To start and lead a "SUCCESSFUL" revolution...

[Veho Nex]

One needs a strong leader. Someone, quite admittedly like Adolf Hitler, who can fire up the crowds with a speech. Some one who when people walk by stop and listen and go... "You know? He's right."

One needs a long term plan.

What else would one man need to start the revolution the world requires.

[Ethelred Unread]

What else would one man need to start the revolution the world requires.

Does it?

A unifying ideology would be useful.

[Azathoth]

An alien invasion. Seriously.

Also, a way to not get vanned by the CIA/NSA/Men in Black.

[Samurai Waki]

One needs a strong leader. Someone, quite admittedly like Adolf Hitler, who can fire up the crowds with a speech. Some one who when people walk by stop and listen and go... "You know? He's right."

One needs a long term plan.

What else would one man need to start the revolution the world requires.

You need to be outspoken, condemn your opponents point of view, while never mentioning the drawbacks of your own. Give people the attention they want, by focusing on the issues that affect them the most. Gather a close retinue of intelligent, like minded individuals to back up your own agenda, and for gods sake don't strike until the iron is hot.

[Caius]

Oh and send to Prisioners Administration (aka Gulags) 40 million of people. Because any revolution would work without killing the opposition.

[CountArach]

One needs a strong leader. Someone, quite admittedly like Adolf Hitler, who can fire up the crowds with a speech. Some one who when people walk by stop and listen and go... "You know? He's right."

Not really. The French Revolution had many such people, but more importantly they had a citizenry devoted to their cause - one cannot make a revolution without the support of a mass movement.

[Centurion1]

The number 1 thing a succesfull revolution needs is.....

SOMEONE TO HATE.

Thats all you must have

[Ibrahim]

One needs a strong leader. Someone, quite admittedly like Adolf Hitler, who can fire up the crowds with a speech. Some one who when people walk by stop and listen and go... "You know? He's right."

One needs a long term plan.

What else would one man need to start the revolution the world requires.

do everything the American colonials did-including everything that was wrong

[rotorgun]

Something that angers the masses to unify them, such as "Were tired of paying unfair taxes without representation in the parliament!", is always helpful. Personally for me it is a fear that the price of prophylactics might go up due to the rising cost of oil.

[Meneldil]

One needs a strong leader. Someone, quite admittedly like Adolf Hitler, who can fire up the crowds with a speech. Some one who when people walk by stop and listen and go... "You know? He's right."

One needs a long term plan.

What else would one man need to start the revolution the world requires.

Wrong. The French revolution didn't have any real leader, and is - at least by my standards - the most important revolution of the modern era.
Actually, the Revolution ended when such a guy took the power (Napoleon). Until then, everything was pretty much decided by political parties, administrations, clubs and what not. The few people who tried to become dictator before Napoleon (Lafayette, Dumouriez) failled big time. Even Robespierre didn't rule alone. He was just the most important member (as in, the one everyobody would listen to) of the Comité de Salut Public.

Now, one can discuss whether or not the French revolution was successful. Even though it led to a - benevolent - dictatorship and to a return of the monarchy after 1815, it did a good job of exporting the ideas of the Enlightnement in Europe and of strenghtening them in France.

[rotorgun]

Meneldil Now, one can discuss whether or not the French revolution was successful. Even though it led to a - benevolent - dictatorship and to a return of the monarchy after 1815, it did a good job of exporting the ideas of the Enlightenment in Europe and of strengthening them in France.

I would say that Napoleon's rule was anything but benevolent. His rigging of electoral results, control of the media, repression of the intelligentsia, mass murder of religious and political opponents (through his minister of police Fouche) are but a few of many such examples. This is not to mention a penchant for loot that made Hermann Goering look like a petty shop lifter. Enlightened he may have been, even progressive in many ways, but he was still a thug, something akin to a mafioso don.

[Megas Methuselah]

...but he was still a thug, something akin to a mafioso don.

No! He's my hero!

[rotorgun]

No! He's my hero!

Well he did at least leave us the Napoleonic Code, still in use in French law today. I do give him grudging admiration as a soldier. Alas, we are diverging from the intent of the thread. The independence movement of India as led by Gandhi is a fascinating example of what was needed for a successful revolution; repressive rule there, and exploitation of the people were the main factors which drove the Hindi to revolt against their British overlords. There was also a great cultural divide to further the cause.

[Brenus]

I am not a Napoleon fan, however:

I would say that Napoleon's rule was anything but benevolent.
His rigging of electoral results (what elections?)
Control of the media, repression of the intelligentsia: Any difference with the Regimes in UK, Russia, Prussia, Spain?
Mass murder of religious: Er, he is the guy you signed the Concordat with Rome, resolving the Religious problem in France.
and political opponents (through his minister of police Fouche) are but a few of many such examples. No political mass Murder as far as I know. One crime against the Duc d’Angien but for what I remember, Napoleon escaped few attempt of murder (e.g. from Cadoudal) and no massive reprisal on the Vendee populations happened…

This is not to mention a penchant for loot that made Hermann Goering look like a petty shop lifter. Again, I fail to see any difference with others regimes of the times, where spoils of war were quite a normal way to do war and to reward your armies…

Enlightened he may have been, even progressive in many ways, but he was still a thug, something akin to a mafioso don. That is the Corsican side…

To succeed a Revolution you need a good pre-revolution situation: Popular dissatisfaction and some unrest, a weak opponent, a population able to take arms...
It is a sensitive alchemy...