Numerous nations have achieved independence through a revolutionary war, and residents of each will inform you that their revolutionary war is “The Revolutionary War.” Revolution is a time-honored method of achieving freedom from colonial nations or oppressive governments, and some nations in fact seem to enjoy it so much that they have experienced several revolutions and periods of political uncertainty.
Listing every revolutionary war in history would require quite a long time, but some revolutions are particularly worthy of note, for a variety of reasons. Some were remarkable for their time, serving as an inspiration and a model for other nations, while others reflected ongoing turmoil and arguments about the nature and the role of government. Many 19th and 20th century civil wars involved a violent rejection of monarchies, for example, with citizens fighting for democratic government rather than hereditary rule.
One of the earliest recorded instances of revolution occurred in 615 BCE, when the Babylonians revolted against the Assyrians. The Roman Empire also struggled with a number of revolutionary uprisings as it expanded across Europe and parts of the Middle East and the native people rebelled. In some cases, these rebellions were put down quite brutally, as in the base of Boudica’s Rebellion, setting the stage for simmering resentments which erupted explosively later.
More recent examples of revolutionary war include the 1566-1648 80 Years War between Spain and the Low Countries, along with the 1642-1653 British Revolutionary War, which ended in the restoration of the Monarchy. The American War of Independence from 1774-1783 inspired a number of nations struggling under colonialism, including Mexico, which won independence in 1821, and the Philippines, which revolted against Spain between 1896-1898.
The French Revolution, from 1792-1802, marked a transition from a monarchy to a democratic government. In 1908, the Young Turks in Turkey forced a restoration of democracy, while revolutionaries in Russian in 1917 overthrew the Tsar with the October Revolution, which ushered in a Communist government. India’s long war for independence, which relied heavily on nonviolent and political tactics, lasted from 1916-1947, and the Cuban Revolution from 1956-1959 brought Fidel Castro to power.
Another notable series of revolutions occurred in 1989, when members of the Eastern Bloc nations revolted against the centralized Russian government and established their independence. The 1990s was also marked with a series of convulsive revolutionary and civil wars in Africa as nations fought for independence and attempted to establish governments.