Seven Notable National Revolutions

Chechen Revolution (1994-1996)
Chechnya is a small Eastern European locale that has a history of rebellion dating back to the early 1800s. With the collapsing of the Soviet Union, Chechen authorities concluded the time was ripe to declare their independence from the Soviet Union/Russian Federation in 1991. At the time, Russian authorities had other pressing problems to deal with besides a breakaway republic, though they did not recognize the republics calls for Independence. This period of relative quiet ended in 1994 when Russian forces finally garnered their attention to the breakaway Republic and invaded Chechnya. With many of the former Soviet Union satellites and republics becoming sovereign nations once again, the Russians had had enough. Russian forces, not known for being particularly even-handed in their approach, were brutal, completely destroying the city of Groznyy before capturing it. Out marched and out gunned, the Chechen government was ousted and Russians set up a puppet regime. Nevertheless, pockets of rebels continued to hold out and take the fight to the Russians over the course of the next couple of years. Finally, a peace accord was reached in 1996 that essentially allowed Chechnya to be an autonomous entity within the Russian Federation, but not secede and become a sovereign state. By the end of the conflict, more than 40,000 people were dead (mostly Chechen civilians) and over 300,000 people displaced.

Kosovo Rebellion (1997-1999)
The strife in Kosovo is about as convoluted as any can be found. The main issue, if one really gets to the bottom of the matter, is tied up in ethnic tension between Serbians and Albanians. Kosovo happens to be an area that is ethnically important to Serbians. However, as it so happens, Kosovo has a population that is about 80% Albanian. Naturally, the Albanians would prefer to either be a sovereign state in their own right or to be annexed into the sovereign nation of Albania. Of course the Serbian minority population of Kosovo doesn't agree, nor does the nation state to which Kosovo is apart of. To this end, Kosovar Albanians decided to take up arms and force the issue. Calling themselves the Kosovo Liberation Army, they set out to attack Serbian targets. In retaliation, Serbian forces launched a campaign to simply wipe out the Kosovar Albanians, or at least anyone the determined was a problem. The violence resulted in hundreds of dead Kosovar Albanians and with over 200,000 Albanians displaced. The sheer brutality of the Serbian forces enticed many to join the rebels in the hills and fight. By 1999, the United Nations convinced that further Serbian forces were intent on committing genocide by completely wiping out the Kosovar Albian population (about 1.5 million people). NATO intervened militarily, and eventually an agreement to end hostilities was signed. By this time, it is estimated that well over 4,000 are dead and 600,000 Kosovar Albanians were displaced, though most returned under the protection of UN peace keeping forces. Kosovo remained a territory under Yugoslav sovereignty, but was essentially a protected territory of the United Nations.

Bosnian Civil War (1992-1995)
The civil war that erupted in the former Eastern European country of Yugoslavia was another military engagement that involved NATO and the United Nations (and the United States forces assigned to peace keeping duty). The disintegration of the Soviet Union left a political vacuum in Eastern Europe that reignited much of the regional animosity that had existed prior to Soviet domination of the area. Such was the case in Bosnia. Bosnia (officially called Bosnia and Herzegovina) was one of the six republics that made up the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia being the other five). Bosnia, unlike the other republics with significant ethnic majorities, was comprised of equally large populations of Muslim Slavs, Serbs, and Croats, with each side receiving assistance from either Serbia or Croatia. Serbian military forces (which were better trained and equipped) managed to take control of about 70% of Bosnia. The Serbs then launched a massive ethnic cleansing campaign to rid the areas they controlled of all non-Serbian people. These atrocities led to worldwide attention and condemnation. The Croats then launched an attack against their former Muslim allies. While the territory in contention was not dramatically altered, both sides committed their own versions of ethnic cleansing. The atrocities committed were horrendous, with well over 200,000 deaths. Mass murder and rape, tens of thousands of people placed in modern day concentration camps and executed (mostly Muslims), and torture was the business at hand. The war finally came to an end with NATO and UN intervention.

Egyptian Revolution (2011)
When most people think of Egypt, images of pyramids and stories of pharaohs are the usual affair. Certainly, in the eyes of the United States, the Egyptian government under Hosni Mubarak represented a measure of stability in an unstable region. This wasn't the case in 2011, when the eyes of the world watched a revolution unfold on their televisions. In the mold of many leaders around the world, Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak was popular abroad and generally disliked at home. Mubarak had been president of Egypt since 1981 when he assumed the presidency after the assassination of Anwar Al-Sadat. Western nations, including the US, generall supported the Mubarak government because of its willingness to align Egypt with pro-western policies that affected the region (particularly the Middle East). The story on the home front, however, was much different. Egypt, during the entire length of Mubarak's rule was officially under martial law (a move that began after the assassination of al-Sadat and simply never ended). This gave Mubarak exceptional powers over the country. Those powers were used in a very autocratic manner. Any opposition to his government was silenced in one form or another. Mubarak also cracked down on what he termed religious fundamentalism, which in turn, angered a largely religious population. Guerrilla warfare-like violence ensued and was sporadically a problem throughout Mubarak's regime. Dissatisfaction with Mubarak's regime culminated in a popular uprisings that was generally unforeseen in January 2011. Surprisingly, this revolt unlike other similar uprisings was fairly bloodless. With the exception of a few clashes between protesters and government forces (with casualties only numbering a few hundred), the downfall of Mubarak's reign was the result of mass demonstrations held in major Egyptian cities. Coupled with wide spread media exposure and pressure from the international community, Mubarak decided to step aside, leaving the military in charge of plotting a new course for this ancient nation.

