History Main / TheCoup

* In ''Literature/VictoriaANovelOf4thGenerationWar'', one is attempted by Governor Bowen in the Northern Confederation, where he tries to overthrow the lawful government and seize total power together with [[GaiasRevenge Deep Green]] militants. The coup is resisted by Captain [[AntiHero John Rumford]] and Colonel [[TheChessmaster William Kraft]].

* In ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', one is attempted by Governor Bowen in the Northern Confederation, where he tries to overthrow the lawful government and seize total power together with [[GaiasRevenge Deep Green]] militants. The coup is resisted by Captain [[AntiHero John Rumford]] and Colonel [[TheChessmaster William Kraft]].

** In ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', Elliot Carver plots to incite a war between Britain and China. The war is supposed to culminate in the Chinese Politburo being wiped out ([[FalseFlagOperation ostensibly in a British cruise missile strike]]), enabling [[RenegadeRussian Carver's Chinese partner]], General Chang, to take over the government and negotiate a cease fire. [[WarForFunAndProfit (And then granting Carver exclusive broadcasting rights in China for the next hundred years).]]
** ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' portrays a North Korean government divided between [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure moderates]] like General Moon and [[GeneralRipper hard-liners]] like his son and several other generals. Towards the end of the movie, the hard-liners stage a coup, take over the government, and attempt to invade and conquer South Korea. (Borders on ArtisticLicensePolitics, as North Korea is one of the most personalistic regimes in the world: it would be very difficult for factions as distinct and powerful as these to develop given how tightly the ruler -- Kim Jong Il at the time of the movie, and Kim Jong Un today -- controls politics).

* ''Film/IfFootmenTireYouWhatWillHorsesDo?'': This is how the communists will take over the United States. It will happen "within fifteen minutes after zero hour", improving from the supposed week it took them to take over China.

** The end of ''Literature/TheBearAndTheDragon''. China's disastrous invasion of Siberia has already caused a lot of public unrest, but when it's revealed that it [[spoiler:nearly degenerated into a nuclear war with the United States]], the unrest turns into a riot, with student protesters storming the Politburo. [[spoiler:Fang Gan, a moderate Politburo member, seizes the opportunity to essentially crown himself the new leader of China and orders the arrest of the previous leadership]].

** [[spoiler:Due to Li Peng's failures as Premier of China, the PLA — led by Marshal Chi Haotian — rebels against and topples the Communist Party.]]

* In the first ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'' film General Edward Uranus, the CO of Olympus' regular army, attempts a coup out of FantasticRacism against [[ArtificialHuman Bioroids]]. [[spoiler:The coup falls apart after Deunan {{Boom Headshot}}s his second-in-command, and Uranus surrenders.]]

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': During the Uprising Arc, the shadow conspiracy in charge of the government attempts to do ThePurge against the Survey Corp and capture Eren for sinister purposes. When Erwin is taken for a trial, he manages a ploy with Commander Pixis to [[spoiler: do a EngineeredPublicConfession by convicing the nobles that Wall Rose has fallen. When they make clear their intentions to abandon more than half of humanity to die this convinces Commander-in-Chief Zackly and the rest of the military to defect and install Historia Reiss as the queen. Since Historia had a valid claim (she was the daughter of the "true" king Rod Reiss).]]
** Later in the series [[spoiler:the Yeagerists stage a coup against the military junta, killing Zackly and taking over the military, using it for their plans to wage war against Marley.]]

* ''Manga/MurderPrincess'': Dr. Akamashi's coup forms the premise.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': [[spoiler: Itachi killed the entire Uchiha clan as a mission from the elders of Konoha]] because they were planning a coup.

* ''Literature/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'':
** Five years before the start of the story, Count Atismata gathered people of The Resistance and staged an uprising against the Arcadia Empire with an army of 12,000 soldiers and 207 Drag-Knights they marched to the Imperial Capital. Even with those numbers they would have lost if not for the "Black Hero": the seventh prince of the Empire, Lux, who singlehandedly defeated the Empire's army of 1,200 Drag-Rides. In the end the coup was successful but Count Atismata and his youngest daughter died, leaving his relative Raffi to become the Queen of the New Kingdom and his elder daughter Lizsharte, who was captured by the Empire early in the coup, to become the Princess. Further complicating things, the coup was actually a plan arranged between Lux and his older half-brother Fugil, First Prince of the Empire. Lux wanted to bring a peaceful end to the Empire, but Fugil betrayed him by murdering the entire Imperial Court and the Empire's Drag-Knights whom Lux had defeated without killing.
** Centuries ago, the Arcadia Empire itself was formed after a coup against the tyrannical Holy Arcadia Empire, and they also had Fugil's help in doing so. Unfortunately, they were on their way to becoming just as corrupt as their predecessors, leading to the above-mentioned coup.
* ''Manga/MonsterMusume'': This is played for laughs during the Farm Arc. Main character Kimihito is forced to work off a debt owed to a corporation by aiding them on this farm of only monster ladies filled with minotaurs, fauns, and satyrs. Originally not all the ladies were active participants in the work and maintenance of the facility. One of his many jobs includes attaching the women's breasts up to milk-pumping machines. One of minotaurs he knew from a previous arc is also present and asks him to milk her by hand, as his touch is far nicer and pleasurable than the cold machine. This starts making every woman present interested in his touch and technique, the Satyrs most of all. In order to allow him more time to milk them, the fauns start working on cleaning the communal house and making food while the minotaurs work a bit harder on the field. On the eve of what is supposed to be his final night at the farm [[spoiler:he is grabbed by a horde of minotaurs and fauns who are [[{{Lunacy}} under the effects of the full moon]] and expressing their desires to have him stay. It is then he is saved by the satyrs. Due to their natural horniness, they are not affected by the full moon. The satyrs reveal they had been studying his techniques for milking breasts and can replicate them on the other women. Their skills are so good, it allows Kimihito to be set free and the satyrs now run the place because of their new skills in milking. The satyrs enjoy their new place on the ladder because they are still being paid, don't have to work like they did before, and they love touching other women's breasts]].
* ''Literature/SeireiGensoukiSpiritChronicles'': The Kingdom of Beltrum goes through one when the disgruntled noble, Duke Arbor, takes advantage public dissatisfaction over a war with Proxia to overthrow the royal family as well as Duke Huguenot's faction.

* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': The coup performed by Dr. Robotnik. It's also pulled off in the CosmicRetcon-changed universe by Dr. Eggman. The details of what exactly happened change from continuity to continuity, but certain events remain the same - the mad scientist taking over Mobotropolis by casting King Acorn into another dimension and having his robotic army capture others.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': The Earth-One Hippolyta is dethroned and the monarchy abolished in a successful coup headed by her advisor Antiope.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Athena plots and carries out a careful plan to usurp Zeus's throne where she carefully followed the flexible rules of Olympus to make herself legitimate, however since Zeus is the one with the final say over whether or not someone has broken the rules he proclaims her an illegitimate usurper and tries to retake the throne with his brothers' support. He finally admits defeat and proclaims Athena's method of taking the throne legitimate after Ares kills Hades.
* ''ComicBook/StarTrekEarlyVoyages'': In "Our Dearest Blood", Rigellian extremists staged a coup against the government of Rigel VII as they were opposed to their planet's admittance to the Federation, the resulting abandonment of the centuries old policy of isolation and the impending disbandment of the Kaylar warrior elite. They attacked the ''Enterprise'' crewmembers who were enjoying shore leave on Rigel VII, resulting in three of them being killed (including Yeoman Dermot Cusack) and seven being injured (including Nano and Sita Mohindas). As a result, Rigel VII's admission was denied. However, in "Nor Iron Bars a Cage", Yeoman Colt mentions that the sacrifice of the ''Enterprise'' crewmembers inspired many Rigellians to expunge the barbaric elements of their society and that it was possible that Rigel VII could still join the Federation one day.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'':
** ''ComicBook/StarWarsDoctorAphra'': During the climax of the ''Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon'' arc, it's revealed that Pitina Voor, the Empire's Minister of Propaganda, has grown disgusted with Palpatine's ForTheEvulz style of rule, seeing it as a threat to the [[WellIntentionedExtremist true peace that the Empire can bring]]. So, she's enabled a plot by the Rebellion to assassinate the Emperor, so that she can then swoop in, eliminate the Rebels when they try to claim victory after the assassination, and then seize control of the Empire in the resulting power vacuum. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for her, Aphra deduces that the "raiders" that killed her mother when she was a child were actually part of one of Voor's {{False Flag Operation}}s, and [[YouKilledMyFather in revenge]], she arranges an EngineeredPublicConfession that ruins Voor's plans and leads to her death by Vader.]]
** ''ComicBook/StarWarsBountyHunters'': In Issue #20, Vukorah assassinates the Grand Leader of the [[TheSyndicate Unbroken Clan]] and purges all his loyalists so that she can assume control of the syndicate and pledge its services to [[spoiler: Crimson Dawn]].

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' storyline ''ComicBook/{{Crucible}}'', Roho stages a coup against the king and queen of planet Ngo in revenge for being disowned. During the revolt, he kills his parents off while his partisans raze the capital city to the ground.

* ''ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSmokeAndShadow'': The New Ozai Society finally acts, preparing an ambush for Prince Zuko when he returns home from ''[[Comicbook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSearch The Search]]''.
* ''ComicBook/{{DIE}}'': At the end of the second arc, [[spoiler: Ash takes control of the magical mechanisms that keeps all the Dictators in Angria in line, then has them use their [[CompellingVoice powers]] on the aristocracy, making them crown Ash as Queen]].
* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' was fond of this:
** Coups are basically the totality of the political process in the [[BananaRepublic Republic of San Theodoros]]: two factions, led by General Alcazar and General Tapioca, are at each other's throats for the entire length of the series, with one faction seizing power and the other going into opposition, until such time as it can take back power and drive its rival into opposition, and so forth. The story is generally told from Alcazar's point of view, but only because Tintin is a friend of his and can therefore exert some appeal on his better angels: otherwise, it's made pretty clear that there's no real difference between his government and Tapioca's.
** A similar though not quite as unstable situation exists in the [[{{Qurac}} Kingdom of Khemedi Arabia]], between the ruling Emir Mohammed bin Kalish Ezab, and his enemy Sheikh Bab El Ehr. Once again, Tintin has personal ties to one of the two, but the story makes it clear that both of them are cruel, capricious, and generally tyrannical rulers.
* Happens a few times in ''ComicBook/BuckDanny'':
** The "oil gangsters" plot line revolves around an attempt by an unscrupulous oil company to overthrow the Sheikh of the [[{{Qurac}} Oulai]] in order to exploit the oil resources on his territory. The heroes, recently demobilized after UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, start out as pilots for the oil company, but quickly switch sides to warn the Sheikh and ultimately prevent the coup when they realize what their employers are planning.
** The Vien Tan story arc straddles the line between this and a revolution. It's loosely based on UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, but instead of a communist revolution, the power struggle is between an American-friendly king and his rebellious nephew, who's being bought off by a NebulousEvilOrganization and their HiredGuns to seize power and grant them the rights to the minerals in his country's soil.
** The fictional country of [[BananaRepublic Managua]] is especially prone to this. During the "nuclear alert" story arc set in TheEighties, it's portrayed as a fragile democracy, whose chief of staff, General Sanchez, is plotting to seize power and install a dictatorship (unwittingly allying himself with the story's main villains, who pretend to be supporters of his new government). When we return to it in TheNineties, Sanchez has succeeded in taking power: however, TheCartel he's in league with is now plotting a coup of its own to replace him with a more pliable partner. In order to prevent this, the heroes ally with yet another officer, General Ortega, to launch his own coup ''first'', overthrowing Sanchez and then rallying the military to stop the Cartel's takeover.

