What is a Coup d'État?

However, the President of Turkey believes that this is a coup attempt by forces loyal to exiled Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen and asserts that the coup attempt will be crushed.

A coup is an action that no country desires to occur. A coup is the overthrow of a government using unconstitutional measures – often involving the replacement of senior public officials. A coup takes place when the regime being overthrown no longer enjoys the support of the forces involved in the coup. A coup can be violent or non-violent. A coup is different from a revolution because revolutions are often organized by larger groups and commonly overthrow the entire political regime of a country.

Historic coups that shook global politics

Egypt: The Egyptian military executed a coup on July 13, 2013, to overthrow President Mohamed Morsi after a 48-hour ultimatum expired. President Mohamed Morsi was deposed following weeks of unrest involving millions of protesters.

Thailand: The coup took place on September 19, 2006, when the Royal Thai Army overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The coup occurred after a year-long political crisis involving Thaksin and opposition forces. The event took place less than a month before a planned nationwide parliamentary election, which the coup military faction subsequently cancelled. General Surayud Chulanont thereafter was appointed as Prime Minister of Thailand from October 1, 2006, to January 29, 2008.

Pakistan: October 12, 1999, was a significant day for the people of Pakistan when the military threatened to seize control of the country. The Chief of Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf, overthrew the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Mali: The Mali incident in 2012 was a military coup carried out by rebellious soldiers on March 21, 2012. The mutiny against the government's handling of the Tuareg uprising turned into a coup attempt when soldiers seized the state television station and attacked the presidential palace. The coup stemmed from the government's failure to provide adequate arms and resources for the military to counter Tuareg rebels and Islamic extremist groups in the north.

Bangladesh: The coup occurred on August 15, 1975, when President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated and his family fled to Germany. The leader of the coup was Syed Faruque Rahman, a military officer. He subsequently installed Khondaker Mushtaque Ahmed as President of Bangladesh.

Argentina: On March 24, 1976, the military overthrew President Isabel Peron. Isabel Peron had succeeded her husband, President Juan Domingo Peron, after his death on July 1, 1974. Isabel Peron proved inept in managing the complex political and social situation in the country. Following the coup, Jorge Rafael Videla took office as President of Argentina from March 29, 1976, to March 29, 1981.

Chile: The coup took place on September 1, 1973. The government of President Salvador Allende was overthrown by the military after a prolonged period of instability. Pinochet succeeded Salvador Allende and served as President of Chile from December 17, 1974, to March 11, 1990.

Vietnam's history also witnessed some coups. Notably, the 1963 coup was a military coup that overthrew the government of President Ngo Dinh Diem, executed by generals of the Republic of Vietnam with the tacit approval of the United States on November 1, 1963. The coup resulted in the deaths of President Ngo Dinh Diem and his advisor Ngo Dinh Nhu, leading to the collapse of the First Republic of Vietnam, transferring leadership to the military junta headed by Duong Van Minh. Following the 1963 coup, Southern Vietnam saw a series of other coups, such as on December 19, 1964, in February 1965, and in June 1965.

After gaining independence and unification, Vietnam persistently confronted hostile schemes from domestic and foreign reactionaries attempting to overthrow the government and plunge the country into chaos; however, all such schemes, tactics, and actions were thwarted. The People's Army and the People's Security of Vietnam continually monitor the situation, closely coordinating with countries within and outside the region to help eliminate threats, thereby ensuring the stability and peace of the nation and people. Vietnam is rated among the top 10 countries without conflicts by the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Vietnam ranks 59/163 countries and territories according to the Global Peace Index and is among the 10 countries entirely free of conflict

As President Tran Dai Quang emphasized, our Communist Party particularly values the role and importance of national defense; insists that reinforcing defense and maintaining national security are crucial and regular duties of the Communist Party, the State, and the entire populace, with the People's Army and the People's Police being the core forces.

Other countries and regions around the world constantly face coups, terrorism, unrest, leading to physical and psychological suffering for their nationals. However, for Vietnam today and in the future, it will be a peaceful, stable, and developing nation, rooted in our tradition of fervent patriotism.

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