Last year a group of Military officers in the African Country of Gabon took control of the government in a Coup d’etat against President Ali Bongo.
The Coup failed miserably…
But as a win for Intelligence Analysts everywhere, the late (great) John McCreary provided a note to analysts, explaining;
The Six Conditions Necessary for a Coup d’etat.
Here’s what you need to organise your next political Coup;
- A group of plotters (you probs can’t go it alone),
- One or more gripes against the ruling authority,
- Guns! The guys with the most (or the best) guns usually win,
- A plan for controlling the centre of power,
- Operable vehicles, &
- An opportunity – the ruling authority is either absent or indisposed.
Interesting!
So, if you’re a country analyst these factors will be useful for possible indicators and warnings of violent internal instability.
Test Your Skills With this Analysis Challenge
Any reader who applies the six conditions above to a previous coup (successful or not) will receive a Free Coup Infographic Checklist I created. just reply with your answer and infographic a-hoy!
For a complete (and detailed) list of previous coup d’etat’s check out this Wikipedia link here.