** Rhaegar effectively stages one when his CivilWar with Daeron begins, as he puts Aerys under house arrest and replaces the whole Small Council (except for Varys) with men he knows to be personally loyal to him rather than his father. [[spoiler: And then he finalizes it by allowing Rhaella to kill Aerys in his sleep.]]
** Another one ends the war. [[spoiler: After Rhaegar's death in battle, his wife Laela takes over his court in their son Aegon's name and tries to fight on. In response, Rhaella and her own loyalists seize control of the Red Keep and imprison or kill all of Rhaegar's remaining followers, handing the capital over to Daeron.]]

** [[spoiler: Eventually getting sick of Joffrey's terrible rule, and needing a scapegoat to appease the Reach and Dorne for their losses in the war against Stannis, Tywin and the rest of the Small Council (save for Jaime and Cersei) remove him from power and execute him, propping up Myrcella as a new [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]].]]
** Following the revelation that [[spoiler: the "Aegon" they were supporting was an imposter]], Arianne and Oberyn stage a soft coup, convincing Sunspear's guards to side with them and placing Doran and Trystane under house arrest while Arianne takes over running Dorne.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'' has the Darkest Winter Night at its climax, wherein [[spoiler: [[KnightTemplar Allora]] attempts to regain power by [[OffingTheOffspring killing Weira]] and pinning the blame on Phobos, so that she and her traditionalist allies can remove Weira's progressive court and establish Allora as regent for the newborn Elyon, who would grow into a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]]]. While the coup fails with [[spoiler: Allora's death]], the misinformation campaign is more successful, triggering a CivilWar which leads to the canonical Rebellion.
* The ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'' has [[spoiler: the Uchiha Clan going through with their coup from canon. While it's ultimately unsuccessful, the attack leaves lasting effects for the rest of the story, at it cuts Konoha's military manpower over a third, and forces the ninja academy to up their standards for the genin.]]

* In ''[[Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm Ghosts of the Past]]'', [[GeneralRipper General Lukin]] pulls this in Chapter 12 [[spoiler: when President [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Volodya]] tries to shut down the Red Room for pissing off Asgard. Lukin has the [[LivingWeapon Red Son]] wipe out the soldiers he brought with him to the meeting, then shoots Volodya himself. This allows Lukin, through his patsies, to become ''de facto'' ruler of Russia and their sphere of influence.]]

* ''Film/SixUnderground'': The entire plot of the film is about a billionaire's private team of special operatives engineering an uprising against Rochav Alimov, the [[PresidentEvil brutal dictator]] of [[{{Qurac}} Turgistan]] in favor of his democracy-loving brother Murat. They accomplish this by first assassinating his loyalist generals, then breaking Murat out of his GildedCage prison and hijacking Turgistan's airwaves so that he can broadcast a message to the people, calling on them to rise up. [[spoiler: With the officers now in charge of the military [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure unwilling to follow Rochav's orders to brutally suppress the revolting population]], Murat is easily able to convince them to put him in charge. Rochav, meanwhile, is captured by the protagonists and [[DoWithHimAsYouWill left at the mercy of his people]].]]

* ''Film/DecemberHeat'': The whole film is about a failed communist coup in Estonia.

** ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' revolves around a plot by the renegade [[TheGeneralissimo General Medrano]] to overthrow the elected government of Bolivia, with assistance from the UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} and the shadowy organization [[NebulousEvilOrganization Quantum]]. It's stated that this isn't the first time Quantum has done this, with their representative taking credit for the (real life) overthrow of President Aristide of UsefulNotes/{{Haiti}} in similar circumstances. It isn't the first time for Medrano either, as allusions are made to his having participated in the violent overthrow of the junta Camille's father was a part of.

-->'''Aramis''': This is the perfect solution! A revolution without bloodshed. Or treason, for Phillippe is also a king's son.

* ''Film/{{October}}'': The successful Bolshevik takeover in UsefulNotes/RedOctober.

** At the start of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' a cadre of Romulan military officers and a disgruntled senator assassinate the rest of the Romulan Senate so they can install [[BigBad Shinzon]] as Praetor. [[spoiler:They eventually realize he's a total nutbar and turn on him.]]

* In the first ''Manga/SukebanDeka''-[[LiveActionAdaptation movie]], the BigBad Hattori was considered death after a failed coup d'etat against the Japanese government. The movie's plot is about his preparations for a second try.

** Comes up when the [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy Kennedy]] White House receives two letters from the Soviets, one from Nikita Khrushchev himself, and later one, which is much for hardline, from someone else. U.S. officials come to the conclusion that the Soviet Union has had a a coup and Khrushchev's administration has been replaced with a far more militant government. [[spoiler: Eventually they figure out that there wasn't one, Khrushchev is just trying to appease the warmongers and [[GeneralRipper General Rippers]] in his own government]].
** Also invoked as to why, following President Kennedy's huge verbal spat with Generals Powell and [=LeMay=] over DEFCON status, the administration can't just fire them as Bobby suggests - it risks looking like there had been an attempted coup (it's not made clear who would be couping whom, but it would look ''really'' bad either way) and in any case would seriously weaken the US's bargaining position by making its military strength look compromised.
* This is a key moment of ''Film/TronLegacy'' canon, depicted in the film, [[WesternAnimation/TronUprising animated series]], and ''VideoGame/TronEvolution''. Clu, backed up with the System Guard (and [[SmugSnake Dyson]]) ambush Flynn and Tron to usurp control iof the system. The former flees and lives on in self-imposed exile while The Grid burns around him. The latter ends up with [[FateWorseThanDeath a few fates worse than de-rez]].

