Rapid, fundamental political change from a feudal aristocracy to a capitalist democracy
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Bourgeois revolution is a term used in
Marxist theory to refer to a
social revolution that aims to destroy a
feudal system or its vestiges, establish the rule of the
bourgeoisie, and create a
bourgeois (capitalist) state.[1][2] In colonised or subjugated countries, bourgeois revolutions often take the form of a war of national
independence. The
Dutch,
English,
American, and
French revolutions are considered the archetypal bourgeois revolutions,[3][4] in that they attempted to clear away the remnants of the medieval feudal system, so as to pave the way for the rise of
capitalism.[1] The term is usually used in contrast to "
proletarian revolution", and is also sometimes called a "bourgeois-democratic revolution".[5][6]
Theories of bourgeois revolution
According to one version of the
two-stage theory, bourgeois revolution was asserted to be a necessary step in the move toward
socialism, as codified by
Georgi Plekhanov.[7][8] In this view, countries that had preserved their feudal structure, like
Russia, would have to establish capitalism via a bourgeois revolution before being able to wage a proletarian revolution.[9][10] At the time of the
Russian Revolution, the
Mensheviks asserted this theory, arguing that a revolution led by bourgeoisie was necessary to modernise society, establish basic freedoms, and overcome feudalism, which would establish the conditions necessary for socialism.[9] This view is prominent in
Marxist-Leninist analysis.[11][12]
Political sociologistBarrington Moore Jr. identified bourgeois revolution as one of three routes from pre-industrial society to the modern world, in which a capitalist mode of production is combined with liberal democracy. Moore identified the English, French, and American revolutions as examples of this route.[13]
Neil Davidson believes that neither the establishment of democracy or the end of feudal relations are defining characteristics of bourgeois revolutions, but instead supports
Alex Callinicos' definition of bourgeois revolution as being those that establish "an independent center of
capital accumulation".[6][14][15] Charles Post labels this analysis as consequentialism, where there is no requirement of the prior development of capitalism or bourgeois class agency for bourgeois revolutions, and that they are only defined by the effects of the revolutions to promote the development of capital accumulation.[16]
Other theories describe the evolution of the bourgeoisie as not needing a revolution.[17] The
German bourgeoisie during the
1848 revolution did not strive to take command of the political effort and instead sided with the crown.[18][19] Davidson attributes their behaviour to the late development of capitalist relations and uses this as the model for the evolution of the bourgeoisie.[20]
The first wave of bourgeois revolutions are those that occurred within the
early modern period and were typically marked by being driven from below by the
petty bourgeoisie against
absolutist governments.[6]
German Peasants' War (1524–1525) (it has been labelled by later historians as an early attempt at a bourgeois revolution)[36]
The second wave of bourgeois revolutions are those that occurred within the
late modern period and were typically marked by being led from above by the
haute bourgeoisie.[6]
^Davidson, Neil (2012). "Marx and Engels (2) 1847–52". How Revolutionary Were the Bourgeois Revolutions?. Chicago, Illinois:
Haymarket Books. p. 144.
ISBN978-1-60846-067-0. In a world where most states have not yet experienced bourgeois revolutions, where most are even more economically underdeveloped than Germany, they too will give rise to "belated" bourgeoisies, the implication being that it is Germany rather than France that represents the likely pattern of bourgeois development.
^Mollat, Michel[in French];
Wolff, Philippe[in French] (1970). Ongles bleus, jacques et ciompi - les révolutions populaires en Europe aux XIVe et XVe siècles [Ongles bleus, Jacquerie and Ciompi - popular revolutions in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries] (in French). Calmann-Lévy.
^Pastor de Togneri, Reyna[in Spanish] (1973). Conflictos sociales y estancamiento económico en la España medieval [Social conflicts and economic stagnation in medieval Spain] (in Spanish). Editorial Ariel.
^Martín, José Luis. Historia de España [History of Spain (A society at war)]. Historia 16 (in Spanish). Vol. 4 - Una sociedad en guerra.
^Genkina, Esfir Borisovna[in Russian] (1927).
Pokrovsky, Mikhail Nikolaevich[in Russian] (ed.). Fevral'skiy perevorot // Ocherki po istorii Oktyabr'skoy revolyutsii Февральский переворот // Очерки по истории Октябрьской революции [The February coup // Essays on the history of the October Revolution] (in Russian). Vol. 2.