by revolution? How significant was the
Haitian Revolution?
47. Look at the map of Italian and German unification on page 835. Who were the leading figures in these movements? How was
European history impacted by the late unification of these two states?
EVALUATING EVIDENCE (ILLUSTRATIONS)
48. Compare the pictures on pages 812 and 833. Did these groups have different political goals in mind? Discuss the rise of
liberalism and conservatism.
49. Examine the pictures on pages 814 and 817. What did the French Revolution represent to liberal and nationalist thinkers? Was
there a downside to the Revolution? Do revolutions devour their own?
50. Look at the picture of the slave revolt in Saint-Dominique on page 822. Why would the artist portray this image? Did the Haitian
Revolution go further than its American or French counterparts?
51. Examine the picture of Simón Bolívar on page 824. Why did the feel that “those who have served the revolution have plowed the
sea”? Do all revolutions end up differently than they begin?
52. Look at the picture of women in the French Revolution on page 828. What role did women play in the revolution? Why would
Olympe de Gouges feel the need to write the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen? Would women gain
greater rights during this revolutionary period?
53. Look at the picture of Otto von Bismarck on page 836. Why did he propose that the great issues of the time would be determined
by “blood and iron”?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
54. Read the excerpts from The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen on page 815, how are the ideals of the Enlightenment
expressed? How can the influence of Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence be seen?
55. Read the excerpts from The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen on page 815. How revolutionary was this document?
In what ways was the French Revolution more radical than its American predecessor? How radical did the French Revolution
become?
56. Study the selection drawn from The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen on page 829. Who was Olympe
de Gouges? How was her life representative of the challenges women faced?
57. Examine Olympe de Gouges’s The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen on page 829. What were her main
points? Relate this document to The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Days 3 and 4
Revolutionary Nation Internet Research and Power Point Presentation RUBRIC
Due ___________________________
Select a nation that experienced a revolution during the late 18th century or during the 19th or 20th century. You will spend
two hours researching the conditions and course that country’s revolution took to create a power point presentation that
clearly summarizes the key conditions and course of the assigned revolution to present this information to your class. The
information presented must follow the format of revolutions described in Crane Brintons’ Anatomy of a Revolution.
INTERNET RESEARCH
Using Time Appropriately
10
_______________
5
_______________
15
_______________
POWER POINT PRESENTATION
Format
5
_______________
Organization (identify condition # and course #)
5
_______________
Clarity
5
_______________
Quality Information (conditions and course of revolution)
20
_______________
Creative Inclusion of Relevant Visuals (3 minimum)
10
_______________
5
_______________
Taking Notes
10
_______________
Complete Semantic Feature Analysis
10
_______________
100
_______________
Bibliography (4 minimum scholarly internet references)
Reading and Accessing necessary information
ATTENTIVE LISTENING & NOTES
Listening Attentively to Presentations
TOTAL Points Possible
On Day four the students will assess their comprehension and plan their next steps before resuming their internet research power
point creations.
Name __________________________________
Date ________________________
Class Period _____________
Revolution Internet Research
Before your resume researching the conditions that caused revolution in your assigned nation and the course that the
revolution took, record:
1. Record three points you have discovered so far in your research.
a)
b)
c)
2. Highlight information you found confusing or unclear.
3. Did find answers to any of your questions?
4. What questions do you still have?
Day 5
Comprehension Activity: Designing a recipe for a revolution
(adapted from Ellen Guerin)
The focus questions is “What causes a revolution?” Each student will be able to synthesize his or her knowledge of the causes of a
hypothetical revolution in the future, based on class studies of world revolutions.
Materials:
"Recipe for Revolution" Handout, Access via internet or otherwise to relevant art, and Student notebooks and textbooks.
Hand out "Recipe for Revolution" instructions and explain to students that they will be synthesizing their knowledge on the causes of
revolutions to explore the themes present. They may use class notes and textbooks.
