An insurrection is a protest movement that arises spontaneously.
The term insurrection comes from the Latin word insurrectio and refers to an uprising or revolt . It is an action developed by a community, a collectivity, etc. who decides to rebel against the authorities or against the established order .
Many times insurrection is used as a synonym for uprising , rebellion or revolution . In any case, each concept has its nuance and its imprint, which is why it is possible to choose the most appropriate word according to the context.
Insurrection, rebellion and revolution
At a general level, it can be said that an insurrection is a spontaneous protest movement , which usually arises as a reaction to an action that is considered contrary to the interests of those who rebel. The insurrection, therefore, does not have a defined program nor does it aspire to be sustained over time .
The rebellion , on the other hand, is usually organized and has a well-defined political proclamation. The revolution , finally, is an armed uprising that aspires to overthrow the government and achieve a profound and lasting change in the economic and political organization.
It is possible to affirm, in short, that the insurrection is an uprising or an outbreak motivated by a specific cause but without a specific plan of action . However, insurrection can be the first step toward a more organized and far-reaching initiative, such as a revolution.
Revolution, rebellion and revolt are some terms that are often used synonymously with insurrection.
Synonyms and antonyms
This term is part of the vocabulary of any person with a basic level of education, although this does not mean that its use is very common in everyday speech. Since it refers to war- like or emergency situations, we do not find it in most conversations.
To better understand its meaning we can turn to its various synonyms, among which those already mentioned and others stand out: uprising, insubordination, rebellion, mutiny, uprising, subversion , sedition, revolution and revolt . In this list we notice that some of the words that we distinguished from insurrection in previous paragraphs appear, such as revolution and rebellion .
Among the most common antonyms we have obedience and submission . It is curious to note that these last two terms refer to an attitude rather than an action, so that they are not perfectly opposite meanings, but rather require a context to have the desired effect. We can notice it, for example, in the following sentence: "While the eastern region of the city responded with submission, the western region resorted to insurrection."
The contrast between these concepts can be appreciated even more if we take their adjectives: «The insurgent group has gotten out of hand: if we do not do something in time, the city will become a true battlefield « , «We must be grateful that "The majority of the people have been submissive to our decision to cut the budget."
The Prague Uprising
On May 5, 1945, a historical event known as the Prague Uprising began. It was about the Czechs' search for freedom from the German occupation in the context of World War II. It lasted three days, until a ceasefire occurred.
Regarding the background of the Prague Uprising, we should note that the city had suffered due to factors such as the annulment of political rights, the militarization of the economy and the forcible deportation of many people to Germany to cover various generally unwanted jobs. Furthermore, this not only affected the working class but a portion of the lower bourgeoisie.
A song from Last in Line
“Insurrección” , on the other hand, is a song that is part of the album “Enemigos de lo ajeno” by the Spanish band El Último de la Fila .
The song is considered among the best Spanish pop-rock in all of history .