I first need to qualify by what I mean successful - the result was a significant change in the structure of society afterwards. The reputation of those who organised it usually remains good afterwards as well, regardless of how messy it may have got in the process. Lastly in my definition of successful, I will include the duration of the effect, or maybe more precisely, the fact that they all continue to this day.
Secondly, Revolutions - By this I mean not the rise of a new version of tyranny, from an insurgency, but the pushback against authoritarian systems and the forcing of them to concede more individual freedoms. At least, forcing this to be the appearance. Clearly by this I could not include the Bolshevik Revolution because that was worse than the Tsars, by many metrics.
Christianity
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The religious movement that formed around the story of Jesus was incredibly powerful, and very damaging to the Establishment. Jesus openly opposed the collusion of Bankers and Priests, and the subjugation of the Romans. Well, that is, that's how the story goes...
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus
The main accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus are third party narratives written years after his death. The Christian Testament represents sources that have become canonical for Christianity and there also exist many apocryphal texts showing a wide variety of Jesus-related writings in the first centuries.[1] The authenticity and reliability of these sources have been questioned by many scholars, and few events mentioned in the gospels are universally accepted.[2]:181
Non-Christian sources which are used to study and establish the historicity of Jesus include Jewish sources such as Josephus, and Roman sources such as Tacitus. The sources are compared to Christian sources such as the Pauline Letters and the Synoptic Gospels, and are usually independent of each other (e.g. Jewish sources do not draw upon Roman sources), and similarities and differences between them are used in the authentication process.[3][4][5][5][6]
Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 AD, includes two references to the biblical Jesus in Books 18 and 20. The general scholarly view is that while the longer passage, known as the Testimonium Flavianum, is most likely not authentic in its entirety, it is broadly agreed upon that it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus, which was then subject to Christian interpolation or forgery.[7][8] Of the other mention in Josephus, Josephus scholar Louis H. Feldman has stated that "few have doubted the genuineness" of Josephus' reference to Jesus in Antiquities 20, 9, 1 and it is only disputed by a small number of scholars.[9][10][11][12] There is a total of three references to the name 'Jesus' in Book 20, Chapter 9: "Jesus, who was called Christ" (i.e. ' Messiah'); "Jesus, son of Damneus", a Jewish High Priest (both in Paragraph 1 ); and "Jesus, son of Gamaliel", another Jewish High Priest (in Paragraph 4).
Roman historian Tacitus referred to 'Christus' and his execution by Pontius Pilate in his Annals (written ca. AD 116), book 15, chapter 44.[13] The very negative tone of Tacitus' comments on Christians make the passage extremely unlikely to have been forged by a Christian scribe.[14] The Tacitus reference is now widely accepted as an independent confirmation of Christ's crucifixion,[15] although some scholars question the authenticity of the passage on various different grounds.[14][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
So, although many believe, the writings are inconsistent, unverifiable, and probably, in my view at least, are nothing less than the ancient version of propaganda. The scientific aspect, although it is logically incorrect to say that just because an author promotes a clear fallacy, does not mean they write only fallacy, is that he could not have literally died and been resurrected, unless he wasn't really dead, and that ascension to heaven is also impossible.
But I will just qualify this by saying "As far as we know from verified sources from all other claims of such events occurring." This is a long way from the level of confidence you can make about the existence of King David, or Chuang Tzu, or any other, much more ancient, notable figures that you could name.
So, I will instead suggest an idea:
A leader who does not exist, who is claimed to be immortal even, cannot be killed
Revolutionary movements that have leaders, when they oppose the Establishment, generally don't survive long once the leader or his line of successors is captured or killed. But how can you kill someone who does not exist?
This does not necessarily mean, either, that the individual is not a composite of multiple people. A small cabal of very well organised and tightly bonded and mutually trusting individuals can agree on a false story that they created together, and without any way to disprove the story, and with a really good, logically consistent message, that supersedes old understandings, and empowers its members in their lives, as well as giving them a sense of being in the right, can create an army of followers who will die to defend the ideal the symbolic leader represents.
The Success of Christianity
It is an undeniable historical fact that Christianity is a movement that almost completely dominated history in a very large part of the world (mainly europe) for most of the period between then and now. We base our calendar on his date of birth.
The Roman Empire fell mainly because of the Christian belief in monotheism and opposition to paganism, first fracturing off to remain for a time as the Byzantine empire, but even there, eventually formed the Orthodox Christian Church, split off from the Roman Catholic Church, and then a thousand years later, the Protestant movement pushed back the power of the Catholic Church as well.
