ABSTRACT

The spark igniting the revolution and Black Friday theories raise the question of whether the revolution was an intended consequence or not. Revolutions do not come easily, and they tend to be nonviolent in those circumstances where victory is seen as a realistic possibility. The apparent impossibility of making a fight of it against the odds induced a view that lasted into the revolution and was reflected, for example, in the caution that university rectors, among many others, advised the striking students. The police attack, whether the result of a conspiracy or not, provided the spark for the revolution in much the same way as Sarajevo did for World War I. The historical experiences of war and the failure of the first republic radicalized society, and communism after the war produced a sense of history and a belief in change.