What does The Revolution Ends By Devouring Its Own Children mean?

Answer 1

The original revolutionaries, once they are mostly successful, are now worried about some future revolutionaries starting a different revolution, to redo the society once again. To the original revolutionaries, what they believed in was right. So, what's the need for another revolution, they think.

So, they do not want another revolution after their revolution, or a revolution within their revolution. In the chaos of their revolution, they have the incentive and means to wipe out anyone they think differs from their viewpoint. In the same chaos, someone else can wipe out the original revolutionaries, and hijack the revolution. The incentive of money, power, women, and future good life is far too much to resist.

Answer 2

In general, it refers to the fact that after the initial successful revolution, there comes a period of revolutionary justice. Initially, the revolutionary justice is applied to the members of the old regime. Then, as the revolutionaries begin to fight each other for power, the same techniques that were used to justify the necessity of killing and imprisoning the former rulers are now used to justify the killing of the members of the revolution that have fallen out with the powers that be.

The French Revolution is an excellent example of this. The reign of terror began with executing the king and the nobility. It ended with the death of many of the early leaders of the revolution.

In short, the one rule of most revolutions is, to quote Pete Townshend "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."

Answer 3

The phrase, "The Revolution ends by devouring its own children," refers to the French Revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799. A long story short, eventually the leaders of the French Revolution - Robespierre and Danton, namely - were all executed by the guillotine, which was what the revolutionaries used to end the monarchial system and begin the French Revolution. They were all executed by each other - Danton on Robespierre's orders and Robespierre was arrested by the members of the National Convention, which was the republic instituted by the revolution and that Robespierre had previously led.

Answer 4

Well, not all of them; the UK and US are exceptions; but generally speaking, the people who start revolutiuons fail to survive them. This is most true of France and Russia.

Answer 5

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