Coup d'état

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[[File:1913 Ottoman coup d'état.png|thumb|right|165px|The 1913 [[Turkey|Ottoman]] coup d'état]]
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A '''coup d'état''' (derived from French; pronounced /ˌku deɪˈtɑ/ also known as a '''coup''', '''putsch''', or '''pronunciamiento''') is a sudden seizure of [[government]] power in a [[state]], by a group seeking to depose the current ruling body and replace it with a new one.

A coup d'état often results in a significant disruption of the social order in the state in which it occurs, often resulting in [[civil war]] or the establishment of a military [[dictatorship]]. A coup which immediately follows another coup is known as 
playing king of the hill
 a '''counter-coup'''.

Although the term "coup d'état" has been around for centuries, their frequency has increased dramatically in the 20th century due to the rise of the modern state with its professional bureaucracy and standing armed forces, which makes it significantly easier for groups to divorce the ruling apparatuses of the state (like the bureaucracy or army) from the individual leadership of the person or group that the people staging the coup wish to oust.<ref>Luttwak, Edward N. *Coup d'Etat: A Practical Handbook,* 2nd edition 2016</ref>

[[Egypt]], [[Burma|Myanmar/Burma]], [[Thailand]], and [[Turkey]] are just a few of the modern nations in which notable coups have occurred. ''Business Insider'' called [[Iran]]'s meddling in [[Lebanon]] a bloodless coup.<ref name=businessinsider>[http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-soft-coup-lebanon-2016-10 Iran just pulled off a 'soft coup' in Lebanon] by Alex Rowell (Oct. 24, 2016, 12:29 PM) ''Business Insider''.</ref>

Due to their power to alarm and confuse (despite their [[vague]]ness), all variants of "coup" terminology are notorious favorites of the [[conspiracy theorist]] [[fringe]], and ''particularly'' of the "[[Fake news|alternative news]]" outlets that feed their [[paranoia]].

==Features of a coup==
{{cquote|But a failed coup is practice for a successful coup.|||Timothy Snyder, historian and author of ''On Tyranny''<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/15/american-democracy-survived-its-reichstag-fire-jan-6-threat-has-not-subsided/ American democracy survived its Reichstag fire on Jan. 6. But the threat has not subsided.] by Dana Milbank (July 15, 2021) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}
Coups are distinct from [[revolutions]] in that coups usually do not involve large scale popular movements like revolutions do, i.e. coups are typically directed by small, elite groups with an agenda without involving the larger populace, most often involving sections of the military, police, or other security force rather than the populace at large. Coups are most effective in countries with poor economic conditions and low levels of development, because these countries tend to have populations that are both too far removed from political activity (usually due to illiteracy, poor education, or an actual distance exacerbated by poor infrastructure) and too concerned with their material conditions (hunger, poverty, poor living conditions) to care about the politicking occurring among various elite factions in the capital.<ref>Luttwak, Edward N. *Coup d'Etat: A Practical Handbook,* 2nd edition 2016</ref> This allows one elite group to oust another elite group without worrying about popular reactions against the coup. Impoverished [[Africa|African]] and [[Latin America|Latin American]] countries, for this reason, seem to be particularly susceptible to frequent coups and counter-coups. 

There is a classic pattern to a traditional military coup, particularly in the developing world. Things normally run something like:
# A military strongman or group of soldiers decide they would like to have more power, often taking advantage of moments of crisis: the death/resignation of a leader, war, or another coup (successful or failed).
# Armed forces loyal to the coup leaders storm key locations, such as the TV station, post office HQ, government buildings, communications infrastructure.
# The new leader goes on television and announces that he is now in control due to the failings of the previous government.
# The new leader is hopefully legitimized by some authoritative figures, e.g. royalty, ministers, other military leaders, prominent judges or jurists, neighbouring regimes.
# This is followed by a campaign of repression (which should be careful not to antagonise the military, although you can do what you like to people without guns), but if there is wider resistance, the regime may face popular protests or even [[civil war]].
# Coups can lead to lasting dictatorship or military rule, either by an autocrat or military junta, but they can also see the new leader seeking to legitimise themselves with a (possibly fraudulent) election, or even handing over power to some trusted figure.
If done decisively and effectively, a leader can seize control with minimal resistance, and swiftly establish control. If done less successfully, the new leader will face either widespread internal opposition, protests, and possible counter-coups, or else external pressure such as sanctions or diplomatic activity, up to and including invasion by other states who may claim to be "peace-keeping".