Read "Recipe for Revolution" together, and answer questions as they arise.
The students will have the remainder of the hour to work on their project.
Closure:
Recipes are due the following day. Allow some class time for discussion of common themes.
Assessment Criteria: Demonstrated understanding of class unit on world revolutions and potential causes – extent of application of
these causes to in a hypothetical situation
Name:____________________________________
Date __________________________
Class Period _____________
Recipe for Revolution
Purpose and Directions: Throughout history, revolutions have and continue to occur. We have studied many such revolutions
during this unit. There are reasons behind every revolution, and many reasons are similar across revolutions, creating themes
of revolution. Your task, in this assignment, is to review the information we have learned regarding absolute monarchs,
revolutions, and independence, to come up with a recipe for revolution.
Things to remember while completing your task:
1) A recipe has a list of things that you must have prior to making your creation (in this case, a revolution). DO NOT forget a fullydetailed ingredients list! What must be in place in a country prior to a revolution occurring, based on your observations of the
revolutions we have covered?
2) Remember to number your steps and include pictures. Many cook books include pictures of each step, to help the creator
understand that particular step.
3) Don’t forget to include variations! Sometimes, when making a recipe, you can add one thing, or substitute another. If this is the
case in your recipe for revolution, don’t forget to include the substitution!
4) Be general in your themes, yet specific in your wording. For example, a step of, "the people get upset" shows very little thought on
the issue. This is your attempt to show me what you know and have learned, and to synthesize that knowledge into one, final project.
Take this opportunity to do your best! This means you must be detailed in your language, so I know exactly what you mean!
5) There is no minimum or maximum of steps in your recipe - sometimes recipes are very simple, with few ingredients, and
sometimes they are complex. This project will be based on the quality of the information you include. So, synthesize it in a way that
makes sense to you and includes all relevant material.
6) Be sure to include the approximate time this will take to create! People often want to know how long they’ll be spending in the
"kitchen" before beginning a lengthy task!
7) You may be tempted to base your recipe on just one revolution. While there are several strong and significant examples of
revolution, the goal of this is to generalize the revolutions we have learned about. Of course, you might take the majority of your
influence from one or two revolutions in particular - this is acceptable. However, be sure to combine situations from multiple
revolutions, to create a more appropriate generalization of themes.
8) Finally, once you have finished your recipe, look back over it. Does it apply to all time periods, or simply one time period in
history? It should be applicable at any time. Once it could apply at any time, think about the situation in America. Based on your
recipe for revolution, is America currently on the path for revolution? Why or why not?
TEACHER ASSESSMENT NOTES
REVOLUTION RESEARCH RUBRIC
30 points research effort + 40 points informative power point + 30 points quality notes = 100 points possible
STUDENTS
RESEARCH
PREPARATION
POWER POINT
PRESENTATION
ATTENTITIVE
NOTES
GRADE TOTAL
Anatomy of a Revolution Semantic Feature Analysis
France (1789)
U.S.A. (1776)
Haiti (1803)
Mexico(1810)
Mexico(1911)
Russia (1917)
China (1911)
China (1949)
Greece (1821-30)
Peru (1780)
Argentina(1810)
Chile (1818)
Chile (1973)
Brazil (1822)
Venezuela
Portugal (1926)
Zionist (1938-48)
Vietnam (1949)
Boliva (1952)
Cuba (1959)
Iran (1978)
Soviet (1991)
Teacher Feedback:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10
Course
9
Course
8
Course
7
Course
6
Course
5
Course
4
Course
3
Course
2
Course
1
Course
10
Condition
9
Condition
8
Condition
7
Condition
6
Condition
5
Condition
4
Condition
3
Condition
2
Condition
1
Condition
Nation-States
Graphic Organizers Used Throughout Lesson
1. Concept Mapping with Word Sorts
2.
Frayer Model
3.
