A counterrevolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part. It has been suggested that Revolutionary be merged into this article or section. ...

Monarchists and supporters of the Ancien Régime following the French Revolution were counterrevolutionaries, and so were the monarchies that put down the various Revolutions of 1848. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy. ... Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ... The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In France before World War I, people who "opposed democratic ideas, parliamentary government, trade-unions, or socialism" were often considered counterrevolutionary by their opponents. The White Army and its supporters who tried to defeat the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution, as well as the German Freikorps who crushed the German revolution of 1919, were also counterrevolutionaries. World War I, also known as the First World War, and (before 1939) the Great War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars, was a world conflict lasting from August 1914 to the final Armistice (cessation of hostilities) on November 11, 1918. ... White army may refer to: The military arm of the White movement, a loose coalition of anti-Bolshevik forces in the Russian Civil War The Saudi Arabian National Guard The National Guard of Kuwait This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ... The October Revolution, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was the second phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the first having been instigated by the events around the February Revolution. ... The designation of Freikorps (German for Free Corps) was originally applied to voluntary armies. ... This article describes the November 1918 revolution in Germany. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

More recently, the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion into Cuba was conducted by counterrevolutionaries who hoped to overthrow the revolutionary government of Fidel Castro. In the 1980s, the United States sponsored Contra-Revolución rebels fighting to overthrow the revolutionary Sandinista government in Nicaragua. In fact, the Contras received their name precisely because they were counterrevolutionaries. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Cuban Government Forces Cuban exiles trained by the US Commanders Fidel Castro Grayston Lynch Pepe San Roman Erneido Oliva Strength 51,000 1,500 Casualties 2,200; estimated 114 dead 1,189 captured {{{notes}}} Cuban poster warning before invasion showing a soldier armed with a RPD machine gun. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (pron. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The Contras (Spanish contrarrevolucionario, counter-revolutionary) were the armed opponents of Nicaraguas Sandinista National Liberation Front Government Junta of National Reconstruction following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle and the ending of the Somoza familys 43-year rule. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ...

Some counterrevolutionaries are former revolutionaries who supported the initial overthrow of the former regime, but came to differ with those who ultimately came to power after the revolution. For example, some of the Contras originally fought with the Sandinistas to overthrow Anastasio Somoza, and some of those who oppose Castro also opposed Batista. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Revolution. ... Anastasio Somoza Debayle (December 5, 1925–September 17, 1980) was the President of Nicaragua from 1967 to 1972 and then from 1974 to 1979. ... Batista may refer to: Fulgencio Batista - Cuban dictator Miguel Batista - Dominican baseball player Norkys Batista - Venezuelan actress Dave Batista - professional wrestler This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

The word is often used interchangeably with reactionary; however, some reactionaries (like the Nazis and Italian fascists) used the term counterrevolutionary to describe their opponents - even if those opponents were advocates of a Marxist revolution. Similarly, the clerics who took power following the Iranian Revolution would describe all those who opposed them as counterrevolutionary, even though some were Communists. The term, therefore, should be understood in a relative sense politically, rather than as an absolute concept. Reactionary (or reactionist) is a political epithet typically applied to conservatism. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ... Communism refers to a conjectured future classless, stateless social organization based upon common ownership of the means of production, and can be classified as a branch of the broader socialist movement. ...

See also

• revolutionary syndicalism
• Anti-Soviet agitation and Article 58 (RSFSR Penal Code)
• Recontra, the Contras who did not accept the new government after the ejection of revolutionary Sandinists.

Syndicalism refers to a set of ideas, movements and tendencies which share the avowed aim of transforming capitalist society through action by the working class on the industrial front. ... Anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda (ASA) (Антисоветская агитация и пропаганда (АСА)) was a criminal offence in Soviet Union. ... Article 58 of the Russian SFSR Penal Code was put in force on February 25, 1927 to arrest those suspected guilty of counter-revolutionary activities. ...

References

(1) Liberalism and the Challenge of Fascism, Social Forces in England and France (1815-1870), Prof. J. Salwyn Schapiro, McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., NY, l949. pg 364.