Revolutionaries and revolutions around the world?

Question

Has there ever been a case where a successful revolution lead to a long-term stable democratic state or would it be true to say that all revolutions simply replace an existing political system wth something as bad or worse ?

Answer 1

The American Revolution, to be sure, was a success. Do not, however, throw the French Revolution in there with successful revolutions (Napoleon I then Louise Phillippe then Napoleon III mixed in around the revolutions of 1830 and 1848; not exactly the model of stability).

In addition to the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution of 1585 (the Time of Troubles) led to over 300 years of stable, albeit authoritarian government.

The emergence of long-term democratic states is typically a long term effect of a revolution, not the immediate outcome. Revolutions spawn totalitarian regimes, almost exclusively, because those who begin and organize the revolution do not want to pull a George Washington and sit on the sidelines after they have done their job.

Answer 2

"The tyrant of today was the revolutionary of yesterday." Revolutins in history seldom takes place as what happens is that after a revolt the old order is reestablished under new names and with new actors. But the order as such remains untouched.
I'd say that the last revolutions were the ones that saw the birth of US in 1776 and the French Revolution, because they were the beginnings of new systems.

Answer 3

The American Revolution, The French Revolution heck, I suppose the Industrial Revolution...

While we are at it, the Communist Revolution in China would count too I suppose.

Also, the Communist Revolution in Cuba too.

Answer 4

Check your American history--remember the Revolutionary War? We've been going strong ever since then, and even though we may not like the administration we have now, at least we know we have more rights than people in most other countries.