History Main / StagedPopulistUprising

Many of the more cynical writers see all revolutions this way; it doesn't really help that most countries that have had their governments overthrown [[FullCircleRevolution ended up with more tyrannical regimes than their predecessors]], and that many rebel groups throughout history have been dependent on outside help for supplies, leadership, and funding. Still, to avoid flaming, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

* ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' claims that all revolutions are just the middle class using the lower class as tools to supplant the former upper class.

* In ''[[Videogame/DragonAge Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening]]'', if you don't stop the nobles' conspiracy against you soon enough, then the peasant uprising turns out to have been orchestrated by them. Subverted if you do stop the conspiracy, as the peasants revolt on their own volition.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Genestealer cults often do that, usually by RunningBothSides, to "soften up" a word for the upcoming Tyranid invasion.

Many of the more cynical writers see all revolutions this way; it doesn't really help that most countries that have had their governments overthrown [[FullCircleRevolution ended up with more tyrannical regimes than their predecessors]]. Still, to avoid flaming, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

[[AC:LiveActionFilms]]

* This is revealed to be the main crux of the Rapture Civil War in ''{{Bioshock}}'', with Atlas leading disgruntled renegades against Andrew Ryan and his ideals. Except that Atlas was really [[spoiler:Frank Fontaine]] and said rebels were merely used as cannon fodder for [[spoiler:his]] planned takeover of the city. [[spoiler:And the player is his final key...]]

* The ''{{Conan}}'' story "The Phoenix on the Sword" features just such an uprising. Of the "Rebel Four," only the poet Rinaldo has no ulterior motives for supporting the assassination plot against Conan, with his reason for hating Conan, according to Ascalante, being that "poets always hate those in power." All of them are being manipulated by Ascalante, a schemer who wants the throne of Aquilonia for himself.

* This is revealed to be the main crux of the Rapture Civil War in ''{Bioshock}}'', with Atlas leading disgruntled renegades against Andrew Ryan and his ideals. Except that Atlas was really [[spoiler:Frank Fontaine]] and that said rebels were merely used as cannon fodder for [[spoiler:his]] planned takeover of the city. [[spoiler:And the player is his final key...]]

* TheDarkKnightRises features Bane passing off a foreign terrorist occupation of Gotham as Gothamites liberating their city from outsiders.

Many of the more cynical writers see all revolutions this way; it doesn't really help that most countries that have had their governments overthrown ended up with more tyrannical regimes than their predecessors. Still, to avoid flaming, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' the Equalists seek to end all bending, their leader, Amon, has the power to remove someone's bending abilities permanently and claims that his family was murdered by firebenders who also scarred his face. [[spoiler: Turns out, he's actually a bloodbender and the son of an infamous gangster, and his "scars" are just makeup.]]

* In ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Genestealer cults often do that, usually by RunningBothSides, to "soften up" a word for the upcoming Tyranid invasion.

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* In one episode of ''{{Andromeda}}'', Beka's ex-boyfriend incited an indigenous species to rebel against the human mining colony on their planet, the intent being that they would make him their king. Captain Hunt managed to convince one of his native henchmen of his true intentions.

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* ''NineteenEightyFour'' claims that all revolutions are just the middle class using the lower class as tools to supplant the former upper class.

* Jerry Pournelle's {{Literature/CoDominium}} novel ''Go Tell the Spartans''. Senator Bronson of Earth wants to overthrow the leadership of the planet Sparta and take over. To accomplish this, he sends in supplies and advisers to organize Sparta's convict underclass into a rebel army.

