Top 10 Formidable Revolutionaries Throughout History
Throughout history there were man and women who dared to challenge the status quo in order to change society under their own vision. These kinds of people who strive for socio-political change were called revolutionaries. Such ideas by them were considered to be "unorthodox" and thus were deemed to be threatening by the establishment. The establishment would do anything necessary to prevent them from achieving their goals in order to preserve the "old system". For better or worse.And on the side note, by formidable I meant that these revolutionaries would go to such length to fight against the establishment often through violent means with such determination. Revolutionaries such as Gandhi or Mandela often resorted to peaceful means.
He was surely an admirable man in any other way. First serving in the Ottoman military and led Turkish forces to victory in Gallipoli, he was a war hero in Turkey. After WWI, he and others resisted the Entente's attempt to carve up and weaken Turkey through armed warfare against foreign powers in multiple fronts in the Revolutionary War. After winning the war, he immediately proclaimed Turkey as a republic with an emphasis on secularism and Western modernity. He was known as Father of the Turks.
The American general who served as America's first president in 1789. Washington led the Continental Army against the British in the Revolutionary War and through his tactical wit he defeated the British in many battles. He devised the structure of the United States as a republican government under rule of law.
Fought the strongest nation on earth and formed a country that lasted, and which in turn became the strongest nation on earth.
He was captured in 1967.
Guevara was tied up and taken to a dilapidated mud schoolhouse in the nearby village of La Higuera on the evening of 8 October. For the next half-day, he refused to be interrogated by Bolivian... read more
Who doesn't know Che Guevara? An Argentinian Marxist revolutionary whose world view was shaped by the poor living conditions of 20th Century South and Central America, he was noted for his work in assisting fellow like-minded revolutionaries such as in Cuba together with Fidel Castro and later the rest of the Americas. Only to be killed by Bolivian authorities afterwards in one of his operations. His name and image has become an iconic figure to counter-culture.
A surely interesting entry into the list; he was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary who led Partisan forces against Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia throughout WWII. He was an excellent military commander and political leader whose resistance forces inflicted a lot of damage to Axis forces in the war. After the end of the war, he effectively became the dictator of the new socialist Yugoslav state only to hold the country together in which he made Yugoslavia one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in Europe. He also dared to challenge Stalin's hegemony in Yugoslavia and won. He is a popular example of a "benevolent dictator" by many.
The only commie that I like and even then he was more of Market Socialist with some Marxist views than an actual Communist(I'm a Social Democrat by the way).-DarkBoi-X
Mexican revolutionary who was the forefront of the peasant revolution in Mexico in the 1900s. He resisted against the landowning elite who were oppressing Mexico's peasantry with his guerrilla forces known as the Zapatistas. He came into conflict with the federal government and was killed in an ambush during the revolution.
A Venezuelan military general and political leader who fought against the Spaniards in Venezuela and later liberated the rest of Latin America such as in Colombia, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama with his tactical prowess. Now glorified throughout Latin America as a liberator.
Viva La Gran Columbia!
Known as the Che Guevara of Africa, Sankara launched a military coup against the corrupt old regime before him despite at a young age. He immediately became popular among the Burkinabe people for his social reforms that drastically improved the living standards of the impoverished Burkina Faso at the time. He was also known for his modesty and humility which made him stood out from most African leaders. Sankara even refused to have his portrait hanged as stated by him: "There's a million Thomas Sankara in Africa".
Soviet revolutionary who led the Red Army to victory in numerous battles in the Russian Civil War and that ill-fated war with Poland. Was keen on spreading the communist revolution around the world. Only to be killed by Stalin in his Great Purge.
Led one of the most daunting uprisings ever in the Caribbean, he and the Haitians stood up against their French colonial oppressors and established Haiti afterwards. The story of Haiti starts from there.
An Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary and military commander who established the Free Territory in Ukraine. He established the anarchist state under the ideals of anarcho-communism or Makhnovism and had his forces protect the peasantry. Unfortunately, the Free Territory was invaded by their own Bolshevik ally and he was exiled to Paris where he died there.
Personally, as an anarcho-syndicalist, I adore the Bat'ko very much but there are much more noteworthy figures other than him.