The article is devoted to the problem of the social component of radical mass forms of social protest. Analyzing such phenomena as civil wars, revolutions, insurrections, revolts and mass anti-government actions, the author comes to the conclusion that the basis of radical mass protests is made up of young people and educated sections of society that belong to the social categories of “intelligentsia” and “middle class”. In case of protest actions transition into a civil war all sectors of society are involved into the struggle. As it is stated by the author, the role of the peasantry in protests decreases as the historical development goes on, their quantity declines, and the proportion of urban residents (from the middle class and the intelligentsia) is growing.

social protest, youth bulge, class conflict, peasant wars, Civil wars

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