* The 1982 novel ''A Very British Coup'', later adapted into a 1988 TV movie under that title and a 2012 TV miniseries called ''Secret State'', is about the election of a socialist Labour party prime minister, and the right wing plots to dispose of him.

* ''Literature/ChildeCycle'': ''Literature/{{Dorsai}}'' and ''Literature/SoldierAskNot'' has these as part of background events, usually part of some larger plan.
* "Literature/TheEncyclopedists": Salvor Hardin, mayor of Terminus City on the planet Terminus, starts a coup against the Board of Trustees to take over the Foundation. The next story, "Literature/TheMayors", starts some time after the coup has succeeded.
* Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheFallOfNumenor'': At the beginning of the Second Age, Sauron poses as a Maia called Annatar to trick the Elves into forge the rings of power which will let him dominate them. Galadriel and Celeborn, though, do not trust him and will not let him enter Eregion even though the Elven smiths are very interested in Annatar's teachings. Eventually, Annatar ends up convincing the Elves of Eregion that Galadriel and Celeborn are bad rulers which are hindering their realm by keeping him and his gifts out of it, and his pupil -and Galadriel's second cousin- Celebrimbor stages a coup, ousting Celeborn and Galadriel and seizing power in Eregion.

** Unlike in OTL, [[spoiler: Hitler is successfully killed in Operation Valkyrie. Though circumstances keep the coup plotters from seizing control of the Reich government before Himmler can, they're able to set up a provisional rival government in Hamburg, which gets backing from the Allies by means of supporting a defecting Rommel's "Free German Army" against the SS and the factions of the Wehrmacht staying loyal to Himmler.]]

** In an act of desperation at the end of the Second Arabian War, [[spoiler: Sadat poisons the completely delusional Nasser so that he can take over leadership of what's left of Egypt and surrender to Israel and the Roman Alliance while there's still a chance.]]
** Due to the perception of having bungled his duties as leader, especially after the Second Arabian War, [[spoiler: Suslov is able to convince Molotov and Malenkov to turn on Khrushchev, executing him and arresting his loyalists, allowing Suslov to take his place]].
** With the Soviet populace hitting their breaking point with the government after learning about [[spoiler: Suslov's MoonLandingHoax and Yuri Gagaran's defection to the West as a result]], Malenkov uses the public outcry to oust Suslov from power and take over as premier. And when he enacts liberalizing reforms, Communist hardliners headed by Molotov and Andropov place him under house arrest to take power for themselves and undo his work. [[spoiler: This results in a general uprising, aided by the army against the KGB, which forces the hardliners to stand down and restore Malenkov to power.]]
* ''Creator/FrederickForsyth'' has done this a few times:
** ''Literature/TheDayOfTheJackal'', his most famous work, is about a coup attempt by French ex-military terrorists disgruntled at France's imminent withdrawal from Algeria, who hire a ProfessionalKiller to assassinate President Charles De Gaulle so that they can seize power.
** ''Literature/TheDogsOfWar'' is about a team of mercenaries hired by a British industrialist to overthrow the communist dictator of a West African nation. [[spoiler:It works, but instead of installing the puppet the industrialist wanted, the mercenaries simply give power to a more honorable general they'd met in a previous African campaign, leaving him without the monopoly he'd been hoping for over the nation's resources.]]
** ''Icon'' plays with this. It concerns the rise to power of a fascist party in UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia, but the main concern is the fascists seizing power not through coup, but through democratic elections. [[spoiler:So the heroes are forced to partially fake and partially incite a coup attempt, making the Russian military and police - not to mention the public - ''believe'' that a fascist coup is in the works in order to provoke the crackdown needed to crush the fascists.]]

* Twice, in the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' universe's Haven system: First, the People's Republic of Haven's corrupt democracy is overthrown by a Committee of Public Safety modeled explicitly on the French Revolution, and then that's [[MilitaryCoup overthrown by the military]] when it's had enough.

** Not featured, but mentioned as part of the background of ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'': the (fictional) Soviet leader, Andrey Narmonov, is implied to have come to power in a coup against his (real life) predecessor, Mikhail Andropov, with the support of the military, which resented Andropov's KGB ties, and the Communist Party hard-liners, who resented Andropov's efforts at reform. (Ironically, Narmonov would go on to become the series' expy of Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforms dwarfed anything Andropov ever did).

** The end of the novel in ''Literature/TheBearAndTheDragon''. China's disastrous invasion of Siberia has already caused a lot of public unrest, but when it's revealed that it [[spoiler:nearly degenerated into a nuclear war with the United States]], the unrest turns into a riot, with student protesters storming the Politburo. [[spoiler:Fang Gan, a moderate Politburo member, seizes the opportunity to essentially crown himself the new leader of China and orders the arrest of the previous leadership]].

* ''Literature/OrphansOfTheSky'': Towards the end, [[spoiler:the characters realize that, in order for Crew and Mutie society to be pacified, the current orthodox leadership and short-sighted, piggish Captain of the Crew needs to be replaced. As a result, Phineas Narby, already a senior scientist-priest and the leader of the ideological bloc containing most of the young, ambitious members of his caste, calls for a meeting of the senior officers, then invites in his new mutant allies, assassinates the Captain, has his men install him as a replacement, and then has the few remaining recalcitrants massacred.]] A similar process happen on the upper decks, as Joe-Jim's gang, already the largest among the Muties, uses the newfound support to take over or wipe out its rivals.
* ''Literature/TheProtocolsOfTheEldersOfZion'': In the end the new global authority is to usurp power from all existing lesser authorities in a single day.
-->"When we at last definitely come into our kingdom by the aid of coups d etat prepared everywhere for one and the same day, after definitely acknowledged (and not a little time will pass before that comes about, perhaps even a whole century) we shall make it our task to see that against us such things as plots shall no longer exist."
* Featured in ''Literature/RedStormRising''. When their ground war against NATO turns badly, the Soviet Politburo [[spoiler:begins planning to use "tactical" nuclear weapons on the battlefield to turn the war back in their favor.]] Realizing that this is utter madness and will end with both sides annihilating each other, [[spoiler:the KGB director, a couple of moderate members of the Politburo, and one of the war's most successful battlefield commanders overthrow the government and sue for peace.]]

*** ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'': In this series, former Imperial Admiral Daala, a BigBad from some previous Star Wars novels, gets elected Chief of State because she helped stop Jacen's rampage in the previous series. She wastes no time abusing her office, purging anyone who from the government and military who once fought against her. She even starts arresting several Jedi, including Luke Skywalker. The Jedi and the Senate both eventually decide that she is becoming too much like a dictator, so they arrest her. Unfortunately, the Senate and the Jedi are unaware that [[spoiler: a small group of Senators and Imperial Moffs have been secretly plotting to restore the Empire, or that the Lost Tribe of the Sith have actually infiltrated the government (including the Senate) and are plotting their own coup]].

** In the first series, Tigerclaw, the second-in-command of [=ThunderClan=], plots to kill his Clan leader (as Clan law states that deputy succeeds leader) by inviting some rogues to attack the camp and [[UnfriendlyFire passing off her death as part of the battle]]. [[spoiler:Fireheart jumps in and rescues her during the attempt.]]
** In the second series, the [=WindClan=] leader Tallstar, in his dying breaths, names Onewhisker as his successor instead of Mudclaw. As the only cats who witnessed this are Onewhisker himself and two of his friends, Mudclaw doesn't believe Onewhisker should be leader, and leads a rebellion against him before the younger cat can receive his [[CatsHaveNineLives nine leader's lives]]. [[spoiler:[=ThunderClan=] helps out Onewhisker and he wins.]]

* In the novel ''Literature/{{Barrayar}}'', the War of the Vordarian Pretendership is an unsuccessful attempt at this.

* ''Literature/CityOfLight'': Each of Palidia's competing political factions accuses the other of plotting one. [[spoiler: Eventually Ravidel Shand eventually overthrows the senate, before a counter-coup by Senator Michal undoes this.]]
* ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'': Falk challanges and slays the commander of Emperor's PraetorianGuard and then proceeds to kill or arrest everyone whom the Emperor would listen to, leaving himself as the only power behind the throne.
* ''Literature/AgeOfFire'': Near the end of the fifth book, ''Dragon Rule'', [=NiVom=] engineers a bloodless coup against his [[WeUsedToBeFriends former friend]], [=RuGaard=], by uniting all the most influential dragons in the empire against him and in support of the twins [=SiHazathant=] and Regalia (who, being blood-related to one of the previous Tyrs, have a more legitimate claim to the throne than the adopted [=RuGaard=]). This results in [=RuGaard=] being exiled, and the twins being set up as [[PuppetKing puppet rulers]] for [=NiVom=]. [[spoiler: And then, a few years in-verse and another book later, he has [=SiHazathant=] killed in a FalseFlagOperation, so that he can quietly remove Regalia from power and seize the throne himself (only to then [[LaserGuidedKarma in turn]] be assassinated by [[LadyMacbeth his own mate]]).]]
* ''Literature/{{Banco}}'' is set during a turbulent BananaRepublic period in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}'s history, and the government forcefully changes hands multiple times during the twenty-plus years of Papillon's adventures and honest living. At one point, despite knowing better, Papillon gets involved in a coup attempt to oust Betancourt and restore Medina Angarita to power. At first he doesn't realize who he's involved with, believing he's doing some underworld machine shop work, until he discovers that he's helping manufacture bombs for the coup. Eventually his desire to finance his revenge gets him directly involved in a disastrously bad attack on the palace and he's lucky to escape without being arrested. He hides out doing construction work until the heat from his failed plot disappears as the police uncover a new plot to thwart.
* In ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', one is attempted by Governor Bowen in the Northern Confederation, where he tries to overthrow the lawful government and seize total power together with [[GaiasRevenge Deep Green]] militants. The coup is resisted by Captain [[AntiHero John Rumford]] and Colonel [[TheChessmaster William Kraft]].
* The villain in ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Dreadnought!]]'' is a high-ranking Admiral who intends to stage a coup that will overthrow the Federation and install him as the leader of an empire that will use a fleet of highly advanced dreadnoughts to batter competing races into line. He has installed his associates and cronies in several leadership positions and important committees throughout Starfleet's bureaucracy, and has secured starships for several captains loyal to him. The overarching plot of the book is the effort to reveal his plans to the main characters and the crew of ''Enterprise'' so they can figure out a means to stop him.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': After discovering Joffery is an illegitimate heir born of incest and suspecting that Robert was murdered, Ned Stark attempts a coup to remove Queen Cersei and install Stannis as the true King to prevent Joffery from taking the throne. His coup fails when he underestimates Littlefinger's ambitions and insists on taking the throne in an honorable manner, thereby refusing to resort to dirty tactics that his enemies are more than willing to exploit, resulting in his failure.
* ''Literature/TheOleanderSword'': When she agrees to sacrifice herself in the future so the mothers will beat the yaksa in their coming war, the Parajati priests switch sides, joining Malini and overthrowing Chandra so she becomes the empress.