Although the term ''coup'' refers to a takeover by elements within a country, coup plotters can have considerable external support such as [[Iran]] in 1953 and  Guatemala in 1954, both of which relied on US government support via the [[CIA]].<ref>[https://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/historylabs/Guatemalan_Coup_student:RS01.pdf RS#01: Background on the Guatemalan Coup of 1954], Baltimore County History Labs Program</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/19/cia-admits-role-1953-iranian-coup CIA admits role in 1953 Iranian coup], The Guardian, Aug 19, 2013</ref>

==Types of coup==
===Bloodless coup===
A '''bloodless coup''' refers to a coup that does not involve an assassination or use of military force. A bloodless coup involves unconstitutional or illegal activities in order to seize power from a [[democratic]]ally-elected government. Examples include widespread election fraud, an unjust impeachment, bribing people to leave office, or ignoring or overriding the lawful orders of the president, prime minister, or legislative body.

Often it involves a military leadership taking power with the threat of military force, but no actual shooting (usually because the government surrendered before shots could be fired). An example is Phoumi Nosavan in [[Laos]], who was sacked as minister for national defense in 1959 and promptly staged a coup, sending in paratroopers to occupy government infrastructure. With the support of King Sisavang Vatthana, he took over as leader of the government.<ref>{{wpa|Phoumi Nosavan}}</ref> Another example was in [[Libya]] in 1969, where a group of army officers staged a coup but met with no resistance and indeed significant support from both the army and wider population; this led to the rule of [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]].<ref>{{wpa|1969 Libyan coup d'état}}</ref>

===Counter-coup===
A '''counter-coup''' is a coup following another coup, often to overthrow the original coup's leaders.<ref>[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countercoup Countercoup], Merriam-Webster Online</ref> An example is Kong Le's coup by a battalion of paratroopers in [[Laos]] on 10 August 1960, following deeply corrupt elections in April that year. This overthrew another military strongman, Phoumi Nosavan, who had come to power in December 1959 in a bloodless coup with the approval of the king.<ref>{{wpa|1960 Laotian coups}}</ref> Another example is the {{wpl|1909 Ottoman countercoup}} where a group of traditionalists and Islamists tried to reverse the {{wpl|Young Turk Revolution}} of 1908; they were defeated.

Even more confusing is a '''coup within a coup''', where someone supports a coup, only to overthrow the original coup leaders and take power himself. This is the method [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] used to (ultimately) become Emperor in the {{wpl|Coup of 18 Brumaire||:}} Abbé Sieyès and Talleyrand planned a coup against the Directory, and hoped to use Napoleon merely as military muscle, but history shows how that turned out.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/event/Coup-of-18-19-Brumaire Coup of 18–19 Brumaire], Britannica</ref>

===Self-coup===
A '''self-coup''' or '''autocoup''' (''autogolpe'' in Spanish) occurs when someone who's already a leader uses unlawful means to give themselves more power by annulling or overthrowing democratic bodies such as the legislature, often relying on the loyalty of the army. It's what you do when you're already in charge but just don't have enough power because parliament or congress keeps voting against your plans or the courts keep annulling them. It allows a [[president]] to rule by decree rather than have to rely on members of the legislature to approve budgets and laws.<ref>{{wpa|Self-coup}}</ref>