* In ''[[{{Discworld/NightWatch}} Night Watch]]'', the rebellion against Lord Winder is actually being subtly masterminded by [[spoiler:Madam Meserole]], and revolutionaries like Reg Shoe don't really have anything to do with it

* A Republic storyline in ''StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' centers on an uprising on a prison planet. The rebels are the descendants of convicts and are quite angry that they are treated like prisoners even though they themselves have committed no crimes. However, you discover that the insurgents are manipulated by Imperial agents who want to use the uprising to destabilize the planet.
* Inverted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld''. The Vanguard is formed after the unification of the two worlds, as a way for the Sylvaranti to oppose and resist their status as second-class citizens to the Tethe-Allans, and their systematic oppression by the Church of Martel and the protagonist of the [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia previous game]], Lloyd Irving. Later, it is revealed that [[spoiler:the travesties carried out by the "church" are actually being staged by the Vanguard as a way to generate grassroots support]]

Examples:

There is a revolution against the King/Emperor/President claiming to be for the people. But wait, who's this? It's the [[AristocratsAreEvil disgruntled nobleman]]/EvilChancellor and he's giving the leaders of the revolution money and weapons and rhetoric. [[ManBehindTheMan Do you still think it's for the people?]]

Many of the more cynical writers see all revolutions this way, it doesn't really help that most countries that have had their governments overthrown ended up with more tyrannical regimes than their predecessors. Still, to avoid flaming, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.

[[AC: Anime/Manga]]
* In ''CodeGeass'' when the Black Knights discover that Zero is Lelouch vi Brittannia, exiled prince of TheEmpire that they are fighting, they come to the conclusion that he was just using them. [[spoiler: They're actually wrong, but since he has a death wish at that point he does not refute them.]]
* In the second season of ''GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', the BigBad's plan is an artificially created version of the eponymous spontaneous event from the first season, created by brainwashing a few people. [[spoiler: With the aim of making refuges rebel, making it appear that they had a nuke and thus being able to blow them all up with one]]. The first season had a subversion; [[spoiler: while there was never a "Laughing Man" (Aoi, the "original" says he just came across an email [[UnknownCharacter some guy]] sent), he came about because of MemeticMutation and GossipEvolution. Not some huge conspiracy (although a few did crop up to take advantage of it)]].

[[AC: Literature]]

** It backfires spectacularly, not only does the "Helot" rebellion fail but it also prompts Sparta to become TheEmpire.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]
* In one episode of ''{{Andromeda}}'' Beka's ex-boyfriend incited an indigenous species to rebel against the human mining colony on their planet, the intent being that they would make him their king. Captain Hunt managed to convince one of his native henchmen of his true intentions.

[[AC: Tabletop Games]]

** In the supplement ''76 Patrons''. Two of the missions involve a rebel uprising in the country of Anisinta on the planet Porozlo. The {{PC}} are hired by a group of business executives to either create a rebel force to overthrow the government or take over an existing rebel group for the same purpose. The executives intend to profit by making the government more friendly to business.
** In the 3rd Imperium's Spinward Marches, the Ine Givar rebels are under the control of and supplied by the Imperium's enemy, the Zhodani Consulate.

[[AC: Video Games]]

** For example: On the Capricorn server following the recent formation of Satraps, [[spoiler: the minor house Narcissus]] published a paper claiming that the new reforms would allow the Imperial Houses to treat planets as feudal fiefs (no duh), disband private shipping and security companies (already run by the Houses), and allow the 1% to run rampshod over the 99%. Ironically that reform was intended to break up the stranglehold the major Houses had on the galaxy by giving each house one guaranteed seat on the senate.

[[AC: Web Comics]]
* The Knights of Jove conspiracy in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' claim they are trying to reinstate the rightful Storm King for the sake of Europa. Really they're just a bunch of scheming nobles who resent Baron Wulfenbach.
* In [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/cpam/championofkatara/series.php Champion of Katara]] [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/cpam/championofkatara/series.php?view=single&ID=141897 "Clancy the Darned"]] started a war between Katara and Dogonia claiming a populist uprising along with general chaos.

[[AC:NewMedia]]

-->109. I will see to it that plucky young lads/lasses in strange clothes and with the accent of an outlander shall REGULARLY climb some monument in the main square of my capital and denounce me, claim to know the secret of my power, rally the masses to rebellion, etc. That way, the citizens will be jaded in case the real thing ever comes along.