What is a Military Coup?
A military coup is the sudden, violent overthrow of an existing government by a small group of military officers. It is a distinct and different process from a revolution, which involves mass popular action for fundamental social and economic change. The key prerequisite for a successful coup is control of the armed forces, police, and other military elements. A coup rarely alters a nation’s fundamental social and economic policies or redistributes power among competing political groups within the country.
A coup is most often undertaken when the ruling regime is perceived as corrupt, inefficient, or otherwise incompetent. Unlike a revolution, a military coup focuses on replacing top government officials rather than overthrowing an entire society.
The classic image of a military coup is of power-hungry soldiers ordering tanks down a capital’s streets to seize power from the political leadership. But in most cases, coups are not just military affairs; they involve many civilian actors, either in the governing bureaucracy or elite civil society. The thwarted coup in Niger, for example, had a significant civilian dimension, with its masterminds from the sports minister to a businessman who funded the coup.
The situation in Thailand, where the current king is reportedly unstable and openly involved in politics, is ripe for a coup. The military is clearly tired of the Shinawatra political dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for over two decades. But many other conditions also exist, including rising insecurity and a sluggish economy.