Examples include:
*[[Alberto Fujimori]] in 1992 — The [[Peru]]vian president relied on the support of the military to dissolve Congress and suspend civil liberties and rule by decree. This was motivated by a mixture of his hatred for rival political forces and a desire to clamp down on the [[Shining Path]] guerrillas without worrying about civil liberties or casualties. As Peru is a country familiar with coups, he appeared on TV and straightforwardly announced what he was doing, claiming he had no alternative. Polls showed that many Peruvians approved of his decision.<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/self-coup-rocked-peru-197280 The 'Self-Coup' That Rocked Peru], ''Newsweek'', April 19, 1992</ref>
*[[Boris Yeltsin]] in 1993 — With the [[Russia]]n parliament obstructing his plans for capitalist utopia, Yeltsin unlawfully dissolved both houses of parliament (which were still full of communist-era representatives) and used the excuse of opponents storming of the TV station to get the Russian army to shell the White House, a government building used by the parliament. The west supported Yeltsin, and he got away with it, introducing a new constitution and consolidating his power.<ref>[https://www.dw.com/en/russias-1993-crisis-still-shaping-kremlin-politics-25-years-on/a-45733546 Russia's 1993 crisis still shaping Kremlin politics, 25 years on], Deutsche Welle, 2018</ref><ref>{{wpa|1993 Russian constitutional crisis}}</ref>
*Thanom Kittikachorn in 1971 — The [[Thailand|Thai]] prime minister launched a self-coup in 1971, dissolving parliament and appointed himself Chairman of the National Executive Council, claiming this was necessary to combat the communist menace. Protests by students ended his rule 2 years later, though in 1976 he returned from exile to help launch the 1976 coup that put Thanin Kraivichien in power.<ref>{{wpa|Thanom Kittikachorn}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/18/archives/coup-in-thailand.html Coup in Thailand], New York Times, Nov 18, 1971</ref>
* Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851 — the elected French leader decided to become emperor (Napoleon III).<ref>{{wpa|1851 French coup d'état}}</ref>
*[[Donald Trump]], [[President of the United States]], attempted a failed self coup on January 6th, 2021. He fomented conspiracy theories that he actually didn't lose reelection and that it was stolen from him by [[Joe Biden]], so Trump personally incited his supporters to [[2021 U.S. Capitol riot|storm the Capitol to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election]]. His supporters deliberately tried to assassinate as many Congress people as possible, notably House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President [[Mike Pence]], having built a gallows and carried nooses while chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" Trump refused to send in the National Guard. Capitol Police (filled with Trump supporters) let the mob into the building where they caused at least four deaths and forced Congress to evacuate the building until the National Guard, this time under Pence's orders, arrived and retook the building.
*Viktor Yanukovych attempted to pass {{wpl|Anti-protest laws in Ukraine|anti-protest laws}} (also known as "dictatorship laws") in January 2014 not long before being overthrown by [[Euromaidan]].<ref>''The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America'' by Timothy Snyder (2018) Tim Duggan Books. ISBN 0525574468.</ref>{{rp|131-138}}
*[[Yoon Suk Yeol]], President of [[South Korea]], declared martial law in response to losing the 2024 elections. He accused the opposition of being in league with North Korea, so he tried to arrest everyone who criticized him, including the leader of his own party, but South Koreans stopped his troops from occupying the capital, and South Korean lawmakers voted to suspend martial law a mere six hours later. He was since impeached for his blatant power grab.

==The cranks who cry wolf==
The term "soft coup" has often been used among [[conspiracy theorists]] (e.g. [[Globalresearch]],<ref>[http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-soft-coup-collapses-russia-did-not-hack-cia-bluffing-blackmail-revealed-what-next/5567311 The Soft Coup Collapses – CIA Bluffing, Russia Did Not Hack, Blackmail Revealed – What Next?] by Robert David Steele (January 09, 2017) Global Research</ref> [[Zero Hedge]],<ref>[http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-10/soft-coup-attempt-imminent-furious-trump-slams-secret-cia-report-russia-helped-him-w A "Soft Coup" Attempt: Furious Trump Slams "Secret" CIA Report Russia Helped Him Win] by Tyler Durden (Dec 10, 2016 9:11 PM) Zero Hedge</ref> [[Natural News]]<ref>[http://www.naturalnews.com/2016-12-10-treason-left-wing-media-attempting-soft-coup-russian-conspiracy-fabrication.html TREASON: Left-wing media attempting a “soft coup” in America by hyperventilating over self-contrived Russian conspiracy fabrication] by Mike Adams (Saturday, December 10, 2016) Natural News</ref>), but has also been used more sparingly in professional [[journalism]].<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/who-is-running-algeria-power-struggle-leads-to-rumours-president-abdelaziz-bouteflika-has-been-a6785226.html Who is running Algeria? Power struggle leads to rumours President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been ousted and secretly replaced by his brother in a 'soft coup': Rumours of a mysterious clique seizing control of the country are causing jitters throughout North Africa] by John Hall (Thursday 24 December 2015) ''[[The Independent]]''.</ref><ref name=businessinsider/>

As noted above, variant terms (e.g. "counter-coup") also see widespread crank use.<ref>[http://www.infowars.com/breaking-democrat-counter-coup-against-trump-in-progress/ InfoWars: ''Breaking: Democrat Counter-Coup Against Trump in Progress'']</ref>

A [[Alex Jones|certain crank]], the career of which is built on proverbially tickling the [[Bubba effect|Bubba nerve]] of his listeners with a gigantic cartoon feather, has also found convenience in the term, as "soft coup" is basically a convenient way of saying (and we paraphrase):<ref>[http://www.infowars.com/soft-coup-by-patriot-americans-is-happening/ InfoWars: ''Soft Coup By Patriot Americans Is Happening'']</ref>