Semantic Feature Analysis
4. Text Feature
5. Webquest/Research Skills on the Internet
6. Reciprocal Teaching Power Point Presentation
7. Read Alouds
8. Internet Research
Supplementary Texts:
1. Stolen Voices edited by Zalata Filipovic
2. Over the Hill? The Anatomy of a Revolution at Fifty. Torbjorn L. Knutsen and Jennifer L. Bailey. Journal of Peace Research,
Vol. 26, No. 4, 4 421-431 (1989).
3. “The Two Octobers (1927)” by Piotr Archinov
4. Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic
“The Two Octobers (1927)”
by Piotr Archinov
The victorious revolution of the workers and peasants in 1917 was legally established in the Bolshevik calendar as the October
Revolution. There is sane truth in this, but it is not entirely exact. In October 1917 the workers and peasants of Russia surmounted a
colossal obstacle to the development of their Revolution. They abolished the nominal power of the capitalist class, but even before that
they achieved something of equal revolutionary importance and perhaps even more fundamental. By taking the economic power from
the capitalist class, and the land from the large owners in the countryside, they achieved the right to free and uncontrolled work in the
towns, if not the total control of the factories. Consequently, it was well before October that the revolutionary workers destroyed the
base of capitalism. All that was left was the superstructure. If there had not been this general expropriation of the capitalists by the
workers, the destruction of the bourgeois state machine - the political revolution - would not have succeeded in any way. The
resistance of the owners would have been much stronger. On the other hand, the objectives of the social revolution in October were
not limited to the overthrow of capitalist power. A long period of practical development in social self-management was before the
workers, but it was to fail in the following years.
Therefore, in considering the evolution of the Russian socialist Revolution as a whole, October appears only as a stage a powerful and decisive stage, it is true. That is why October does not by itself represent the whole social revolution. In
thinking of the victorious October days, one must consider that historical circumstance as determined by the Russian
social revolution.
Another no less important peculiarity is that October has two meanings - that which the working' masses who participated
in the social revolution gave it, and with them the Anarchist-Communists, and that which was given it by the political party
that captured power from this aspiration to social revolution, and which betrayed and stifled all further development. An
enormous gulf exists between these two interpretations of October. The October of the workers and peasants is the
suppression of the power of the parasite classes in the name of equality and self-management. The Bolshevik October is
the conquest of power by the party of the revolutionary intelligentsia, the installation of its 'State Socialism' and of its
'socialist' methods of governing the masses.
The workers October
The February Revolution caught the different revolutionary parties in complete disarray and without any doubt they were
considerably surprised by the profound social character of the dawning revolution. At first, no one except the anarchists
wanted to believe it. The Bolshevik Party, which made out it always expressed the most radical aspirations of the workingclass, could not go beyond the limits of the bourgeois revolution in its aims. It was only at the April conference that they
asked themselves what was really happening in Russia. Was it only the overthrow of Tsarism. or was the revolution going
further - as far as the. overthrow of capitalism? This last eventually posed to the Bolsheviks the question of what tactics to
employ. Lenin became conscious before the other Bolsheviks of the social character of the revolution, and emphasised
the necessity of seizing power. He saw a decisive advance in the workers' and peasants' movement which was
undermining the industrial and rural bourgeoisie foundations more and more. A unanimous agreement on these questions
could not be reached even up to the October days. The Party manoeuvred all this time in between the social slogans of
the masses and the conception of a social-democratic revolution, from where they were created and developed. Not
opposing the slogan of petit- and grand-bourgeoisie for a Constituent Assembly, the Party did its best to control the
masses, striving to keep up with their ever-increasing pace.
