Military Coup d'état

Definition

A military coup d'état is the sudden overthrow of a government by members of the armed forces. It usually involves the use of force or threat of force to seize power from existing political leaders.

Analogy

Imagine a group project where one member forcefully takes control and removes the leader without following proper procedures. Similarly, in a military coup d'état, the armed forces take control without going through established democratic processes.

Related terms

Authoritarianism: A form of government characterized by strong central authority and limited individual freedoms.

Regime Change: The replacement or alteration of one government with another through various means such as revolution or foreign intervention.

Junta: A small group of military officers who rule a country after seizing power through a coup d'état.