{{cquote|You know [silly revolutionary scenario] that I've been saying is ''right around'' the corner [since 1995<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/company/infowars-com InfoWars' LinkedIn page claims they were founded in 1995.]</ref>]?? Well, [[Argument_from_ignorance|''IT IS'' happening, but ''softly'' — so even though it's not ''obvious'' that it's even happening at all, that just means it's happening slowly ''RIGHT NOW!!'']]}}

Similarly, talk of "soft coups" is a great [[clickbait]]-generating way to package [[Vague|wild speculation]] on various 
imaginary
 power struggles that are allegedly going on '''''RIGHT NOW''''' but ''just'' outside of view — e.g. inside the [[Pentagon]].<ref>[http://www.infowars.com/live-now-pentagon-soft-coup/ InfoWars: ''Facebook Mentions: Pentagon Soft Coup'']</ref> Certainly a place into which Alex Jones ([[Dunning-Kruger effect|of all people]]) is likely to have [[Other ways of knowing|privileged access]].

==Examples==
The following countries have experienced notable coups or coup attempts.
{{collist|2|
* [[Argentina]] — Had several: in 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966 and 1976 only in the XXth century. The country has been a boisterous democracy since 1983.
* [[Bolivia]] — Had experienced more than 190 coups and revolutions in less than 200 years of independence.<ref>[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/23/the-fall-of-evo-morales The Fall of Evo Morales]</ref>
* [[Brazil]] — The first in 1889, a coup that removed the ruling monarch Dom Pedro II and established a Republic. The second, in 1937, implemented the {{wpl|Estado Novo}} dictatorship that would last until 1945.  The last one happened in 1964, in which a military junta took over. Democracy returned in 1985, though a failed coup occurred in 2022 after [[Jair Bolsonaro]] lost to [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]]
* Burkina Faso - Has had several. The latest one, occurring on September 30, 2022, was when the military overthrew Interim President Paul Damiba over his alleged inability to effectively combat the [[Islamist]] [[insurgency]] in the country. Notably, Damiba himself was installed in a coup just eight months prior, making this a so-called "coup within a coup."<ref>"[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/01/burkina-faso-coup/ In Burkina Faso, a coup within a coup]" - ''The [[Washington Post]]''. Published Oct 1, 2022.</ref>
* [[Chile]] — Had several. In the most notable, the democratically elected president [[Salvador Allende]] was deposed by one of his generals, [[Augusto Pinochet]], in 1973. Pinochet ruled until 1990.
* [[Cuba]] — Notably in 1952, when Fulgencio Batista overthrew the democratic government when it looked like he was about to lose the next election and installed a de facto military dictatorship, which would set the stage for the {{wpl|Cuban Revolution||.}}
* [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] — several, first in 1960 against {{wpl|Patrice Lumumba||,}} then another coup by Mobutu in 1964, with failed coup attempts in 2011 and (allegedly) in 2022.
* [[Dominica]] — [[Operation Red Dog]], fortunately failed.
* [[Egypt]] — e.g. 2013, when the democratically-elected (but allied with Islamist [[Muslim Brotherhood]]) {{wpl|Mohamed Morsi}} was overthrown in a coup that installed Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as President of Egypt. Notably, {{wpl|democratic backsliding}} has occurred since then, with el-Sisi cracking down on political opponents and dissent with the excuse of "crushing Islamism".<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20190926191012/https://ww.dailynewssegypt.com/2019/09/24/as-long-as-we-have-political-islam-there-will-be-instability-al-sisi-from-new-york/ As long as we have political Islam, there will be instability"]</ref>
* Equatorial Guinea — several including 1979 and 2018 (failed), but most notoriously a 2004 plot involving British and South African mercenaries and allegedly [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s son Mark.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3597450.stm Q&A: Equatorial Guinea coup plot], BBC News, 3 November 2009</ref>
* [[France]] — Following the [[French Revolution]], then at various dates, and with a more recent attempt in 1961 by military leaders opposed to [[Algeria]]n independence.<ref>{{wpa|Algiers putsch of 1961}}</ref>
* [[Germany]] — Various failed actions following [[World War I]], some involving [[Hitler]], and then Hitler's successful usurpation of power in the 1930s
* [[Greece]] — Military coup in 1967
* Guatemala — Notably in 1954 when the democratically elected {{wpl|Jacobo Árbenz}} was overthrown with help from the [[CIA]]
