Listen to this post: Are Coups Making a Comeback, or Are We Just Paying More Attention?
Soldiers march through the dusty streets of Niamey. Tanks rumble past cheering crowds in Niger’s capital during the July 2023 coup. These scenes look familiar now. Myanmar’s army seized power in February 2021, sparking civil war. Burkina Faso saw two takeovers in 2022 alone. Crowds wave flags. Leaders promise quick fixes.
Such events pile up fast. Are coups truly rising again? Or do phones and apps just beam them into our feeds? Data points to a real jump since 2020, mostly in Africa. Yet sharper news coverage adds fuel. This post traces history’s patterns, maps the latest wave, digs into causes, and weighs media’s role.
Photo by Andrew PaKip
Coup Patterns Through History
Coups shook the world after 1945. New nations popped up from old empires. Weak leaders faced hungry armies. Records show over 500 attempts from 1950 to 2020. Many worked.
The 1950s kicked off strong. Egypt’s officers toppled King Farouk in 1952. Dozens followed each year. Latin America and Africa led. By the 1960s and 1970s, peaks hit 20 to 30 yearly. Post-colonial states struggled. Armies stepped in when parliaments faltered.
Numbers dropped sharp after that. Democracies spread. Global groups like the UN pushed back. Coups fell to single digits by the 1990s. Bolivia holds the record with 17 since 1945. Iraq counts 20. Sudan sits high too.
| Decade | Successful Coups (Approx.) | Hotspots |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s-1970s | 20-30 per year | Africa, Latin America |
| 1980s-2000s | 5-10 per year | Fewer, mostly Asia |
| 2010s | Under 5 per year | Rare outside Africa |
This table pulls from long-term trackers. It shows the big shift.
Peak Years of Military Takeovers
Fresh independence bred chaos in the 1950s to 1970s. Argentina tried eight times from 1930 to 1976. Armies promised order amid riots. Cold War spies stirred pots too. Sudan flipped four times in that stretch. Leaders lasted months, not years. High numbers came from shaky borders and empty treasuries.
The Long Quiet Period After
The 1980s brought calm. Economies grew in places like South Korea. The UN and African Union slapped sanctions on plotters. Coups dipped below ten yearly by 2000. Thailand and Turkey saw flashes, but democracies held in Europe and the Americas. International courts scared officers. Stable pay for troops helped too.
The Surge of Coups Since 2020
Africa woke up rough in the 2020s. Ten plus successful grabs hit from 2019 to 2023. No new ones stick by early 2026, but the wave lingers. Myanmar stands alone outside the continent.
Key grabs:
- Chad, April 2021: Troops killed president Idriss Déby, swore in his son.
- Mali, May and December 2021: Double hit amid jihad fights.
- Guinea, September 2021: Elite unit ousted Alpha Condé.
- Sudan, October 2021: Army chief dissolved government.
- Burkina Faso, January and September 2022: Jihadis blamed.
- Gabon, August 2023: Son of long-time ruler fell.
- Niger, July 2023: Guard captain toppled Mohamed Bazoum.
Failed bids add heat, like Bolivia’s June 2024 try. Myanmar’s 2021 putsch drags into civil war. Rebels seized Lashio in 2024 before a shaky truce.
For a rundown on nations under military rule, check this Business Insider Africa list.
Africa Leads the Recent Wave
The Sahel burns hot. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger face jihadi packs. Protests boiled over civilian fails. Armies grabbed power, vowed to crush threats. Gabon joined from oil-rich west. Chad’s quick swap kept family rule. Over ten in four years marks the streak. Weak borders let fighters slip in. Locals cheer troops at first. Food shortages follow.
See Georgetown’s take on recent African coups for deeper causes.
Stand Out Cases Elsewhere
Myanmar’s generals jailed Aung San Suu Kyi. Protests turned guns. By 2025, rebels hold chunks. China brokers deals to calm borders. Bolivia’s 2024 plot flopped fast. General fled after hours. Police loyalists won. Rare sparks outside Africa.
What Sparks Coups in Our Time
Armies act when states crack. Leaders overstay welcomes. Guinea’s Condé pushed a constitution tweak. Crowds rioted. Soldiers struck. Sudan boiled the same way.
Cash woes hit hard. Prices soar. Jobs vanish. Protests follow. Troops smell weakness.
One coup lights others. Burkina’s back-to-back shows it. Mali set the Sahel tone.
Money Troubles and Angry Crowds
Empty pockets fuel fire. Niger’s Bazoum faced strikes over pay. Inflation bit deep. Term grabs spark rage too. Gabon’s Bongo clan ruled 55 years. Dynasties breed hate.
Soldiers’ Own Grievances
Troops guard borders alone. Jihadis kill patrols. Governments stint gear. Officers mutiny. In Mali, colonels cited jihad neglect. Armies promise wins civilians dodge.
Does Social Media Pump Up the Hype
Real grabs rose since 2020. Stats beat history’s lull. Africa tallied more in three years than some decades.
Yet screens change views. Past coups hid in papers. Now live streams show tanks roll. Niger clips went viral. Crowds film cheers. Hashtags spread calls.
This amps fear. Copycats watch Mali, try Niger. But numbers prove uptick. Not all hype. Old news skipped remote spots. Phones fill gaps.
Social media organised Myanmar’s first walks. Now juntas block nets. Coverage beats invention, but paints louder pictures.
Wrapping Up the Coup Question
History proves coups peaked mid-century, quieted, then spiked in Africa post-2020. Ten grabs shook the Sahel and beyond. No fresh ones by 2026, but scars run deep. Myanmar bleeds on.
Media blasts events wide. Real rise meets quick shares. Both true.
Watch close. Weak states tempt guns. Stay sharp on platforms like CurratedBrief for global briefs. What coup worries you next? Share below.
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