What are the pre-requisites for a democratic revolution?

[loneranger]

Hello all,

I personally thought this was an interesting thought. What are the sort of things that need to happen, societally, for a democratic revolution to take place and be successful?

For example - are literacy rates important? A middle class?

Tell me your thoughts, based on history.

 

[The Professor]

How are you defining a "democratic revolution"?

 

[loneranger]

How are you defining a "democratic revolution"?

Maybe democratic isn’t the right word, but basically just overthrowing a royal system for an electoral one (at least on paper).
For example:
- American Revolution
- French Revolution
- Haitian Revolution
- 1848 Revolutions

 

[MarshalofMontival]

Some form of mass media is essential. Newspapers, radio, internet, so long as the audience is large enough to include at least a plurality of the population. Which also presupposes a certain level of literacy/technological availability.

 

[Mightyboosh5]

Maybe democratic isn’t the right word, but basically just overthrowing a royal system for an electoral one (at least on paper).
For example:
- American Revolution
- French Revolution
- Haitian Revolution
- 1848 Revolutions

I mean if you dont require the state to be fully democratic and allow for aristocratic republics then i think the important thing is the existence of city states in pre modern times, thats where you see elected governments take place the most in city states in both ancient and medieval times

 

[The Professor]

Maybe democratic isn’t the right word, but basically just overthrowing a royal system for an electoral one (at least on paper).
For example:
- American Revolution
- French Revolution
- Haitian Revolution
- 1848 Revolutions

Well all you really need then is for enough of the elite/administration to be convinced that changing the system, rather than just the monarch, is preferable. And convince enough military to join them or be able to train their own to win at the right time and place.
Then they just need to last long to be stable - which would probably rule out a French style Revolution!