* [[Kingdom of Hawaiʻi|Hawaiʻi]] — Previously an independent kingdom, the U.S. took it over after a coup led by white American planters.
* [[Indonesia]] — A failed coup in 1965 led to a ruthless crackdown on alleged communists.<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/the-indonesia-documents-and-the-us-agenda/543534/ What the United States Did in Indonesia], The Atlantic, Oct 20, 2017</ref>
* [[Iran]] — Notably in 1953 against [[Mohammad Mossadegh]]
* [[Iraq]]
* [[Japan]] — Failed one in 1970 by [[Yukio Mishima]], who would commit [[Suicide|''seppuku'']] shortly afterward
* [[Laos]] — Several
* [[Liberia]] — Notably 1980
* [[Libya]] — Military coup in 1969
* [[Myanmar]] — Most recently in 2021<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-55902070 Myanmar coup: What is happening and why?], BBC News, April 1, 2021</ref>
* [[Paraguay]] — Among others, the one in 1954, led by Alfredo Stroessner. 35 years later, in 1989, Stroessner would be victim of a coup that would finally restore democracy in Paraguay.
* [[Peru]] — Several, notably [[Alberto Fujimori]]'s autocoup in 1992
* [[Portugal]] — Many coups, especially for an European country. In 1910, a coup deposed the King Manuel II and abolished the monarchy. Seven years later, a coup would estabilish the {{wpl|Sidónio Pais}} dictatorship and another one, in 1926 etabilished the {{wpl|Ditadura Nacional||,}} that would culminate a few years later in the fascist [[António Salazar]] government. In 1974, a coup turned into a wider popular protest leading to democracy.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/25/newsid_4754000/4754581.stm 1974: Rebels seize control of Portugal], BBC News On This Day</ref>
* [[Spain]] — Notably 1936, which eventually led to [[Francisco Franco]]'s rise.
* [[Sudan]] — In 2019, Omar Al-Bashir was ousted after economic hardship and South Sudan becoming independent.
* [[Thailand]] — Too many to count. Interesting enough, the monarchy remained unscathed through all of them. King {{wpl|Bhumibol Adulyadej||,}} who ruled for 70 years, saw almost a dozen coups during his reign. 
* [[Timor-Leste]] — In 1975, when the UDT tried to prevent the pro-independence Fretilin from gaining power, and a later failed one in 2006.
* [[Turkey]] — Failed one in 2016, which mostly resulted in [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan]] consolidating more power. 
* [[United States]] — In 2021, [[Donald Trump]] tried to [[2021 U.S. Capitol riot|self-coup the US government]]. The {{wpl|Wilmington insurrection of 1898||,}} when white supremacists overthrew the {{wpl|Fusionism in North Carolina|Fusionist}} government of Wilmington, [[North Carolina]], is a sub-national example of a coup.<ref>[https://library.uncw.edu/guides/the_wilmington_coup_d_tat_of_1898 THE WILMINGTON COUP D'ÉTAT OF 1898], ''University of North Carolina Wilmington'']</ref>
* [[Uruguay]] — Notably in 1973, led by {{wpl|Juan María Bordaberry||.}}
* [[Venezuela]] — In a 2026 coup that's "not a coup", Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez promised to cooperate with the Trump regime if President [[Nicolás Maduro]] was forcibly removed from office by the regime. After Maduro was abducted to a New York City prison to face criminal charges, newly-assumed (but also illegitimate) President Rodríguez claimed that her family was not involved directly with the events surrounding the abduction.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/22/delcy-rodriguez-capture-maduro-venezuela Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez assured US of cooperation before Maduro’s capture] by Aram Roston (22 Jan 2026 07.55 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref>
* [[Zimbabwe]] — In 2017, long-time "president" [[Robert Mugabe]] was forced to resign by the military.
}}

==See also==
*''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'' — A classic [[Kubrick]] 
[[Water_fluoridation|documentary]]
 film dealing with similar power struggles
*[[Donald Trump]] — After losing reelection, on January 6, 2021, he tried and failed to instigate an ''autogolpe'' (self-coup).<ref>{{wpa|Self-coup}}</ref>
*[[Bubba effect]] — A manual on how to react once [[Antichrist|our dark Lord]] activates the [[Georgia Guidestones]]

==External links==
*[https://clinecenter.illinois.edu/project/research-themes/democracy-and-development/coup-detat-project-cdp Coup D'état Project (CDP)] — research into coups d'état at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including a dataset of "943 coup events, including 426 realized coups, 336 attempted coups, and 181 coup conspiracies that occurred between 1945 and 2019."
*{{wpa|List of coups d'état and coup attempts}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Coups| ]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Categories: Coups, Politics