Coup d'état

A coup d'état is the sudden, usually illegal seizure of government power by a small group, often involving military or security forces. It differs from revolution in seeking control of the state rather than broad social transformation.

Civil-military relations: The relationships and distribution of authority between a country's civilian government and its armed forces. A coup turns on whether military leaders accept civilian authority or use force to replace it.
18 Brumaire: The 1799 coup in which Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew France's Directory and established the Consulate. It is a classic case of military pressure and political maneuvering ending a republican government.
Revolution: A rapid, fundamental transformation of a political or social order, often involving mass participation. Revolutions seek wider structural change, while coups chiefly replace those controlling the state.
Authoritarianism: A system of government that restricts political competition and limits citizens' ability to hold rulers accountable. Coups often dismantle electoral constraints and create openings for authoritarian rule.
Palace coup: A coup carried out by insiders close to a ruler, often without broad public mobilization. It shows how a small governing circle can remove its own leader while preserving much of the regime.
Coup of 18 July 1936: The military uprising against Spain's Second Republic that began the Spanish Civil War. Its failure to seize the whole state illustrates how a coup attempt can become a prolonged civil war.
Rebellion: Organized resistance against an established authority, ranging from armed revolt to sustained defiance. A rebellion challenges authority from outside the ruling apparatus; a coup typically exploits insider access.
Democratic backsliding: The gradual weakening of democratic institutions, political competition, and civil liberties. A coup can abruptly reverse democratic gains or accelerate an erosion already underway.
Coup-proofing: Measures rulers use to reduce the likelihood that military forces can overthrow them. Rulers fragment security forces and distribute privileges to obstruct the coordination a coup requires.
1953 Iranian coup d'état: The overthrow of Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh by Iranian forces, with covert support from the United States and Britain. It demonstrates how foreign intelligence support can shape an internal power seizure.

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