Iranian Revolution (1978-1979)
Iran, a consistent focus of international attention in recent years, was also headline news in the 1970s. During a majority of the 60s and 70s, Iran was ruled by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The Shah initiated a sweeping set of reforms in the early 60s, that severely limited traditional, religious authority and influence in the nation. As a result of the Shah's more secular leanings, the US lent its financial support to the regime (promoting regional stability and other security concerns). Unfortunately for the Shah, his government reforms didn't go over very well with Iran's clergy or most anyone else in the country. Out of this discontent came Ayahtollah, Ruhollah Khomeini. The Ayahtollah as early as 1963 began fermenting dissent against the Shah's government. He particularly lambasted western and specifically US influence in Iranian affairs. Though the Ayahtollah was quickly exiled, he continued to sow the seeds of revolution from Iraq and then France. It all came to a boil in 1978 as demonstrators (about 20,000 strong) were fired upon by government security forces. This was the day that became known as Black Friday. Several hundred students were killed and thousands of others were hurt. Within a few months, protesters began rioting across the country, attacking any symbol of so-called Western "decadence" (liquor stores, banks, government institutions, etc). Finally, disgruntled soldiers rebelled and attacked officers of the Shah's Imperial guard. this was the Shah's death knell and in 1979 he fled the country, leaving the Ayatollah Khomeini and his plans for an Islamic state behind. It wasn't long after this that the US embassy in Iran was taken over by militants and held the personnel assigned there as hostages.

American Civil War (1861-1865)
The War Between the States was the deadliest military contest in American history. This war pitted son against father and brother against brother. By the 1800s, American society found itself split into two distinct and competing regional areas: the North and the South. The main issue that ignited the passions of both sides to the point of civil war was slavery. The South depended on slavery as the force of labor that allowed their agricultural based economy (dependent on the growing and exporting of cotton) to exist. The North, on the other hand, didn't depend on slave labor, instead utilizing immigrants to work in its factories and build its infrastructure. With the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, the Southern states felt that their political influence was in dire jeopardy and seceded from the United States. President Lincoln found this unacceptable. The newly formed Confederate States of America then took the fight to the Union. The Union was initially unprepared to fight a war. While the North could field a larger army and had more resources, their forces were inadequately led (at least in the eastern campaigns). The Confederacy, on the other hand, would produce some of America's greatest military leaders. True grit, however, only goes so far. Failing to obtain foreign support (which was the element that allowed the Americans during the Revolution to defeat the British), the Confederacy could not long match the resources that were available in the North. Still, the fight was a bloody one. More than 600,000 men lost their lives in this conflict, with well over a million casualties. The property damage was in the billions of dollars. and while more than 4 million slaves were given their freedom and the country was reunited, the emotional scars from the war were deep and a certain degree, remain to this very day.

American Revolution (1775-1783)
No list of revolutions would be complete without including the conflict that defined the fight for freedom: the American Revolution. The struggle was born out of a dissatisfaction of the 13 British colonies established on the east coast America with Great Britain. A lack of adequate political representation within the British government, economic disparity and oppression, a natural attitude of self-reliance, and being located several thousands of miles away (and separated by a vast ocean), all contributed to American discontent. As a result, armed revolt was the answer in 1775 (with the declaration of independence coming a year later in 1776). Interestingly enough at the onset of hostilities, the 13 original colonies considered themselves as separate and sovereign nations; though with common interest. It wasn't until 1781 that the states places themselves under a united a united banner with the Articles of Confederation. Nevertheless, the task ahead of the American rebels was daunting. The British military was arguably the finest in the world (their navy was unquestionably so). They were well armed and expertly trained, with the resources of a wealthy nation behind them. The Americans, on the other hand, were poorly situated in every single category. In fact, the Continental Army struggled to the very end of the war to maintain itself. Nevertheless, what the Americans lacked in, well everything, they did have the advantage of fighting on their own land. This meant they had a much shorter line of supply and a friendly population surrounding them. The rest, as they say, is history.