A Coup d’etat (literally, “coup of the state”) refers to a military or non-military attempt to overthrow the existing government and take power. It is distinct from a revolution, which is a mass uprising by the general population seeking socioeconomic change.
The coups that have occurred throughout history vary in their success and outcome, but many of them have shared similarities. These commonalities can be attributed to multiple factors that are related to both military culture and power dynamics. For instance, they are most likely to occur in environments where a balance of power is in flux, such as when the interests of a military leader and those of the civilian leadership diverge or when political instability reaches a critical point.
Moreover, coups tend to involve elite members within the state apparatus who use violence to gain control of the executive. For example, the Golpe Borghese in Italy involved neo-fascist groups trying to overthrow the government; and Yukio Mishima committed seppuku after barricading himself inside a Japanese military headquarters, hoping to inspire a rebellion that would lead to a successful coup.
Coups are also a regular occurrence in Africa, particularly since 1950, when the continent’s countries gained independence. Researchers such as Jonathan Powell and Clayton Thyne have found that the continent has experienced more coups than any other region, with millions of deaths as a result of these events.