The line between what separates a civil war from a revolutionary war is often unclear, as civil wars often maintain some of the same characteristics as revolutionary wars.  In the context of American history, why is the war that followed America’s declaration of independence from Britain referred to as the American Revolution, when the war that followed the Confederacy’s declaration of independence from the Union referred to as the American Civil War? Both the American Revolution and the American Civil War were technically secessionist wars. The Confederacy, like the 13 American colonies, adopted new and unique constitutions when seceding. Additionally, in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army not only fought the British military, but also the Provincial Corps, a sizable army comprised of American Loyalists. Who decides what an internal armed conflict is labeled as, the press, the government, the victors of the war, or possibly external nations?

The meaning of a revolutionary war, and the meaning of a civil war, both carry different implications, the former being venerable, attractive, and progressive, and the latter being vile, unappealing, and degenerative. Ultimately, in conflicts that involve prolonged armed internal struggles between a government and its people, how a conflict gets portrayed has less to do with the specific aspects of the war itself, and more to do with the agendas of those who maintain the intellectual and political power over the press, both during the war itself, and following it. To call an armed internal struggle a civil war, denies rebels with a sense of legitimacy during the war. In the Baader Meinhof Complex, the members of the RAF saw their war against “the fascists and the imperialists” as revolutionary. While the RAF’s goal was to start a revolution, those who maintained control over the international press, and the German press, labeled the RAF as rebels, thugs, and terrorists. Historically, the opinions and the values of the RAF never reached the mainstream political consciousness of the West German state, and no massive revolution was ever able to transpire to topple the government. Germany maintained control of the media, both during their struggle against the RAF and after the RAF’s defeat; therefore, the actions of the RAF have continued to be labeled in derogatory terms.

America ultimately was able to spark a massive armed insurrection against Great Britain, and was able to successfully secede. Since the Founding Father’s had a fairly autonomous government, civil society, and control over the internal press prior to the revolution, when the Founders declared their independence in 1776, they were able to manage the image of the war. Obviously, the Founding Fathers were able to establish a government, and successfully fend off the British military. The American victory in the Revolutionary War meant that American’s would be able to control the historical image of the war as well. In the case of the Confederacy, while the South was able to spark a massive armed secessionist war, they were unable to win, and therefore the Union was able to manage the historical image of the war. If the Confederacy had won, would they have looked back on their secession from the North in revolutionary terms? Although the answer to this question is unclear, it is clear that those in power of the government and the press, often utilize words as propaganda, and as a way of managing their current and historical image.