During this time, the workers marched impetuously forward, relentlessly running their enemies of left and right into the
ground. The big rural landowners began everywhere to evacuate the countryside, fleeing from the insurgent peasantry
and seeking protection for their possessions and their persons in the towns. Meanwhile, the peasantry proceeded to a
direct re-distribution of land, and did not want to hear of peaceful co-existence with the landlords. In the towns as well a
sudden change took place between the workers and the owners of enterprises. Thanks to the efforts of the collective
genius of the masses, workers' committees sprang up in every industry, intervening directly in production, putting aside
the admonishments of the owners and concentrating on eliminating them from production. Thus in different parts of the
country, the workers got down to the socialisation of industry.
Simultaneously, all of revolutionary Russia was covered with a vast network of workers' and peasant soviets, which began
to function as organs of self management. They developed, prolonged, and defended the Revolution. Capitalist rule and
order still existed nominally in the country, but a vast system of social and economic workers' self-management was being
created alongside it. This regime of soviets and factory committees, by the very fact of its appearance, menaced the state
system with death . It must be made clear that the birth and development of the soviets and factory committees had
nothing do with authoritarian principles. On the contrary, they were in the full sense of the term organs of social and
economic self-management of the masses, and in no case the organs of state power. They were opposed to the state
machine which sought to direct the masses, and they prepared for a decisive battle against it. "The factories to the
workers, the land to the peasants" - these were the slogans by which the revolutionary masses of town and country
participated in the defeat of the State machine of the possessing classes in the name of a new social system which was
founded on the basic cells of the factory committees and the economic and social soviets. These catch-words circulated
from one end of workers' Russia to the other, deeply affecting the direct action against the socialist-bourgeois coalition
government.
As was explained above, the workers and peasants had already worked towards the entire reconstruction of the industrial
and agrarian system of Russia before October 1917. The agrarian question was virtually solved by the poor peasants as
early as June - September 1917. The urban workers, for their part, put into operation organs of social and economic Selfmanagement, having seized from the State and the owners the organisational functions of production. The October
Revolution of the workers overthrew the last and the greatest obstacle to their revolution the state power of the owning
classes, already defeated and disorganised. This last evolution opened a vast horizon for the achievement of the social
revolution putting it onto the creative road to socialist reconstruction of society, already pointed at by the workers in the
preceding months. That is the October of the workers and the peasants. It meant a powerful attempt by the exploited
manual workers to destroy totally the foundations of capitalist society, and to build a workers' society based on the
principles of equality, independence, and self-management by the proletariat of the towns and the countryside. This
October did not reach its natural conclusion. It was violently interrupted by the October of the Bolsheviks, who
progressively extended their dictatorship throughout the country.
The Bolshevik October
All the statist parties, including the Bolsheviks, limited the boundaries of the Russian Revolution to the installation of a
social-democratic regime. It was only when the workers and peasants of all Russia began to shake the agraro-bourgeois
order, when the social revolution was proved to be an irreversible historical fact, that the Bolsheviks began discussing the
social character of the Revolution, and the consequent necessity of modifying its tactics. There was no unanimity in the
Party on questions of the character and orientation of the events which had taken place, even up to October. Furthermore,
the October Revolution as well as the events which followed developed while the Central Committee of the Party was
divided into two tendencies. Whilst a part of the Central Committee, Lenin at its head, foresaw the inevitable social
revolution and proposed preparation for the seizure of power, the other tendency, led by Zinoviev and Kamenev,
denounced as adventurist the attempt at social revolution, and went no further than calling for a Constituent Assembly in
which the Bolsheviks occupied the seats furthest to the Left. Lenin's point of view prevailed, and the Party began to
mobilise its forces in case of a decisive struggle by the masses against the Provisional Government.
The party threw itself into infiltrating the factory committees and the soviets of workers' deputies, doing its best to obtain in
these organs of self-management the most mandates possible in order to control their actions. Nevertheless, the
Bolshevik conception of, and approach to, the soviets and the factory committees was fundamentally different from that of
the masses. While the mass of workers considered them to be the organs of social and economic self-management, the
Bolshevik Party looked on them as a means by which it was possible to snatch the power of the sinking bourgeoisie and
afterwards to use this power to serve the interests of the Party. Thus an enormous difference was revealed between the
revolutionary masses and the Bolshevik Party in their conceptions and perspectives of October. In the first case, it was
the question of the defeat of power with the view of reinforcing and enlarging the already constituted organs of workers
and peasants self-management. In the second case, it was the question of leaning on these organs in order to seize
power and to subordinate all the revolutionary forces to the Party. This divergence played a fatal role in determining the
future course of the Russian Revolution.
