Even though revolutions can result in civil wars, and wars can be associated with significant revolutionary changes, there are specific differences between these types of conflicts. A civil war is defined as an armed conflict developing in a certain country between the representatives of opposing social groups to promote their interests. A revolution is usually oriented toward an overthrow of the existing government while leading to critical changes in the political regime, as well as in the economic and social order. Although civil wars and revolutions are usually observed in the context of one country and are aimed at political and social changes, there are still key differences in these conflicts.
Firstly, a civil war develops to protect the interests of certain social groups, and the key desired changes include social and economic ones. On the contrary, revolutions are mainly started to transform the political regime and course of the country. Secondly, civil wars involve two parties that are rather equal in their powers when revolutions are started by smaller parties focused on overthrowing the rule of the governing and more powerful party. Thirdly, revolutions can be discussed as progressive in their outcomes as they typically lead to establishing positive changes for society in terms of politics and development. Still, civil wars are mainly destructive as they lead to more victims among the population, and they do not always lead to transformative outcomes. The example to illustrate the difference between a civil war and a revolution is connected with the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the American Civil War (1861-1865).
The American Revolution developed as a revolt of the American colonies against the British Government. Thus, the purpose of the leaders of the American colonies was to change the social order and become independent from Britain. That revolution brought significant changes for 13 American colonies, resulting in the formation of a new state with its specific political regime. The American Civil War started within the United States as a result of a conflict between the interests of the Northern and Southern States of the country. It was important for the Northern States to preserve the Union, and for the Southern States, it was critical to preserving slavery even when becoming a rather independent the Confederate States of America. From this perspective, the events from American history provide clear examples of a revolution and a civil war to understand the difference between them.