What is a coup d’etat? Thanks for asking!

Just last week, Myanmar underwent its fourth coup d’état in 63 years, ten years after becoming a democracy. Although no blood was spilled, several members of the ruling National League for Democracy Party were placed under house arrest by the military. That includes Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected State Counsellor. The Tatmadaw military declared a year-long state of emergency.

What are the main characteristics of a coup d’état? 

The term, which has been around since the 18th century, comes from French words meaning “a strike against the state”. In 2013, the University of Illinois’ Cline Center for Democracy defined a coup d’état as “the sudden and irregular removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government.” Their project listed twelve different types of coup.

So the purpose of a coup is usually to seize power. A coup isn’t necessarily violent, but many are. In 2011, American researchers Jonathan Powell and Clayton Thyne identified three common criteria in coups d’état. Firstly, the coup has to be carried out against the executive authority, by the military or other elites within the state, using anti-constitutional methods.  

Another synonym is the Swiss-German word “putsch”, which is also used in English. It refers to military coups, such as Myanmar 2021. When it’s the people who overthrow the government and take power, we talk instead about a revolution.

Can you give me some examples of recent coups d’état? What about January’s storming of the U.S. Capitol? Could that be considered a coup d’état? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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