The success of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution - that is to say, the fact that they found themselves in power and
from there subordinated the whole Revolution to their Party is explained by their ability to substitute the ides of a Soviet
power for the social revolution and the social emancipation of the masses. A priori, these two ideas appear as noncontradictory for it was possible to understand Soviet power as the power of the soviets, and this facilitated the
substitution of the idea of Soviet power for that of the Revolution. Nevertheless, in their realisation and consequences
these ideas were in violent contraction to each other. The conception of Soviet Power incarnated in the Bolshevik state,
was transformed into an entirely traditional bourgeois power concentrated in a handful of individuals who subjected to
their authority all that was fundamental and most powerful in the life of the people - in this particular case, the social
revolution. Therefore, with the help of the "power of the soviets" - in which the Bolsheviks monopolised most of the posts they effectively attained a total power and could proclaim their dictatorship throughout the revolutionary territory. This
furnished them with the possibility of strangling all the revolutionary currents of the workers in disagreement with their
doctrine of altering the whole course of the Russian Revolution and of making it adopt a multitude of measures contrary to
its essence. One of these measures was the militarisation of labour during the years of War Communism - militarisation of
the workers so that millions of swindlers and parasites could live in peace, luxury and idleness. Another measure was the
war between town and country, provoked by the policy of the Party in considering peasants as elements unreliable and
foreign to the Revolution. There was, finally, the strangling of libertarian thought and of the Anarchist movement whose
social ideas and catchwords were the force of the Russian Revolution and orientated towards a social revolution. Other
measures consisted of the proscription of the independent workers movement, the smothering of the freedom of speech
of workers in general. All was reduced to a single centre, from where all instructions emanated concerning the way of life,
of thought, of action of the working masses.
That is the October of the Bolsheviks. In it was incarnated the ideal followed by decades by the revolutionary intelligentsia,
initially realised now by the wholesale dictatorship of the All-Russian Communist Party. This ideal satisfies the ruling
intelligentsia, despite the catastrophic consequences for the workers; now they can celebrate with pomp the anniversary
of ten years of power.
The Anarchists
Revolutionary Anarchism was the only politico social-current to extol the idea of a social revolution by the workers and
peasants, as much during the 1905 Revolution as from the first days of the October Revolution. In fact, the role they could
have played would have been colossal, and so could have been the means of struggle employed by the masses
themselves. Likewise, no politico-social theory could have blended so harmoniously with the spirit and orientation of the
Revolution. The interventions of the Anarchist orators in 1917 were listened to with a rare trust and attention by the
workers. One could have said that the revolutionary potential of the workers and peasants, together with the ideological
and tactical power of Anarchism could have represented a force to which nothing could be opposed. Unhappily, this fusion
did not take place. Some isolated anarchists occasionally led intense revolutionary activity among the workers, but there
was not an Anarchist organisation of great size to lead more continuous and co-ordinated actions, (outside of the Nabat
Confederation and the Makhnovchtina in the Ukraine). Only such an organisation could have united the Anarchists and
the millions of workers. During such an important and advantageous revolutionary period, the Anarchists limited
themselves to the restricted activities of small groups instead of orientating themselves to mass political action. They
preferred to drown themselves in the sea of their internal quarrels, not attempting to pose the problem of a common policy
and tactic of Anarchism By this deficiency, they condemned themselves to inaction and sterility during the most important
moments of the Revolution.
