Coup d'état
deposition of a government by means considered as illegal or undemocratic From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A coup d'état (pronounced [ˌku.de.ˈta]), or just coup ([ˈku]) for short, is the removal of a head of state and/or a head of government from power (overthrow). Unlike a revolution in which large numbers of people usually take over, a coup can be done by a small number of people. Even one person can cause a coup, such as Idi Amin for example, who controlled the Ugandan Army. Coups can also be organized by other countries, such as the 1953 Iranian coup d'état. One well-known failed coup was the Beer Hall Putsch in which Adolf Hitler tried to take over the government of Bavaria, a state in Germany.
The term comes from the French for "a (sudden) blow (or strike) to a state".
Informally, coup is sometimes used to refer to takeovers or wins, in places other than government such as in a company or corporation.
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