In this lecture, we're going to trace the history of the third wave of global democratization.

But in doing so, we're also going to explore a question that must certainly be asked if not answered. [COUGH] In any course on democratic development, which is why democracy? Why should people struggle for democracy? Why has the struggle for democracy been such a dominant theme of social and political action, and national development, and international dialog, and international relations over the past four decades. What is it about democracy that makes it such a central question of our time? Why do people struggle for democracy? Let's first review the history of the third wave of global democratization which began with the so-called Revolution of the Carnations in Portugal in 1974. this was a revolution in which the Armed Forces of Portugal overthrew an authoritarian dictatorship that had been in place for many decades. and partly it was driven by the disillusionment of the armed forces returning for, from military struggles to contain wars of national liberation in the Portuguese colonies in particular Angola and Mozambique. and the soldiers and officers were extremely disillusioned with what seemed to be an endless and winnable, and maybe unjust set of military conflicts to preserve Portugal's colonial domination in an era that was clearly no longer tolerant of this kind of unjust domination of one society by another. When the military acted, the society rallied behind them in an effusion of popular support for an end to this quasi-fascist dictatorship. and the people came forward to place carnations in the rifle barrels, as you see to the left here of the soldiers who'd over thrown the dictatorship. It was a time that was open to many possibilities. It was a time of great political struggle in which the outcome of this revolutionary struggle wasn't determined for really several years. and in which it was possible that Portugal could have fallen victim to a new kind of dictatorship. Instead of a right wing dictatorship, it might have been a left wing or a

communist dictatorship. But as Samuel Huntington eloquently addresses in the third wave of democratization. And as I have also summarized in my book The Spirit of Democracy. the moderates went out in a very difficult struggle and launched a new democracy in Portugal, which has been remarkably vibrant and successful since the mid to late 1970s. There followed after transitions to democracy first in Portugal then in Greece and then in Spain. There followed a wave of transitions to democracy in Latin America. And this was a rising up of opposition to the military dictatorships in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and so forth. There was very powerful motivation in Argentina by Los Madres de Plaza de Mayo. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, these were women whose children had disappeared or had been imprisoned without explanation. And they were demanding accountability and they were demanding to see the detained, to see their children, see their loved ones. And protesting a large wave of unaccountable, extrajudicial disappearances. Unfortunately, many of which were be, were to be established later as having been extra judicial killings by the Argentine military regime. and so we see that the demand for democracy during this period of time was in part a campaign for human rights and the defense of human rights and the reigning in of the unaccountable power of autocrats. The wave of democracy in Latin America brought down a succession of military regimes. Or induced them to yield in the late 1970s and early 1980s in such countries as Argentina Brazil, Uruguay and Peru. there then followed in 1986 a political crisis provoked by the rising opposition to the civilian dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. Who'd been elected President, and was re-elected in the 1960s and 70s. And then seized extraordinary powers and refused to submit to the authority of the democratic constitution and to be constrained by it. In 1986, Ferdinand Marcos in February of

1986 called a snap election to test his support and legitimacy, and by his explanation to show that he had the love and support of his people. And that election was won by the opposition campaigner Cory Aquino and when Marcos sought to steal the election. hundreds of thousand ultimately millions of people, came out into the streets of Manila. And in particular, to this freeway intersection, Edsa and produced what's known as the Miracle at Edsa. Such an extraordinary outpouring of people wanting to defend their vote, defend their struggle for political accountability that the dictator was forced to yield and flee into exile. Not long after, students demonstrated for democracy in South Korea. once again mobilizing huge numbers of people to pressure the military regime in South Korea to make a transition to democracy and withdraw from power. And in 1988 a new elected government took over after an election in December of 1987. The first competitive direct presidential election by reasonably democratic means in Korea in more than a generation. And though was won by a former general and top official of the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan. Namely No Tae Wu, it did mark the beginning of a new formally democratic system in Korea. And of course this was at a time when democratic pressures were spreading throughout Asia. Taiwan was accelerating it's own transition to democracy which would gather steam and be completed in the first half of the 1990s. And there was movement to democracy in Bangladesh and democratic ferment more generally in Asia. in this context and at a time when Gorbachev and Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet Union was implementing a number of reforms that helped to bring about an opening of the Soviet Union politically and economically. And then, created the conditions for the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. There arose in China a mass movement of protest for democracy and sweeping political change during the Spring of 1989. When again millions of people in China poured into the streets of Bejing into

