How to Stage a Military Coup: from Planning to Execution

The coup remains the single most common form of power change throughout the world. The government being targeted by a coup attempt could be democratically elected, a long-standing dictatorship, or nothing more than a junta put in place by the previous month's coup. The motivation will always be lust for power, patriotism, greed or exploitation. It is usually a combination of power, greed and exploitation disguised as patriotism.How to Stage a Military Coup explores these violent and often bloody appropriations of authority, alongside the political, military, and social conditions out of which they arise. Taking into account factors such as timing, media control, popular support and government organisational structure, and by drawing on examples of coups from all over the world, both failed and successful, the authors reveal exactly what it takes to carry out a successful government take-over. This latest, updated edition includes a new Foreword.