The **Arab Spring** was a chain of [revolutions](Revolution "wikilink"),
armed insurrection, riots and protests across the 'Arab World' (much of
North Africa and Western Asia) from late
[2010](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Northern_Africa "wikilink")
to [2012](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Western_Asia "wikilink").
The event toppled several dictators, caused several civil wars, led to
major reforms and inspired movements like
[15M](15M_Movement "wikilink"), [Occupy](Occupy_Movement "wikilink"),
[Gezi Park](Gezi_Park_Uprising "wikilink") and the [Second Arab
Spring](Second_Arab_Spring "wikilink").

## Causes

  - Authoritarianism
  - Monarchy
  - Demographic structural factors
  - 2000s energy crisis
  - Political corruption
  - Human rights violations
  - Unemployment
  - Inflation
  - Kleptocracy
  - Poverty
  - Sectarianism
  - Self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi

## States Affected by the Arab Spring

  - Tunisia: President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ousted, charged, exiled
    and government overthrown.
  - Egypt: President Hosni Mubarak ousted, arrested, charged, and
    government overthrown.
  - Libya: Leader Muammar Gaddafi killed following a civil war that saw
    a foreign military intervention, and government overthrown.
  - Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh ousted, and power handed to a
    national unity government.
  - Syria: President Bashar al-Assad faced civil uprising against his
    rule that deteriorated into armed rebellion and eventual full-scale
    civil war.
  - Bahrain: Civil uprising against the government crushed by
    authorities and Saudi-led intervention.