What is a Coup d’Etat?

A Coup d’etat (pronounced ku de’ta) is the sudden, illegal overthrow of an existing government by a small group. Typically, the coup is conducted by a dictator, a guerrilla military force, or an opposing political faction. In contrast to revolutions, which often aim for sweeping changes to a country’s fundamental social and political ideology, the coup seeks only to replace key government personnel.

The Cline Center defines a coup as “the seizure by action of a small group of physical and political control over the prime governmental centers of command, decision, and administration.” Coups, or attempts at coups, are normally orchestrated by powerful elites—usually, but not always—characterized by high-ranking military officers. Unlike rebellions, upheavals that are often labeled coups do not qualify for this category because the hijackers’ motives and intent often differ from those of the old dictator.

For more on the definition of a Coup, see the Cline Center’s “Coups and Coup Attempts” article.

During the January 6th assault on the US Capitol, some observers suggested that a coup had taken place. The Cline Center initially released a provisional statement clarifying the categories of events that might be classified as a coup or an attempted coup under our criteria, and has since incorporated new information, including sworn testimony from witnesses appearing before the House Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the US Capitol. For the latest information about our conclusions, please visit this project page. We continue to maintain a list of known coups and coup attempts around the world.