The Power of a Fictional Leader
But this is not a new tactic, in history, and for certain there was some in Israel who surely knew of other historical precedents, indeed they even make a cameo in the beginning of the tale, the Three Wise Men from the Orient. Possibly they in fact represent Lao Tzu (Taoism), Guatama Siddhartha (Buddhism) and Zoroaster (Zoroastrianism). Note that all three of these men also don't have solid evidence of their being real men, though many others with congruent systems of belief did.
Taoism notably has a definite early proponent, in the person of Chuang Tzu, whose historical existence is multiply verified, and his relationship with Confucius is also historically verified. But Lao Tzu did not. In the case of Lao Tzu, the book connected to him is attributed to him, but obviously it cannot have really been him, at least, not when the evidence is considered (or the lack thereof).
I will only cover Jesus and Lao Tzu in this, for brevity, but I think that you can also build a case for this for the other two 'Wise Men from the East' as well.
Taoism
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The personage of Lao Tzu is likewise clouded with multiple, incompatible versions, and a lack of substantial verification outside of the stories of those who followed 'his' system.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi#Historical_views
Historical views[edit]
In the mid-twentieth century, a consensus emerged among scholars that the historicity of the person known as Laozi is doubtful and that the Tao Te Ching was "a compilation of Taoist sayings by many hands."[20] Alan Watts urged more caution, holding that this view was part of an academic fashion for skepticism about historical spiritual and religious figures and stating that not enough would be known for years – or possibly ever – to make a firm judgment.[21]
The earliest certain reference to the present figure of Laozi is found in the 1st-century BCE Records of the Grand Historian collected by the historian Sima Qian from earlier accounts. In one account, Laozi was said to be a contemporary of Confucius during the 6th or 5th century BCE. His surname was Li and his personal name was Er or Dan. He was an official in the imperial archives and wrote a book in two parts before departing to the west. In another, Laozi was a different contemporary of Confucius titled Lao Laizi (老莱子) and wrote a book in 15 parts. In a third, he was the court astrologer Lao Dan who lived during the 4th-century BCE reign of Duke Xian of Qin.[22][23] The oldest text of the Tao Te Ching so far recovered was written on bamboo slips and dates to the late 4th century BCE.[2]
According to traditional accounts, Laozi was a scholar who worked as the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court of Zhou.[24] This reportedly allowed him broad access to the works of the Yellow Emperor and other classics of the time. The stories assert that Laozi never opened a formal school but nonetheless attracted a large number of students and loyal disciples. There are many variations of a story retelling his encounter with Confucius, most famously in the Zhuangzi.[25][26]
According to Chinese legend, Laozi left China for the west on a water buffalo.[27]
He was sometimes held to have come from the village of Chu Jen in Chu.[28] In accounts where Laozi married, he was said to have had a son named Zong who became a celebrated soldier. Many clans of the Li family trace their descent to Laozi,[29] including the emperors of the Tang dynasty.[30][31][32] This family was known as the Longxi Li lineage (隴西李氏). According to the Simpkinses, while many (if not all) of these lineages are questionable, they provide a testament to Laozi's impact on Chinese culture.[33]
Laozi meets Yinxi

Confucius meets Laozi, Shih Kang, Yuan dynasty
The third story in Sima Qian states that Laozi grew weary of the moral decay of life in Chengzhou and noted the kingdom's decline. He ventured west to live as a hermit in the unsettled frontier at the age of 80. At the western gate of the city (or kingdom), he was recognized by the guard Yinxi. The sentry asked the old master to record his wisdom for the good of the country before he would be permitted to pass. The text Laozi wrote was said to be the Tao Te Ching, although the present version of the text includes additions from later periods. In some versions of the tale, the sentry was so touched by the work that he became a disciple and left with Laozi, never to be seen again.[34] In others, the "Old Master" journeyed all the way to India and was the teacher of Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha. Others claim he was the Buddha himself.[25][35]
Again, we see the same pattern. Multiple versions (note that the genealogy of Jesus differs even in the two places it appears in the first 4 books of the New Testament), no non-involved parties with a concurring story. If I were to do the juridical analysis on this, I would say this is very strong evidence suggesting fraud.
It cannot be said with high confidence, but it looks to me like a case of propaganda as well.
My thesis here is not to stir up hornets' nests, but rather to use these two examples to illustrate a principle that I think can even be found in very recent events, in the 'person' of Satoshi Nakamoto being extremely topical to this platform, and the leader of the southern mexican uprising in recent years used a similarly anonymous leader, and managed to have some effect at pushing back the injustice that was perpetuated against the people there, the apocryphal "Subcommandant Marcos".
