In a Military coup, armed forces seize power from civilian leadership. This can be achieved by overthrowing a democratically elected government or by installing an autocratic regime in place of an existing one.
For a military takeover to succeed, the men with guns have to believe that they should be in charge. They have to believe that their predecessors either lacked legitimacy (because they gained their positions illegally or through corruption) or were seen as traitors to the country. They have to also believe that they have the right skills for the job, and that a new leader will improve their lives by providing them with greater freedoms, better services, and increased security.
These conditions are why it is so important for the military to be able to present its coup as a legitimate, even revolutionary, step in the quest for national self-determination. It is why coup leaders rely so heavily on civilian support, often claiming that the old leader was a “traitors and bastards” or saying that as soon as things calm down they will hold elections.
In order to avoid a future of such tyranny, it is essential for international supporters of democracy to provide more robust responses to coup attempts. It is also why it’s important to recognize that a military coup doesn’t occur in a vacuum: in addition to the need for civilian support, it’s critical for the military to be empowered so that its members have the material resources and political power necessary to prevent coups from becoming entrenched dictatorships.