Throughout history, new ideas have come and wrecked the system upon which old ideas stand. When we look at history, revolutions are one of the most frequent ways in which old systems have been replaced with new ones. Revolutions obviously do not always have to be violent, peaceful revolutions with cooperation and mutual agreement have occurred, however, most revolutions do contain some amount of violence. Depending on the response of governments and the resilience of the people, revolutions can lead to all-out civil wars in some cases. However, it is also a known fact that when people are organized and determined they can make any change in the system that they desire. The phrase “No army can withstand an idea whose time has come” by Victor Hugo greatly sums this up.
The Cuban Revolution in the 1950s is a great example of this situation. The government was trying to oppress the masses who were trying to install a communist government. The coup d’etat that brought Fulgencio Batista was greatly protested by the people led by Fidel and Raul Castro. Batista was more friendly to the United States and American companies while he ruthlessly oppressed his own people which led to wide unrest among the public. At first, the government looked like they were untouchable with the power of the Cuban army behind them, however, in the end, the people prevailed and Cuba became a communist nation. No matter how hard the government of Cuba tried to maintain the order they were eventually bested by the people.
The French Revolution is another example of this situation. At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, people in France were living in miserable conditions while the ruling class was living lavish lives. The people were being used by the ruling class as workers without any sufficient pay or compensation. People were obviously feeling fury towards the ruling class. The king was forced to abdicate and he tried to flee the country, however, he was caught, and later he was killed. The ideas of liberty and the right of citizens were very influential in this revolution along with the great financial crisis in France.
As we can see from the examples, if an idea is widely accepted by the general public it is very likely that change will occur regarding the matter. If the situation is serious enough violent revolutions and uprisings might also occur. It is very difficult for the army of a government to withstand millions of angry people. Considering the soldiers themselves are citizens, it is very unlikely that armies would fight against their own citizens. This is why a government can not stop a revolution that is backed by the entire public.