However, it should be noted that this this latter case there was a real man, and when he was found, the uprising was scattered.
The Power of Legends, from a Military Strategy Perspective
In almost every case you find an example of an insurgency that fought back against oppression, when the leader was a real person, the movement was dramatically weakened by the capture or killing of the individual. In most cases, this eventually happened.
But you can't kill someone who does not exist.
This has been used, probably at least a handful of times in history by revolutionary movements, to great effect, in the case of Jesus, so vast that it still lingers today, 2000 years later...
The Ultimate Power of an Immortal Leader
From a perspective of Anarchist theory, this can be traced back to the very beginning of history, by the emergence of Monotheism. The text in the chapter of the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 8 is a perfect example of the Jewish (the oldest known form of monotheism) canon. Only God can be the Leader, and God cannot be seen, confronted, or defeated. Both of the previous examples show that a false person with divine powers can have a very big impact, but underpinning them is the original Anarchist religious entity of God.
God is the only true King, according to a strict interpretation of what Samuel was talking about. The same is embedded in the Decalog as well, in the very first rule.
from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+8
Israel Asks for a King
8
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a]
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.
3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
The archaeological evidence suggests in fact that for nine thousand years, the ancient judaic city of Israel existed without a system of government, but by a system of law that was attributed to a non-temporal, intangible lawgiver.
Relevance to the Blockchain Revolution
We have the clear example in the writings of Satoshi Nakamoto, however, in the modern fashion, he makes no claims about being immortal, but simply, deliberately is anonymous. We don't know if Satoshi was a man, a woman, or a group of Cryptoanarchists. Based on the foregoing, I assert that the chances are very high that in fact it was a group, just as all these old legends were created by a small, tightly bound secret group, more than likely.
Like Jesus, Lao Tzu, Zoroaster and Siddhartha, they did not claim, directly, (by their own attributed words) the position of the governer of the universe, but rather messengers, and likewise, Satoshi attributed the authority to Mathematics and Logic, namely Cryptography and Topology, the fields from which his solution to the Byzantine Generals Problem was derived, and implicitly, by other things he said, the root problem of the Trusted Third Parties in the finance industry.
Conclusion
The combination of a fictional, or intangible leader, and of the use of logical proofs that defeated significant fallacies underlying the authority of the Establishment, is the killer combination that undoes the power of political structures. It is for this reason that I believe that we stand on the threshold of a revolution that will end all tyranny within human society.
We can't stop here! This is Whale country!
Loki was born in Australia, now lives in Sofia, Bulgaria. IT generalist, physics theorist, futurist and cyber-agorist. Loki's life mission is to establish a secure, distributed layer atop the internet, and enable space migration.
I'm a thoughtocaster, a conundrummer in a band called Life Puzzler. I've flipped more lids than a monkey in a soup kitchen, of the mind. - Xavier, Renegade Angel
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All images in the above post are either original from me, or taken from Google Image Search, filtered for the right of reuse and modification, and either hotlinked directly, or altered by me
Hi! I am a content-detection robot. This post is to help manual curators; I have NOT flagged you.
Here is similar content:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao-Tzu
The attributions were given. Thanks for verifying my own version of reality :)
I am not a bot, and I am not going to flag you.
Just kidding... But you may find what I wrote here:
https://steemit.com/tourism/@orenshani7/understanding-the-middle-east-part-4-monotheism-2016925t7232971z
As following the same line of thought
I don't think you pointed out how imaginary leaders are immortal though :) Or how that relates to military strategy.
And I cited clear examples and citations for the questionable veracity of both Jesus and Lao Tzu, I could have done the same for Siddhartha and Zoroaster, you can find this for yourself by looking at their pages on wikipedia. I thought it would have swelled the post too much.
I did forget to add the citation for the bible quote. That's fixed now.
You could easily add Moses if you wanted.
indeed abraham and noah too. the thing is it is too far back in prehistory... The story of moses at least has the possible coincidence of the eruption of Thera to explain the plagues. Noah could be to do with the process of thawing out that saw a sudden big increase in rain over europe that led to the Black Sea overflowing too... I'm not sure if you are familiar with that idea, it's relatively new. It also places Abraham and Noah on the Black Sea Coast where now is Bulgaria and Romania...
but Noah was a Scientist specialising in genetic seed banks ... wasn't he?
Yes I know about the black sea flood. Abd true, the origins of the biblical stories, especially those in Genesis and Exodus could origin from many places in the greater Middle East. Remember that the Bible as we know it was mostly compiled at the time of the exile in Babilon, where the Judean scholars had access to minyard sources.