History glossary
coup
an attempt to seize power outside normal constitutional rules.
- Category
- Political action
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
A coup is an attempt by a small group, often from inside the state, to seize power outside normal constitutional rules. The August 1991 coup tried to stop Gorbachev's union treaty and preserve Soviet authority by emergency rule.
Stories using this term
Nazi Germany
From Weimar collapse to WWII, Nazi Germany imposed totalitarian rule, expansion, and genocide.
The American Revolution and Early Republic
From colonial tensions to independence, this traces the birth and early struggles of the United States of America.
The Anglo Boer Conflict
A war between Britain and Boer republics that exposed imperial costs and reshaped South Africa.
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The English Civil War
Civil war between king and Parliament led to regicide, a republic, and lasting constitutional change.
The Russian Revolution
From the 1905 crisis to the creation of the USSR, the Russian Revolution transformed imperial collapse into a new one-party socialist state.
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
Weimar Republic
A fragile democracy marked by crisis and innovation, whose collapse paved the way for Nazi rule.