The causes of this catastrophic state of the Anarchist movement resided in the dispersion, the disorganisation and the
absence of a collective tactic - things which have nearly always been raised as principles among Anarchists, preventing
them making a single organisational step so that they could orientate the social revolution in a decisive fashion. There is
no actual advantage in denouncing those who, by their demagogy, their thoughtlessness, and their irresponsibility,
contributed to create this situation. But the tragic experience: which led the working masses to defeat, and Anarchism to
the edge of the abyss, should be assimilated as from now. We must combat and pitilessly stigmatise those who in one
way or another, continue to perpetuate the chaos and confusion in Anarchism, all those who obstruct its re-establishment
or organisation. In other words, those whose actions go against those efforts of the movement for the emancipation of
labour and the realisation of the Anarchist-Communist society. The working masses appreciate and are instinctively
attracted by Anarchism, but will not work with the Anarchist movement until they are convinced of its theoretical and
organisational coherence. It is necessary for everyone of us to try to the maximum to attain this coherence.
Conclusions and Perspectives
The Bolshevik practice of the last ten years shows clearly the counter-revolutionary [role] of their dictatorship of the Party.
Every year it restrains a little more the social-and political rights of the workers, and takes their revolutionary conquests
away. There is no doubt that the 'historic mission' of the Bolshevik Party is emptied of all meaning and that it will attempt
to bring the Russian Revolution to its final objective : State Capitalism of the enslaving salariat, that is to say, of the
reinforced power of the exploiters and at the increasing misery of the exploited. In speaking of the Bolshevik Party as part
of the socialist intelligentsia, exercising its power over the working masses of town and country, we have in view its central
directing nucleus which, by its origins, its formation, and its life-style has nothing in common with the working class, and
despite that, rules all the details of life of the Party and of the people. That nucleus will attempt to stay above the
proletariat, who have nothing to expect from it. The possibilities for rank and file Party militants, including the Communist
youth, appear different. This mass has passively participated in the negative and counter-revolutionary policies of the
Party, but having come from the working-class, it is capable of becoming aware of the authentic October of the workers
and peasants and of coming towards it. We do not doubt that from this mass will come many fighters for the workers'
October. Let us hope that they rapidly assimilate the Anarchist character of this October, and that they come to its aid. On
our side, let us indicate this character as much as possible, and help the masses to reconquer and conserve the great
revolutionary achievements.
Translated by Nick Heath for
North London Organisation of Revolutionary Anarchists
for Libertarian Communist Review
No. 1 Winter 1976
Fry Readability: “The Two Octobers (1927)”
This article may be used as an extended lesson or optional reading assignment for the student directed discussion called “Inner/Outer
Circle” where students complete the reading and prepare higher level thinking questions to stimulate discussion among the designated
inner circle discussion group while the outer circle actively listens, observes and analyzes the course the discussion takes in their
notes. According to estimates made using the Fry Readability Graph, the reading level of this text is level 14.
First hundred words
Second hundred words
Third hundred words
Syllables
180
147
180
Average 169
Sentences
4.5
5.5
2.5
4.1
STUDENT PAGES 1-4
FRAYER MODEL
Understanding Aspects of Revolutions
Definition
(In Your Own Words)
Examples
(From Own Life: movies
books, history, etc.)
Characteristics
What is a revolution?
Non-Examples
(From Own Life)
FRAYER MODEL
Understanding Aspects of Revolutions
Definition
(In Your Own Words)
Examples
(From Own Life)
Characteristics
What is a radical?
Non-Examples
(From Own Life)
FRAYER MODEL
Understanding Aspects of Revolutions
Definition
(In Your Own Words)
Examples
(From Own Life)
Characteristics
What is a conservative?
Non-Examples
(From Own Life)
FRAYER MODEL
Understanding Aspects of Revolutions
Definition
(In Your Own Words)
Examples
(From Own Life)
Characteristics
What is a moderate?
Non-Examples
(From Own Life)