** The Season 3 episode "Parting Shot" features [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Malick]] and his allies in the Russian government trying to have the Inhuman General Androvich assassinate the Prime Minister, so that he can take over and further their goals. Fortunately, the team stops them.
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': In the Season 5 episode "Kapiushon", the flashback storyline's BigBad [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Konstantin Kovar]] attempts to use sarin gas to kill the entirety of Russia's political and military leadership, so that he can step into the void. However, Oliver and the Bratva manage to stop him.

* The episode of ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' "Chuck vs. the Coup D'état" has a...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin coup d'état]].

* ''Series/TheCrown''. In "Coup," Lord Mountbatten is approached by a number of bankers and businessmen alarmed at Harold Wilson's socialist policies. Their plan is to overthrow the elected British government, take it over themselves, and install Mountbatten as a figurehead ruler. Despite [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maA5TmGiPIE lecturing them on exactly why such a coup would be impossible]] in a long-established First World democracy like Britain, he takes the idea seriously enough to approach the Queen for her blessing and is only dissuaded when Elizabeth tells him in no uncertain terms to knock it off.

** In "The Two-Horse Job", Sterling mentions a [[NoodleIncident coup in Sierra Leone]] where he and Sophie crossed paths once.
** "The San Lorenzo Job" is a borderline example. The episode centers around an election, with a dark horse candidate running against the corrupt President of the titular nation. However, the heroes' methods push it closer to this trope, including faking an assassination, inciting riots, and [[RefugeInAudacity declaring victory and pressuring the President to resign before the ballots are actually counted]]. [[spoiler:It works]].

** The TV movie "Train To Doomsday" involves [[RenegadeRussian rogue former KGB members]] trying to overthrow UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia and [[WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell restore the Soviet Union]].
* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'': Had two...one was Morgana and Morgause teaming with Cenred to take over Camelot, and next season, Morgana seized power again.
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': [[spoiler: Tom Neville successfully leads one, takes over the Monroe Republic, and reduces Monroe to a fugitive]] in "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E19ChildrenOfMen Children of Men]]" and "[[Recap/RevolutionS1E20TheDarkTower The Dark Tower]]".

** "Jolinar's Memories"/"The Devil You Know": Sokar is overthrown by his First Prime, Nao'nak [[spoiler:(actually Apophis in disguise).]]
** "The Other Guys": Her'ak overthrows Khonsu after finding out that he's actually a Tok'ra and declares himself in charge until Anubis returns.
** "Birthright": Neith attempts to overthrow Ishta, believing that she has been compromised by her feelings for Teal'c. It ends badly for her.
** "Icon": Soren's forces take advantage of the unrest that follows SG-1's arrival on the planet to seize control from the Rand government.
** "Full Alert": An aversion. The American and Russian leaders each suspect the other of having been overthrown and replaced by a Goa'uld infiltrator. It's not true (though some of their senior government officials have indeed been taken over): the Goa'uld are just trying to play them off against each other in the hopes of driving them into a nuclear war with each other, effectively destroying the Earth in the process.
** "Reckoning, Parts 1 and 2": A borderline example. Ba'al, now TheDragon to Anubis, deliberately stalls the forces Anubis sent to confront the Earth, Tok'ra, and Free Jaffa forces while helping those forces to find and program the Dakara superweapon that can kill Anubis, leaving him in full control of his former master's forces. (Also a case of MistreatmentInducedBetrayal and EvilVersusOblivion, since Anubis was planning to exterminate all life in the galaxy - Ba'al and all of his other servants included - to repopulate it to his specifications).

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' had the Klingon Civil War, in which the House of Duras attempted to gain control of the Klingon High Council from Chancellor Gowron. Picard suspects Romulan treachery and is able to get Starfleet to set up a means to expose the Romulans and effectively kill the attempt.

*** The three-parter that opens season two concerns an attempt by a Bajoran extremist group called the Alliance for Global Unity, informally "the Circle", to overthrow the Bajoran Provisional Government and kick out the Federation. [[spoiler:The team discovers that the Cardassians are covertly supplying the Circle, and publicly discredits the entire movement.]]
*** In [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E01E02TheWayOfTheWarrior "The Way of the Warrior"]] a Cardassian dissident movement executes a coup against the longtime military dictatorship, restoring the Cardassian civilian government to its full authority. This was only possible because of the [[StateSec Obsidian Order's]] destruction by the Dominion in [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E21TheDieIsCast "The Die Is Cast"]]. Unfortunately the Klingons don't believe this was possible ''at all''--they think the Dominion's [[VoluntaryShapeshifting changeling]] leaders suborned the entire Cardassian government--so they invade the Cardassian Union and eventually drive them right into the arms of the Dominion.
*** The same season also features a coup attempt by senior leaders of Starfleet, who believe that only a military dictatorship can keep the Federation safe through the impending threat with the Dominion. The heroes are initially drawn into this coup when the plotters claim to need their help fighting Dominion shapeshifters on Earth, only to eventually realize what's really going on.
* The MythArc for season 1 of ''Series/MadamSecretary'' revolves around a coup attempt against the ayatollahs in Iran to install an exiled moderate, [[spoiler:aided and abetted by rogue members of the CIA]]. Even Liz admits it's a good plan, but there's a SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:the would-be president of Iran is dying of brain cancer and is the only person who could plausibly hold the country together post-coup. Liz is forced to blow the whistle on the plot to the Iranian government.]]
* ''Series/{{The 100}}'' has several:
** Diana Sydney attempted to seize control of the Ark with a bomb that was supposed to kill the Chancellor and most of the Council at a public gathering. Fails when the Chancellor ends his speech early and walks away before the bomb can go off.
** Cage overthrows his father, Dante, as President of Mount Weather. It's a bloodless coup, since Cage doesn't actually want to hurt his dad, and the official line for the public is that Dante simply retired [[HereditaryRepublic and Cage inherited his position]].
** Clarke doesn't make herself Chancellor or take any official title for herself, but she does eventually declare herself to be Camp Jaha's real leader, using her influence over the Grounder army to make the camp's official leader accede to her commands.
* ''Series/TheLastShip'': In the late Season 3 episode "Paradise", [[spoiler: Chief of Staff Shaw]] and the regional governors place the President under house arrest, reducing the weak post-apocalyptic federal government to [[PuppetKing puppet]] status, so that they can run the country as an oligarchy. A few episodes later in "Legacy", they take further steps to secure their control of things by [[ThePurge having all senior US military leaders assassinated]], so that they can take regional control of their forces.
* ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': The regime which created Gilead seized control of the US by false flag attacks that quickly brought down the government, which they blamed on Muslim terrorists. This was used as an excuse to suspend the Constitution, declare martial law and then much more...
* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. In "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS3E8RumoursOfDeath Rumours of Death]]", [[BigBad Servalan]] is briefly deposed to a coup d'état organised by one of her top SecretPolice agents. Servalan herself comes to power (and is later deposed) in a MilitaryCoup that takes place off-screen.
* ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle'': Near the end of season 4, [[spoiler:John Smith, realizing that he is about to be removed from his position as Reichsmarshall and likely eliminated for his faltering loyalty, stages a coup against Himmler and his Berlin inner circle in alliance with an ambitious German general, creating two Nazi empires in America and Europe.]]
* ''Series/MotherlandFortSalem'': In [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Coup"]] Adler takes over the President's mind by magic, making her do as she wishes.
* ''Series/VagrantQueen'': Midway through the first season, after he [[spoiler: gets ahold of the [[MindControlDevice Steerzad]]]], [[BigBad Lazaro]] decides that he's sick of taking orders from [[GreaterScopeVillain the Admiralty]], so he quickly overthrows them (killing most of the members and reducing the SoleSurvivor to his lackey), declaring himself the new leader of the Republic.

