A coup (short for coup d’état) is an illegal and abrupt takeover of a government, typically by a military force or other elites, to unseat the current leadership. Coups often involve overt action, aiming to seize power and control of state institutions, though the specific methods and players can vary, as seen in both successful and failed attempts throughout history, including the 1982 Kenyan coup attempt.
Key aspects of a coup:
- Illegal and Overt:Coups are characterized by their illegality and the public nature of the attempt to overthrow the existing government.
- Internal Power Shift:They are distinct from external invasions or revolutions and represent a seizure of power from within the state apparatus itself.
- Actors Involved:While often associated with military action, coups can also involve other government elites, or even a leader attempting to retain power through illegal means (a “self-coup”).
- Examples:The 1982 coup attempt in Kenya, led by Kenya Air Force personnel, is an example of a failed attempt to overthrow the government.
Consequences and analysis:
- Institutional Impact:Successful coups are often linked to the degradation of political and judicial institutions.
- Political Corruption:The act of taking power through a coup can be associated with increased political corruption and attempts to remove or erect political barriers.
- Variations:The nature of a coup can vary depending on the coup makers and their relationship to the incumbent regime.
A
- Sani Abacha
- Ibrahim Abboud
- Ahmed Abdallah
- José María de Achá
- Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
- Sebastián Ágreda
- Emilio Aguinaldo
- Osmín Aguirre y Salinas
- Ahmad Beg
- Akechi Mitsuhide
- Hibatullah Akhundzada
- Fred Akuffo
- Alexios V Doukas
- José María Alfaro Zamora
- Heydar Aliyev
- Diego de Almagro II
- Luis Altamirano
- Gregorio Conrado Álvarez
- Aman Andom
- Hafizullah Amin
- Idi Amin
- Joseph Arthur Ankrah
- Corazon Aquino
- Pedro Eugenio Aramburu
- Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy
- Ashina Shi
- Ashur-nadin-apli
- Ashur-rabi I
- Hafez al-Assad
- Azali Assoumani
- Jean-Hilaire Aubame
- Aung Kyaw Hoe
- Hudson Austin
- Prosper Avril
B
- Jean-Baptiste Bagaza
- Frank Bainimarama
- Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
- Hugo Ballivián
- José Ballivián
- John Amadu Bangura
- Hugo Banzer
- Philippicus
- Paul Barras
- Siad Barre
- René Barrientos
- Omar al-Bashir
- Fulgencio Batista
- Emilio Bello Codesido
- Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
- Óscar R. Benavides
- Juan Pablo Bennett
- Rómulo Betancourt
- Julius Maada Bio
- Maurice Bishop
- Carlos Blanco Galindo
- Jean-Bédel Bokassa
- Houari Boumédiène
- Dési Bouterse
- François Bozizé
- Joseph Brooks (politician)
- Muhammadu Buhari
- Bumin Qaghan
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
- Germán Busch
- Anastasio Bustamante
- Pierre Buyoya
C
- Moussa Dadis Camara
- Pedro Carmona
- Bruno Carranza
- José Miguel Carrera
- Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco
- Carlos Castillo Armas
- Ramón Castro Jijón
- Fidel Castro
- Catherine the Great
- Raoul Cédras
- Ch’oe Ch’unghŏn
- Chŏng Chung-bu
- Christian III of Denmark
- Surayud Chulanont
- Chun Doo-hwan
- Empress Dowager Ci’an
- Bernard Coard
- Blaise Compaoré
- Lansana Conté
D
- David Dacko
- Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab
- Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba
- Pedro Dartnell
- Carlos Dávila
- Hilarión Daza
- Mahamat Déby
- Idriss Déby
- Gilbert Diendéré
- Salou Djibo
- Said Mohamed Djohar
- Michel Djotodia
- False Dmitry I
- Samuel Doe
- Dong Zhuo
- Mamady Doumbouya
- Dud Murra of Wadai
- Francisco Dueñas
- Dương Văn Minh
E
- Edward III of England
- Elizabeth of Russia
- Enlil-Nasir II
- Alberto Enríquez Gallo
- Hussain Muhammad Ershad
- Abdul Rahman al-Eryani
- Rafael Estrella Ureña
- Kenan Evren
- Gnassingbé Eyadéma
- Carlos Ezeta
F
- Adekunle Fajuyi
- Edelmiro Julián Farrell
- Deodoro da Fonseca
- Francisco Franco
- Rafael Franco
- Alberto Fujimori
G
- Muammar Gaddafi
- Galba
- Agustín Gamarra
- Luis García Meza
- Policarpo Paz García
- Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
- Phaedon Gizikis
- Assimi Goïta
- Gongmin of Goryeo
- Pablo Herrera González
- Klement Gottwald
- Yakubu Gowon
- Oupa Gqozo
- Ivan Graanoogst
- Marmaduke Grove
- Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia
- José María Guido
- Cemal Gürsel
- Jaime Abdul Gutiérrez
- Rafael Antonio Gutiérrez
- Tomás Gutiérrez
- Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán
H
- Hissène Habré
- Juvénal Habyarimana
- Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- Ibrahim al-Hamdi
- George W. Harkins
- Uzun Hasan
- Heraclius
- Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
- Vicente Herrera Zeledón
