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.

Reference

• Edward Luttwak, Coup d'etat: A practical handbook, Harvard University Press, 1969, 1980. ISBN 06-741-75476.
• Curzio Malaparte, Technique du Coup d'Etat (Published in French), Paris, 1931.
• D. J. Goodspeed, Six Coups d'Etat, Viking Press inc., New-York, 1962.