A CIA-Backed Dictator Prevailed in this Bloody Coup

In the history of the world, it won’t come as any surprise to learn that from time to time, a nation’s military has risen to take control and overthrow an existing government. The world watches in suspense and fear as these events unfold, waiting to see what will happen to people and institutions. Whether these coups result from political disagreement or internal power struggles, they play out loudly and publicly. Today, we're taking a look at some notable coups from around the globe.

Known as the “father of the nation,” a group of army majors assassinated President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975, amidst the country’s economic worries. Storming his residence, the majors killed 18 relatives and installed a cabinet minister as president, all while declaring martial law.

The coup triggered further instability in the country, with thousands killed in subsequent violence and purges over the years, while economic recovery remained slow.

Led by Colonel George Papadopoulos, the caretaker government of Greece was overthrown on April 21, 1967. Calling the current government a communist threat, Papadopoulos took control. King Constantine II then provided legitimacy to the move, and Papadopoulos became prime minister in the bloodless coup.

However, more than 10,000 would be arrested and tortured during Papadopoulos’ rule, and significant economic mismanagement caused additional strife in Greece.

In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf overthrew Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, in a bloodless coup. After Sharif attempted to replace Musharraf as Pakistan’s highest-ranking military officer, the military refused, and troops took control of Islamabad. Musharraf suspended the constitution and assumed control amidst initial US criticism.

Musharraf presided over a period of economic growth, but his legacy remains debated as Pakistan continued to face significant economic and security challenges, with militant groups remaining active despite his anti-Taliban stance post-9/11.

On September 1, 1969, a junior army officer, Muammar al-Qaddafi, at 27 years old, took control of Libya while its King, Idris, was out of the country. With military vehicles in the streets in Tripoli and Benghazi, al-Qaddafi assumed control of key government buildings, and only the king’s guard put up a small fight. Sadly, Gaddafi ruled Libya for over 41 years, during which Libyans lived under his ruthless regime.

Colonel Omar al-Bashir took control of Sudan on June 30, 1989, before he was removed from power in 2019. Overthrowing Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi’s government, al-Bashir saw an opportunity as Sudan was undergoing economic collapse.

Backed by the National Islamic Front, he took control in a bloodless coup with censored media and all political parties banned. During al-Bashir's 30-year rule, hundreds of thousands were killed in the Darfur genocide and other conflicts, making Sudan a focal point for major human rights violations.

On January 25, 1971, Major General Idi Amin overthrew Ugandan President Milton Obote while Obote was abroad. Claiming corruption, Amin took control, declared himself the country’s president, and suspended the constitution.

Although mostly bloodless, the coup resulted in power being centralized under Amin, who began mass killings estimated between 100,000 and 300,000 people, targeting ethnic and political rivals. Amin’s rule isolated Uganda and all but decimated its economy.

While many coups happen successfully overnight, some take a little longer, as Cuba has learned. The Cuban revolution began in July 1953 and continued until December 31, 1958, when Fidel Castro and his loyalist military forces toppled Fulgencio Batista from power.

Castro himself would become something of a dictator, leading the country from 1959 until he stepped down as President in 2008 and as First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2011, turning Cuba into a communist state with all industry and businesses nationalized, a system that remains in place as of 2025.

Having been in power for 30 years after taking control in a coup, President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in Sudan in 2019. After months of protests, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan took control of the country, promising to return to civilian rule.

Protests continued with the military in power, and although a power-sharing agreement was reached between civilian and military leaders in 2019, Sudan's political situation has since deteriorated, with renewed conflict and the collapse of the transitional government in 2023.

In November 2017, after more than 37 years in power, the nation's military removed Robert Mugabe from power in Zimbabwe. General Constantino Chiwenga placed Mugabe under house arrest and took control of key institutions.

The military refused to call it a “coup” but an effort to remove criminals, leading to huge public demonstrations celebrating the end of Mugabe’s rule and resignation from power amidst the promise of future economic reforms.

On May 22, 2014, the Royal Thai Army, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, seized power from the civilian government after months of political protest. The move was necessary to restore order, with the military assuming administrative and legislative power.

This move came less than 10 years after another coup, and military power lasted until 2019, when elections were held and civil liberties began to return for Thai citizens.

On February 24, 1966, President Kwame Nkrumah left the country, and the country’s military seized power by taking over key institutions and infrastructure, including the presidential palace.

The military decided that a junta of their officials and police officers would control the country, with the former leader’s party banned. The move was a significant setback for Ghana, a one-time leading nation for African unity, though the coup established market-oriented reforms favored by countries like the United States.

The year is 1976, and the Argentine military overthrows President Isabel Peron against the backdrop of a country in significant military trouble. Inflation rates hitting 700% were part of the concern as General Jorge Rafael Videla commanded the military action.

The coup was mostly nonviolent, and the US also trained the Argentine Army. Following the coup, brutal purges took place, furthering additional economic uncertainty, only to result in the 1982 Falklands War, which was lost.

On September 12, 1980, General Kenan Evren led the Turkish military to overthrow the country’s government to end a period of political violence and economic uncertainty. Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel was overthrown, with the army declaring martial law as thousands were arrested and killed.

The US and NATO maintained relations with Turkey after the coup, but did not officially support it. The military held power for several years before returning to civilian rule, with President Erdogan coming to power decades later.

In 2013, the Egyptian military, led by General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, ousted current President Mohamed Forsi, the country’s first democratically elected leader. Mass protests against Forsi’s rule and concerns over authoritarianism prompted the military to act, and the coup was swift, with many Egyptians supporting it.

El-Sisi focused on stability over reform, which led to media crackdowns and human rights concerns, resulting in over 60,000 Egyptians being held as political prisoners.

Taking place on September 11, 1973, the Chilean military, then led by General Augusto Pinochet, overthrew the democratically elected president in a violent coup. The Chilean army launched an assault on the presidential palace, killing the current president, with Pinochet assuming control and turning the country into a dictatorship with censored media and human rights abuses that lasted over 17 years. It was later determined that the CIA played a role in helping to lay the groundwork for the coup.