- Bantu Holomisa
- Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
- Mohammed al-Houthi
- Emperor Huan of Han
- Adolfo de la Huerta
- Victoriano Huerta
- Hun Sen
I
J
- Salah Jadid
- Said Mohamed Jaffar
- Yahya Jammeh
- Chang Do-yong
- Jehu
- Jeongjong, 3rd monarch of Goryeo
- Jesús Jiménez Zamora
- John Joseph of Austria
- George Johnston (Royal Marines officer)
- Jungjong of Joseon
- Andrew Juxon-Smith
K
- Saprang Kalayanamitr
- Yahya Kanu
- Kavad II
- Mathieu Kérékou
- Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
- Abu’l-Khayr Khan
- Ayub Khan
- Mohammad Daoud Khan
- Kim Chun
- Tengiz Kitovani
- Ko Ko Oo (general)
- André Kolingba
- Sékouba Konaté
- Georgios Kondylis
- Johnny Paul Koroma
- Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka
- Maurice Kouandété
- Seyni Kountché
- Suchinda Kraprayoon
- Kučuk-Alija
- Mamadu Ture Kuruma
- Kutayfat
- Kyaw Moe Aung
- Kyŏng Taesŭng
L
- Franck Lavaud
- Kong Le
- Augusto B. Leguía
- Gustavo Leigh
- Justin Lekhanya
- Vladimir Lenin
- Léon Cantave
- José María Linares
- Nicolás Lindley López
- José Linhares
- Lon Nol
- Eduardo Lonardi
- Oswaldo López Arellano
- Antonio López de Santa Anna
- Julio Lozano Díaz
- Walther von Lüttwitz
- Georgy Lvov
M
- Mahmud II
- Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara
- Adolfo Arnoldo Majano
- Carlos Mancheno Cajas
- Ansumane Mané
- Adly Mansour
- Margaret Tudor
- José Manuel Marroquín
- Alphonse Massamba-Débat
- Dominique Mbonyumutwa
- Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores
- Juan Alberto Melgar Castro
- Mariano Melgarejo
- Menahem
- José Mendes Cabeçadas
- César Mendoza
- Francisco Menéndez
- Mengistu Haile Mariam
- José Toribio Merino
- Ioannis Metaxas
- Roberto Micheletti
- Michel Micombero
- Min Aung Hlaing
- Emmerson Mnangagwa
- Mobutu Sese Seko
- Modu Chanyu
- Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
- José María Montealegre
- Francisco Morales Bermúdez
- Agustín Morales
- Muhammadu Hodi
- Murtala Muhammed
- Yoweri Museveni
- Pervez Musharraf
- Benito Mussolini
- Mustafa IV
- Myint Kyaw Tun
- Myint Swe
N
- Nabonidus
- Mohamed Naguib
- Abdul Karim al-Nahlawi
- Naing Naing Oo
- Napoleon
- Napoleon III
- Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Alberto Natusch
- Ne Win
- Francisco Nef
- François Ngeze
- Marien Ngouabi
- Brice Oligui Nguema
- Nguyễn Cao Kỳ
- Nguyễn Chánh Thi
- Nguyễn Khánh
- Nguyễn Văn Thiệu
- Gaafar Nimeiry
- Ntare V of Burundi
- Chukwuma Nzeogwu
O
- Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
- Manuel A. Odría
- Ohn Thwin
- John Okello
- Tito Okello
- Mullah Omar
- Juan Carlos Onganía
- Manuel María Orellana Contreras
- José María Orellana
- Otho
- Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo
- Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
- Mustafa Ould Salek
- Alfredo Ovando
P
- David Padilla
- José Manuel Pando
- Theodoros Pangalos
- Georgios Papadopoulos
- Gabriel París Gordillo
- Park Chung Hee
- Víctor Paz Estenssoro
- Juan Pereda
- Fernando Pereira (major)
- Ricardo Pérez Godoy
- Marcos Pérez Jiménez
- Phetracha
- Phocas
- Nicolás de Piérola
- Józef Piłsudski
- José María Pinilla Fábrega
- Augusto Pinochet
- António Pinto Soares
- Pol Pot
- Alfredo Poveda
- Mariano Ignacio Prado
Q
R
- Elias Phisoana Ramaema
- Ramathipadi I
- Pedro Pablo Ramírez
- Nereu Ramos
- Gabriel Ramushwana
- Didier Ratsiraka
- Jerry Rawlings
- Arturo Rawson
- Tomás Regalado (Salvadoran politician)
- France-Albert René
- Efraín Ríos Montt
- Venancio Roberto
- Andrés Rodríguez (politician)
- Guillermo Rodríguez (politician)
- Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
- Rubén Alonso Rosales
S
- Bautista Saavedra
- Kais Saied
- Felipe Santiago Salaverry
- Nikos Sampson
- Constantin Sănătescu
- Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro
- Thomas Sankara
- Amadou Sanogo
- Pote Sarasin
- Saw Maung
- Selim I
- Reza Shah
- Eduard Shevardnadze
- Shi Chaoyi
- Tengiz Sigua
- Sima Yi
- Dušan Simović
- Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
- José Sisto
- Pavlo Skoropadskyi
- Antanas Smetona
- Soe Naing Oo
- Christophe Soglo
- Ali Soilih
- Somerled
- Anastasio Somoza García
- António de Spínola
- Valentine Strasser
- Alfredo Stroessner
- Suharto
- Sulla
- Ferenc Szálasi
T
- Zia ol Din Tabatabaee
- Taejo of Joseon
- Taejong of Joseon
- Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya
- Abdourahamane Tchiani
- José Luis Tejada Sorzano
- Thet Swe
- David Toro
- Juan José Torres
- Omar Torrijos
- Amadou Toumani Touré
- Trajan
- Trần Thiện Khiêm
- Ibrahim Traoré
- Moussa Traoré
- Tun Tun Nyi
- Tuoba Heru
U
V
- Joaquín Valdés
- Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
- Getúlio Vargas
- Juan Velasco Alvarado
- José Miguel de Velasco
- Eleftherios Venizelos
- Jorge Rafael Videla
- João Bernardo Vieira
- Gualberto Villarroel
