Coup d'état

A coup d'état (pronounced /ku de 'ta/), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. It is different from a revolution, which is staged by a larger group and radically changes the political system. The term is French for "(a sudden) blow (or stroke) to a state". The term coup can also be used in a casual sense to mean a gain in advantage of one nation or entity over another; e.g. an intelligence coup. By analogy, the term is also applied to corporations, etc; e.g. a boardroom coup.

Important coups in the 20th century

• 1920: The Kapp Putsch, a failed coup attempt by the Freikorps Ehrhardt.
• 1923: The Beer Hall Putsch, a failed coup attempt by Adolf Hitler in Germany.
• 1926: Coup of Jozef Pilsudski in Poland.
• 1932: The Mäntsälä Rebellion, failed coup attempt by the Lapua Movement in Finland.
• 1932: The May 15th Incident, a military coup in Japan.
• 1933: Failed coup against Franklin D. Roosevelt alleged in the United States (see Business Plot).
• 1934: Coup of K?rlis Ulmanis in Latvia.
• 1934: Coup of Konstantin Päts in Estonia.
• 1935: Coup in Greece.
• 1936: Part of the army seizes control of parts of Spain commencing the Spanish Civil War. Later General Francisco Franco assumes control of the country.
• 1936: The February 26th Incident, a failed coup attempt in Japan by junior military officers that did succeed in installing a militarist government.
• 1937: Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas, governating democratically until then, launches a self-coup and becomes the Dictator of Brazilian Estado Novo.
• 1942: French resistance coup in Algiers, by which 400 Civil French patriots neutralized Vichyst XIXth Army Corps in Algiers during 15 hours, arrested vichyst generals (Juin, Darlan, etc.), and so allowed the immediate success of Operation Torch.
• 1943: Military coup in Argentina.
• 1944: The July 20 Plot, a failed coup attempt in Nazi Germany led by Claus von Stauffenberg.
• 1945: Getúlio Vargas's government ends due to a coup, led by General Mourão, one of his supporters.
• 1947: Coup in Thailand.
• 1948: Communist coup in Czechoslovakia.
• 1952: Military coup in Egypt.
• 1953: Anglo-American coup in Iran, codenamed Operation Ajax.
• 1954: Military coup in Paraguay.
• 1955: A contra-coup in Brazil led by Marechal Lott grants the presidency to elected one, Juscelino Kubitschek and overtrhown the two-days government of Carlos Luz.
• 1958: Military coup in Pakistan. Army Chief and Defence Minister Gen. Ayub Khan overthrows the government of Iskander Mirza and becomes President after a winning a rigged referendum.
• 1958: Civic/Military coup in Venezuela, overthrowing Marcos Perez Jimenez.
• 1958: Military coup in Iraq overthrows the monarchy.
• 1959: 26th of July Movement in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro and accompanied by Che Guevara, overthrows the Batista government.
• 1960: Military coup in Turkey.
• 1961: The Coup d'état of May Sixteenth in South Korea. Park Chunghee established presidency.
• 1962: Failed Military backed and Catholic action led Coup in Sri Lanka then Ceylon.
• 1963: Military coup in South Vietnam, overthrowing Ngo Dinh Diem.
• 1963: Alleged coup in the United States, overthrowing John F. Kennedy (See Kennedy assassination theories).
• 1963: Military coup in Ecuador.
• 1963: Military coup in Syria.
• 1963: Coup in Iraq, followed by a counter-coup.
• 1964: Military coup in Brazil.
• 1964: Military coup in South Vietnam, overthrowing Duong Van Minh.
• 1966: Military coup in Ghana.
• 1966: Military coup in Nigeria leading to end of first republic.
• 1967: Military coup in Greece. See Greek military junta of 1967-1974.
• 1967: Military coup in Nigeria. Yakubu Gowon comes to power.
• 1968: Coup in Panama by Omar Torrijos.
• 1968: Coup in Iraq establishes rule of the Ba'ath Party.
• 1969: Colonel Qadhafi overthrows monarchy in Libya.
• 1969: Military coup in Somalia.
• 1970: Military coup in Pakistan, Army Chief Gen. Yahya Khan forces President Field Marshal Ayub Khan (who himself came to power in a coup) to hand over power to him.
• 1970: Coup in Bolivia, soon followed by a leftist countercoup.
• 1971: Military coup in Turkey (Coup by Memorandum).
• 1971: Military coup in Uganda led by Idi Amin.
• 1973: Military coup in Chile. The democratically elected Marxist president Salvador Allende is replaced by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. See Chilean coup of 1973.
• 1973: The President of Uruguay dissolves Parliament and heads a coup.
• 1974: Military coup in Portugal (Carnation Revolution).
• 1974: Military coup in Cyprus sponsored by Greek colonels overthrows Makarios and triggers invasion by Turkey.
• 1975: Military coup in Ethiopia by the communist junta led by General Aman Andom and Megistu Hailemariam.
• 1975: Military coup in Bangladesh overthrows & kills Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• 1975: Military coup in Nigeria overthrows Gowon. Murtala Ramat Mohammed comes to power.
• 1976: Military coup in Ecuador.
• 1976: Failed coup attempt in Nigeria. Murtala Ramat Mohammed killed but Obasanjo survives and becomes head of state.
• 1976: Military coup in Argentina.
• 1978: Communist coup in Afghanistan.
• 1979: Military coup in Pakistan. Army Chief Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrows the civilian government and hangs Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto after a sham trial.
• 1979: The Coup d'état of December Twelfth in South Korea. Chun Doo-hwan established presidentship.
• 1980: Military coup in Turkey.
• 1980: Military coup in Liberia.
• 1980: Successful coup in Suriname by military officers led by Dési Bouterse that resulted in military rule until 1988.
• 1981: Failed coup in Spain led by Antonio Tejero.
• 1982: Failed coup in Kenya by the Kenya Air Force.
• 1983: Military palace coup in Nigeria. Second republic overthrown.
• 1985: Military coup in Uganda led by Basilio Okello and Tito Okello.
• 1985: Military coup in Nigeria. Babangida replaces Buhari.
• 1984: Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya raise to power in Mauritania after a coup that overthrow the president Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah.
• 1989: Failed coup attempt in the Philippines led by Colonel Gregorio Honasan.
• 1990: Failed coup attempt in Nigeria led by Col. Orkar.
• 1991: Failed coup attempt (the so-called August Putsch) in the Soviet Union.
• 1992: Alberto Fujimori launches a self-coup in Peru.