* Music/BobMarley: ''Burnin' And Lootin' '', ''Get Up, Stand Up'' (''Music/{{Burnin}}''), ''Revolution'', ''Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)'' (''"Music/NattyDread'')
* Music/TheRevolutionWillNotBeTelevised'' by Gil Scott-Heron.

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]

[[folder:Tabletop Game]]

* In many Martian principalities in ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' there is an almost constant danger of a coup, a side effect of the ruling sub-caste being large enough to have several claimants to the thrown, with most claimants having sections of the army loyal to them. Many adventures hooks in Rocket Age feature the players either roped into a plot, caught in the middle or attempting to foil one.

* ''Creator/WilliamShakespeare'':
** ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'': Hamlet's father, King Hamlet was killed by his brother, Hamlet's uncle, Claudius so he could seize the throne.
** ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': The main plot is Macbeth's killing of King Duncan and seizing the throne for himself.
** A coup forms the main plot of ''Theatre/{{Richard II}}''. The plot of ''Theatre/HenryIVPart1'' features an attempted one, which is thwarted.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Civilization}} Civilization V]]'': You can order your spies to stage coups in city-states that are allied with other civilizations. If they're successful, then they'll replace the old leaders with new ones that are supportive of you, and you'll instantly become their ally. Unsuccessful coups, however, result in your spy's death.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': In the human noble origin story, [[spoiler: Arl Howe betrays his liege lord, Teyrn Bryce Cousland, while all the Cousland's armed forces are away fighting the darkspawn, and declares himself teyrn.]]

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' [[spoiler: Udina helps Cerberus in an attempt to oust the Council and take over the Citadel]].

* The second mission of the first ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', aside from literally being named "The Coup", features a (somewhat) playable version, [[spoiler:with you as the deposed president of an unnamed Middle Eastern country; ControllableHelplessness ensues as you're driven to a stadium, tied to a post, and executed on live television by your successor.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysOfEurope'', Brazil can suffer from several types of coups, be they military coups, Lacerda's imperial presidency and Goulart's potential countercoup in response to Lacerda's own attempted coup.

* ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'': Gizel Godwin rigs the Sacred Games so he would be the future bridegroom of Princess Lymsleia. According to tradition, he was to be sworn in a week later, but Gizel arrives ahead of time and launches a covert attack on Sol Falena's capital under the cover of darkness. During which, he intended to assassinate the royal family, with the exception of Lymsleia, herself - whom he intended to use as his puppet, once he seized power.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': [[spoiler:Darth Malgus pulls one when attempts to disband the Dark Council and declares himself Emperor.]]
* ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'': Grand Admiral Zaarin stages a coup against Emperor Palpatine and even manages to hijack his shuttle until he's defeated. The ExpandedUniverse reveals that Zaarin's betrayal is how [[spoiler: Grand Admiral Thrawn gets his promotion, setting the stage for the ''Thrawn Trilogy'' novels]].
* In the backstory to ''VideoGame/XRebirth'' the Plutarch Mining Corporation overthrew the Argon Federation government in the Albion System during the chaos caused by the [[PortalNetwork jumpgate network]] shutdown and set itself up as the system's absolute ruler.

* In ''Webcomic/DrowTales'':

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', several coups have taken place in the story. One of the more notable ones is when [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Countess Nina]], who has been posing as [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Duke]] [[EvilOldFolks Hepnaz's]] lieutenant, takes over the [[MagicKnight Southern]] [[TheLegionsOfHell Horde]] by stabbing Hepnaz in the back just as Hepnaz is about to triumph over the [[BloodKnight Northern Horde]] and is too busy to notice treachery from within his own ranks.

