What's the difference between a revolutionary war and a civil war?

Question

As far as I can tell, the only difference is that the rebels win a revolutionary war and the rebels lose a civil war. Is that the only difference? What are some examples of revolutionary wars? What are some examples of civil wars?

Answer 1

French Revolution, Mexican Revolution
The English Civil War (back in Cromwell's days)

I never thought about it until now, good question. I'll post more if I can come up with anything, unless someone beats me to it.

Answer 2

This is a very good question. as has already been said, and has caused me to think. I'm not sure that simply to say that a revolutionary war is part of a Society rising up against another part is enough. A revolution(ary war) has to change the status quo ante for ever - the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the American Revolution (for it was such). A Civil War is between two equal parts of a nation which doesn't change things in the long term. Had there never been a Restoration of the Monarchy, then the English Civil War would probably be known today as the Revolution. The one that comes to mind as perhaos being outside this test is the conflict known as the Spanish Civil War.

Answer 3

A Revolutionary War is as it implies a major change in a System of Government, or it results in the birth of a totally new form of Government.
2 examples of this is First the American Revolution.
Yes it was a rebellion against the English crown but our system of Government is the first that was based on the principle that the everyday, common man,( peasant) could rule himself, without the need
of a Monarch or ruling class. And in the 18th Century that was completely unheard of, and even scoffed at.
It must be kept in mind that the majority of the world durning the 1700's was ruled by Kings and Emperors, and that everyday people did not have a say in taxation, laws, or in some cases even the justice system.
Which is what made the American Revolution so "Revolutionary." The idea that every day people like you and me could be smart enough to govern ourselves.

Another example of this is the Russian Revolution.
Yes the teachings of Karl Marx and Engles had been around for quite some time before 1917, 1918, but to my knowlege they had not been used as a basis for a form of Government
So When Lennin and the Bolsevicks took over Russia they gave birth to a new form of Government, the likes of which had never been seen before.

A Civil is 2 factions trying to resolve an issue, or competing for power within a nation through the use of Armed force.

Examples of this is Our American Civil War.
The issue at hand was did the individual states have the right to leave the Union formed by the Constitution.
Lincoln argued NO. The Constitution was a binding contract, Unbreakable, and eturnale.

The Southern States under Jefferson Davis argued YES.
Because they felt that the northern states had betrayed the founding fathers original agreement, and thus they had the right to leave the Union and form their own nation.

Another example of this is the Vietnam war.
Where the Communist under Ho Chi Minn, which controlled the northern half the nation fought for control over Vietnam against a series of Democratic yet flawed governments that controlled the southern half of Vietnam.

Some today would argue that events in Iraq have evolved into a Civil War. Where one religous faction is fighting another for control of that nation.

Answer 4

Revolutionary war is usually the people standing up to a government they don't like any more , and civil war is the fight between two different groups or religions in the same country like in Ireland the catholics against the protestants , and right now in Iraq and the history of the USA south verses north

Answer 5

A Revolutionary-war is one in which, the war is fought to change the form of government, a civil-war is when citizens of the same country fight each other!

Answer 6

Revolutionary War....The overthrow of one government and its replacement with another.

Civil War...A war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power.

The basic difference is in the end result. with a revolution it is discontent with the government itself...ie American Revolution was overthrowing the monarchy and parliamentary rule of England.
In the Civil War Americans fought each other for control of thier own democratic government and the rights to make policy within that governemnt.
Both of these examples are simplified, very much so, but to the point when it comes to the difference.

Answer 7

A revolution is initiated by the people in order to change the whole society and it is often against an oligarchic or totalitarian system, meaning the people versus their leaders.
A civil war often takes place between two different groups from the same country, with different ideas.
A revolution was the one that caused the fall of communism, meaning the people against the communist leaders. A civil war happened in Serbia for example, or in Rwanda, when a majority and a minority asked for more rights. The difference is people versus leaders, people versus people.

Answer 8

history shows us that a revolutionary war is more of an attempt to overthrow a government and take over , thus the british coming to the colonies to take over what is now our u.s.! that was not thecolonies revolution!!! it was our rebellion but not our revolution, we had a government in place and were doing just fine! civil war ( which will occur in iraq when the troops leave: its inevitable), is a fighting within a country between opposing sides of different beliefs! be it religion or whatever with an attempt to secede from the present government but not to overthrow it! you have your way well have ours! such as slavery in the u.s.! religious factions in yugoslavia! which was closer to genocide! the french revolution was an attempt to overthrow the government in place !! and they did! the british did not succeed in overthrowing the united states colonies! the south lost the civil war and though some southerners still dont like it, they could hold to their beliefs! say the south did not want to secede, and they said ok well just take over the u.s. government and have slavery throughout the entire u.s.! which they never would have won! then that would have been a revolutionary war!! instead they wanted to secede and be left alone and the war became a civil action over beliefs! its a very touchy and fine line between the two terms. i can see either side of the argument ! the term civil action is described as a legal action to protect a civil right or to compel a civil remedy! thus going back to you do your thing, well do ours such as north and south!! best i can do for you, great question, no easy answers

Answer 9

One major factor in the severity of the Civil War was the development of modern guns and artillery in the nineteenth century. From Shmoop

Answer 10

Well our revolution was fought for independence from Great Britian.We were a colony of theirs but were not represented fairly in the area of taxes.Of course there was more to it than that.And in the civil war the south didn't want the north telling them what to do .They voted to secede from the union of states.The slave issue was just one of the difference's between them.And they were willing to go to war for it.So a civil war is between opposing faction's inside one country like what's happening in Iraq now.