Tiananmen Square and into the squares and streets of other Chinese cities protesting for freedom and democracy. this is a picture of some of these protests in Tiananmen Square in May of 1989. Unfortunately, just one month later, on June 4, 1989 Chinese military forces poured into the streets of Beijing to suppress the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and shut down for a very long time popular calls for freedom and democracy. But the aspirations for political freedom were becoming increasingly global in nature. and were increasingly exposing the lack of legitimacy of a number of communist dictatorships [COUGH] in various places around the world. Not least, central and eastern Europe where communist regimes had been imposed. Largely, by Soviet military force or Soviet interventions of one kind or another. Rather than the kind of indigenous revolutions that occurred in China and Cuba, for example. and it was long argued that it was only the threat of Soviet Force and the presence of communist troops. That sustained Communist regimes in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in East Germany in particular. There emerged during the 1980s a very exciting new phase of popular struggle for democracy in Eastern Europe, the Polish trade union movement Solidarity. This is a picture of the famous Polish trade union leader mobilizing workers in the ship yards in Gdansk, Lech Walesa. Who would become the face and voice of the movement for freedom in Poland. and the leader not only of solidarity but ultimately the president of a new Democratic political system in Poland. These are some of the banners and images that the Polish trade union moment Solidarity or Solidarnosc in Polish spread in the public consciousness as a way of expressing their aspiration for freedom and independence. And very interestingly you see here the image of the American actor in the great Western High Noon. Where a lone individual Sheriff who is a strong believer in, and defender of justice. And moral right was standing up to a much more powerful and corrupt force in order

to defend the public good, this was the kind of image that they were trying to invoke. Of course the change accelerated and became a whole new phase of democratic mobilization. not only in Central and Eastern Europe, but throughout the world. When the accelerating pace of flight from East Germany crystallized in the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989, an iconic moment during the third wave of global democratization. Some people even say that that triggered a fourth wave of global democratization. But I consider all of this part of one long wave of democratic expansion in the world that in 1989 to 90 brought down communism. In central and Eastern Europe and of course, in 1991 brought down the Soviet Union as well and inaugurated in the various states of Central and Eastern Europe. Not just Poland, Hungary, the Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. but eventually Romania, Bulgaria the former Yugoslavia, and so on, Albania, a whole set of transitions to democratic forms of government. The fall of the Berlin wall and the demise in essence of Soviet communism helped to trigger a new world and a new consciousnesses in Sub-Saharan Africa and globally as well. Just a few months later, in February of 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from nearly 29 years of prison along with other key leaders of the African National Congress the ANC. And there began a period of dialogue and negotiation leading in April of 1994 to the first free and fair multi-racial, inclusive election in South Africa's history. choosing a government that would govern all the people of South Africa without distinction to race. As I will show, the movement for democracy spread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, when Nelson Mandela was released in February 1990. Very few countries in Africa, probably only roughly 10% of the more than 40 independent states in Sub-Saharan Africa could be called democracies. But within a relatively short span of time, certainly less than a decade. Almost all the roughly 48 states of Sub-Saharan Africa at the time, had gone

on to hold at least multiparty elections, and some of them multi-party democratic elections, as well. In terms of meeting that test of free and fair elections to determine who rules. And of course, most recently, we've seen peoples in a variety of Arab countries rise up to demand democratic change to demand dignity karama politically and socially to be treated with respect. With protection for their rights, with equality under a rule of law, and with an opportunity to voice their grievances peacefully, campaigned for their interest, and achieved responsiveness from government. Of course, that's the essence of democracy, and this succeeded in toppling first, the dictator Ben Ali in Tunisia. And then, the next month, forcing President Mubarak to withdraw from power in Egypt in February of 2011. These are anti-Mubarak protests in Tahrir Square on February 10th. The next day, Egyptians were celebrating the down fall of the Mubarak dictatorship in Tahrir Square. And two more dictators in Libya and Yemen with-fall in relatively short order after that as well.