History Main / TheCoup

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

* Comes up in ''Film/ThirteenDays'' when the [[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 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]].

* The War of the Vordarian Pretendership was an unsuccessful attempt at this in VorkosiganSaga.

* ''Series/BabylonFive''

* On ''Series/{{Community}}'' Chang becomes the head of campus security after all the other security guards quit. He recruits a bunch of vicious kids to act as his henchmen and starts turning the school into a PoliceState. When the Study Group tries to get the Dean to fire Chang, Chang has the Dean kidnapped and replaced with an impersonator who then expels the Study Group. With all opposition quashed, Chang then rules Greendale College with an iron fist.
* ''{{Series/Merlin}}'' had two...one was Morgana and Morgause teaming with Cenred to take over Camelot, and next season, Morgana seized power again.

* 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 a right-wing plot to depose a leftist Labor Party prime minister.

* Happens in several mythologies
** Twice in GreekMythology, first when Kronos overthrows his father Ouranos, and then again when Zeus overthrows him.
** Seen in Egyptian Mythology when Isis forces Ra to give up his throne.

** The War of the Vordarian Pretendership was an unsuccessful attempt at this in VorkosiganSaga.

When the coup is lead by a military officer with the backing of the army and institutes martial rule, it's a MilitaryCoup.

** 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 passing off her death as part of the battle. [[spoiler:Fireheart jumps in and rescues her during the attempt.]]

This is a very useful trope to exemplify a significant change or instability of a nation or region, stable countries tend to not be as susceptible to coups and power grabs, while unstable (in modern day terms, third-world also works), and relatively new countries are vulnerable to power struggles and coups.

As this has happened more times than can be counted, '''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''. [[noreallife]]

* ''[[AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. [[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.

As this has happened more times than can be counted, '''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''.

* ''Disney/TheLionKing''. Mufasa is killed by Scar so he can become king. [[spoiler:Simba eventually launches a counter-coup to regain his throne.]] The basic story is inspired by Hamlet.

* Twice, in the ''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.

A coup is essentially seizing power by force, blackmail, or other illegal manners. Usually (in literature) [[MilitaryCoup done by the military]], the EvilChancellor, or in some cases, [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized uncivilized revolutions]] will also take power for themselves. It is a very risky gambit, and often, includes plotting, securing alliances, and keeping it in the dark until the coup happens. Alternatively, guy walks into the throne room waving a sword around telling everyone he's king. Often leads to ThePurge. If the one carrying out the coup is in turn overthrown himself, you may have a RevolvingDoorRevolution.

This is a very useful trope to exemplify a significant change or instability of a nation or region, stable countries tend to not be as susceptible to coups and power grabs, while unstable (in modern day terms, third-world also works), and relatively new countries are vulnerable to power struggles and coups.

Different from a Revolution, whether it will not be [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVillified vilified]] or [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized civilized]], in that it typically happens from inside the government or military of the country whose power is being seized, while revolutions typically come out of the common folk. Coups tend to not have large battles or start a war, but an isolated event that will, at most, kill dozens. Also different from an invasion for similar reasons; invasions come from outside the country, coups happen inside of it, even if the initial plot comes from the outside.

[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC: {{Fanfiction}}]]

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

* Comes up in ''Film/ThirteenDays'' when the [[JohnFKennedy Kennedy]] White House recieves 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 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]].

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

** 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.]]

[[AC: LiveActionTV]]

** During the second season, as the Centauri emperor is dying, Lord Refa has the Prime minister killed to allow his choice, Cartagia, to be put on the throne.
** Later, after determining that [[TheCaligula Emperor Cartagia]] is a threat to the Centauri Republic, Londo and Vir manage to assassinate him, allowing Londo to become Prime Minister and eventually Emperor himself.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'': In Season 4, Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta stage a coup (with some military cooperation) against President Roslin ''and'' Adama's command, over the issue of cooperation with the dissenting faction of Cylons (which the coup opposed). The coup is temporarily successful, with the Quorum of Twelve massacred and Admiral Adama facing a firing squad, before [[BigDamnHeroes the countercoup succeeds]].
* On ''Series/{{Community}}'' Chang becomes the head of campus security after all the other security guards quit. He recruits a bunch of vicious kids to act as his henchmen and starts turning the school into a PoliceState. When the Study Group tries to get the Dean to fire Chang, Chang has the Dean kidnapped and replaced with an impersonator who then expels the Study Group. With all opposition quashed, Chang then rules Greendale College with an iron fist.

[[AC: {{Theatre}}]]
* ''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.

[[AC: VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' has a squared coup. First, the Sorceress kills [[PresidentEvil President Deling]] and grabs power, second, the much more decent General Caraway hires our heroes to off her; both happen more or less simulataneously. The first coup succeeds, the other one fails.

[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''[[AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. [[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.

* ''[[Fanfic/Petriculture Inscape]]'' has an amusing variation. The Nightmare possesses Twilight Sparkle and tries to use her to usurp Celestia and Luna as ruler of Equestria. Twilight, logical and by-the-book as always, goes about this by holding a forum and offering logical arguments for why the royal sisters should cede the throne to her. [[spoiler:It later turns out that The Nightmare still wants a violent coup, and she’s manipulating Twilight to that end. However, Twilight is freed from the possession before anything can come of this.]]

* Comes up in ''Film/ThirteenDays'' when the [[JohnFKennedy Kennedy]] White House recieves 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 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 gevernment]].

Different from a Revolution, whether it will not be vilified or civilized, in that it typically happens from inside the government or military of the country whose power is being seized, while revolutions typically come out of the common folk. Coups tend to not have large battles or start a war, but an isolated event that will, at most, kill dozens. Also different from an invasion for similar reasons, invasions come from outside the country, coups happen inside of it, even if the initial plot comes from the outside.

* ''[[AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. [[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 FN, [[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.