Revolution from above

A revolution from above refers to major political and social changes that are imposed by an élite on the population it dominates. It usually occurs in urban areas in a capital city. By contrast, the plain term "revolution" suggests that pressure from below is a major driving force in events, even if other social groups cooperate with—or ultimately capture—the movement. The phrase "revolution from above" was coined by the Spanish writer Joaquín Costa (1846-1911) in the 19th century.^[1] In contrast, a "revolution from below" refers to a grassroots campaign against élites. Johann Gottlieb Fichte advocated the right of revolution, particularly from above rather than below.^[2]

Examples

East Asia

• Meiji Restoration
• Wuxu Reform

Middle East

• Tanzimat
• Kemalism in Turkey
• White Revolution in Iran

Europe

• Enlightened absolutism in 18th-century Europe
• The Constitution of the German Confederation (1871) and the formation of the German Empire
• Stalin's Collectivization of agriculture
• De-Stalinization under Nikita Khrushchev
• Great Purge in the Soviet Union under Stalin
• German reunification

See also

• Revolution from Above: Military Bureaucrats and Development in Japan, Turkey, Egypt, and Peru, a 1978 book written by Ellen Kay Trimberger
• Passive revolution – a similar concept associated with Antonio Gramsci