Coup d'état: Difference between revisions

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A '''coup d'état''', also called a '''coup''', is the act of overthrowing a government, but not necessarily destroying the [[state]]. As such, a coup does not always lead to the overthrow of the [[Ruling class|dominating class]]. Coups have been used and have also been instrumental in [[Proletarian revolution|socialist revolutions]], [[Counterrevolution|counter-revolutions]] and [[Bourgeois revolution|bourgeois revolutions]].
A '''coup d'état''', also called a '''coup''', is the act of overthrowing a [[government]], but not necessarily the [[state]]. As such, a coup does not always lead to the overthrow of the [[Ruling class|dominating class]]. Coups have been used and have been instrumental in [[Proletarian revolution|socialist revolutions]], [[Counterrevolution|counter-revolutions]] and [[Bourgeois revolution|bourgeois revolutions]] alike.


== Etymology ==
== Etymology ==
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=== Colonels' coups ===
=== Colonels' coups ===
In countries that lack national liberation movements and have no hope for social reform, lower military officers such as colonels may lead progressive coups.<ref name=":12222" />
In countries that lack national liberation movements and have no hope for social reform, lower military officers such as colonels may lead progressive coups.<ref name=":12222" /> In some cases, even generals can lead progressive [[Nationalism|nationalist]] coups, such as [[Republic of Peru|Peru]] in 1968.<ref name=":02">{{Web citation|author=Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein|newspaper=[[Workers World]]|title=How long will Peru last? History weighs on today’s events|date=2020-12-18|url=https://www.workers.org/2020/12/53314/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606095617/https://www.workers.org/2020/12/53314/|archive-date=2023-06-06}}</ref>


Examples:
Examples:
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* [[Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1977)|Libya]] (1969)
* [[Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1977)|Libya]] (1969)
* [[Burkina Faso]] (1983)
* [[Burkina Faso]] (1983)
* [[Republic of the Niger|Niger]] (2023)


== References ==
== References ==
[[Category:Political terminology]]
[[Category:Political terminology]]

Latest revision as of 10:17, 14 September 2023

A coup d'état, also called a coup, is the act of overthrowing a government, but not necessarily the state. As such, a coup does not always lead to the overthrow of the dominating class. Coups have been used and have been instrumental in socialist revolutions, counter-revolutions and bourgeois revolutions alike.

Etymology

The name comes from the French, and literally means a "blow of the state", and should be understood to mean a "knockout blow [to the government]".

Types

Generals' coups

The most reactionary type of coups, which reverse the achievements of a national liberation struggle or an electoral victory against the ruling class, are usually led by generals and the top leadership of the military. The United States and domestic elites often back such coups, which benefit the international imperialist bourgeoisie.[1]

Examples:

Colonels' coups

In countries that lack national liberation movements and have no hope for social reform, lower military officers such as colonels may lead progressive coups.[1] In some cases, even generals can lead progressive nationalist coups, such as Peru in 1968.[2]

Examples:

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Vijay Prashad (2008). The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World: 'La Paz' (pp. 146–8). [PDF] The New Press. ISBN 9781595583420 [LG]
  2. Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein (2020-12-18). "How long will Peru last? History weighs on today’s events" Workers World. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06.