** Douglas [=MacArthur=] leads one after the Bonus Army [[spoiler:kill the President and Vice-President]]. At first, it's mostly successful, with a good amount of state governments acknowledging his authority.[[spoiler: But then General George Moseley leads a counter-coup. It fails, and he defects to the Whites, but he brings a good amount of the army with him. This causes the Khakis to lose much of their national support, and they're reduced to D.C., the Rockies, and overseas possessions]].
** Happens to the Reds when General-Secretary Earl Browder puts Premier William Z. Foster under arrest after [[spoiler:the east coast soviets split and form the Popular Front with the Blues]] and again after [[spoiler: Browder orders the arrest of the newly defected Eisenhower. This causes the Red Guard, fed up with Browder's concern for "ideological purity" over actually winning the war, to arrest him and put Fosterite John Williamson in charge, who promptly organizes a truce with the Popular Front and Red Oak Pact]].

* ''Literature/TheFireNeverDies''

* In ''Literature/NoW'', a group of military officers remove Hugo Chavez from power and cause him to go into exile in Cuba. This causes a CivilWar between the new junta and Chavez's loyalists.

** [[spoiler: Because of his attempts at reforming the USSR, Alexander Yakovlev is forcibly removed as General-Secretary by KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov, who proceeds to take over, backed by several other hardline Stalinists in key military and government positions.]] This is known as the December Coup or Christmas Putsch, and also happens to be timed to coincide with several others throughout the Warsaw Pact [[spoiler: designed to eliminate all the reformers]].

** [[spoiler: For fear that she'll break India's neutrality and drag them into the war, Sanjay Gandhi kills his mother, before he and his followers begin working to seize total power.]]

** [[spoiler: With Moscow itself overrun and Kryuchkov and his hardliner allies planning to invoke the NuclearOption out of desperation, the few reformers allowed to stay in positions of authority following the December Coup (primarily Semichastny and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) finally launch their own counter-coup, arresting Kryuchkov's group and taking back power.]]
** [[spoiler: Due to Li Peng's failures as Premier of China, the PLA — led by Marshal Chi Haotian — rebels against and topples the Communist Party.]]
** During the 90s, the CIA backs coups in Colombia and Ecuador to remove narco-friendly governments that had been fueling the drug crisis in America.

* The Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom timeline ''[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/washington-burns-a-story-of-alternate-america.413571/ Washington Burns]]'' sees Britain suffer from one of these at the turn of the 20th century. When Queen Victoria is killed by an Irish assassin, the changes she made to the laws of inheritance mean that the throne should pass to her daughter, Princess Victoria. But at the time, Victoria II is in Scotland recovering from a severe case of flu, so it's decided that her son Prince Victor should act as regent until she recovers. The only problem is that Victor quickly becomes a [[PuppetKing puppet]] of his uncle Prince Edward (who had long been envious of his sister "stealing" his role as heir) and Prime Minister Jonathan Bradley (who, like many Conservatives, hated the progressive reforms both Victorias were making). The pair surround Victoria with loyal guards to keep her under house arrest and doctors paid to keep her sedated even when she's recovered from her illness, while feeding Victor and the country propaganda. Eventually, Victoria's husband Prince William breaks her out and they rally loyalists, triggering a brief civil war that ends with [[spoiler: Bradley and other conspirators arrested, and Edward [[EvilIsPetty killing Victor]] and [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled himself]]]]. And on top of all that, it's revealed after all this is over that [[spoiler: the Irish assassin who killed Victoria I [[FalseFlagOperation really worked for the conspiracy]]]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[MagnificentBastard Azula]] pulls a coup within a coup, to conquer Ba Sing Se from the inside. First she infiltrated the city with [[EmotionlessGirl Mai]] and [[PerkyFemaleMinion Ty Lee]], while disguised as Kiyoshi warriors, to ingratiate themselves to Earth King, Kuei. Then she had Mei and Ty Lee [[SchmuckBait purposely reveal]] that they were Fire Nation, [[BluffTheEavesdropper to manipulate]] [[EvilChancellor Long Feng]] into a temporary alliance. Once Kuei was overthrown, Azula [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness promptly ended her alliance with Long Feng]], having also achieved her secondary objective: to take control of the Dai Li.

* ''Literature/MorgenregenTheBlackForestFairy'': Morgenregen attempts this against her mother. It doesn't go well.

* ''Literature/TheMarkOfTheHorseLord'': The pro-Midir tribesmen attend the ceremony in the Royal Dun in which Conory is scheduled to become the New King by fighting to the death with Logiore, the Old King. Instead Conory attacks Liadhan and Phaedrus takes on Logiore, but the timing is screwed ForWantOfANail, so Liadhan escapes to the Caledones and starts the war against the Dalriadain.

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'': In the fifth chapter, Twilight Sparkle [[ForWantOfANail stops the Changeling invasion herself]] with the spell Prince Jewelius [[ChekhovsGun showed her earlier]]. [[LetNoCrisisGoToWaste Immediately after this]], Jewelius calls all the other heroes -- Princess Celestia, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends -- out of their canon mistakes[[note]]refusing to listen to [[ProperlyParanoid Twilight]] about [[DevilInPlainSight Queen Chrysalis]] and neglecting to postpone the wedding until the looming threat of invaders was dealt with[[/note]], telling everyone in Canterlot half-truths which the shocked heroes are unable to refute out of hand. When the heroes [[NotHelpingYourCase make the mistake of trying to flee]], everyone turns against them, allowing Jewelius to exile them and proclaim himself "Holy King Jewelius I". The [[WhamEpisode 11th chapter]] reveals that [[spoiler:he originally intended to overthrow the princesses by convincing Chrysalis to commit her invasion and helping her infiltrate Canterlot, but after he met Twilight and witnessed the canon PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure, he [[XanatosSpeedChess altered his plans]] and betrayed Chrysalis, effectively turning the failed invasion into a successful coup]].

** ''ComicBook/ThePhantomZone'': Believing that Krypton has become ripe for conquest after experiencing long years of peace, Dru-Zod raises a clone army and launches a coup. He is defeated, caught and sent into the Phantom Zone.