Timeline for What is the most common English term for a person who attempts a coup d'état?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
18 events
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| Dec 10, 2016 at 23:21 | comment | added | goldilocks | I agree w/ Mitch that a coup is not a subset of "revolution", if we define a revolution as requiring a significant degree of popular support, and a coup as lacking such support -- which is why it needs to be a sudden surprise attack by a military faction; they are seizing control of existing power structures because they cannot maintain it via popular support. So there's a lot of political spin in the term (one person's revolution is another's coup), point being, in common use if you refer to something as a coup you would be unlike to refer to the leader as a "revolutionary", and vice versa. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 21:53 | comment | added | Jeppe Stig Nielsen | I like the term coup-maker and according to Google it is used. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 16:53 | comment | added | Mitch | @1006a Sure in general about general vs specific. But specifically, Napoleon was the leader of a coup, but was not revolutionary. That is why it feels wrong to use 'revolutionary' for what the OP asks. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 16:03 | comment | added | 1006a | @TylerH You're right, I've edited to clarify that. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 16:03 | history | edited | 1006a | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Clarified working definition of *coup d'etat*, made secondary suggestion more prominent
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| Dec 9, 2016 at 16:00 | comment | added | 1006a | @Mitch Absolutely, it's used for both. It's not unusual that a more general term is commonly used for a more specific thing (or vice versa—I just blew my nose on a scratchy, generic "kleenex"), because language is imprecise that way. If a more specific term is available it might be better, but even then the general term is sometimes useful, especially if the more specific term isn't known (commonly or just to the speaker) or is unwieldy. Thus the term "high heels" is often used even if "peep-toed sling-back stilettos" is more accurate. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 15:53 | comment | added | TylerH | Strictly speaking, it doesn't have to be a violent takeover. You can have a successful one with no bloodshed. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 15:39 | comment | added | 1006a | @JoeBlow I gave three in my answer. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 15:07 | comment | added | Mitch | @1006a 'revolutionary' is also used for non-coup leaders of revolutions. Washington and Lenin were leaders of revolutions, but they were not part of a coup. If the OP had asked for a word for the leader of a revolution, there I would totally accept 'revolutionary' as just right. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 14:58 | comment | added | Fattie | "it's very commonly used both popularly and by political scientists" give one example. (Sure, they may then use that descriptive adjective to mention the coup'er. But so what, you can choose an politically descriptive word - say "radical".) | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 14:57 | comment | added | Fattie | I have to say, this answer is just totally wrong. As Mitch explained. "revolutionary" is simply a category (like say "Dandy" or "Tall" or "Literate") which a coup-performer may belong to. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 14:13 | comment | added | 1006a | @Mitch too generic or not, it's very commonly used both popularly and by political scientists. The specifics generally become clear by the use of the word coup somewhere in the sentence or paragraph. You are correct, though, that sometimes there is a counter revolutionary coup, and this is the phrase most likely to be applied to Bonaparte. See, e.g., here or here. Should I add that? | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 12:53 | comment | added | Mitch | A 'revolutionary' is way too general for a leader or member of a coup. In fact, a coup is usually not revolutionary. Napoleon took power in a coup and no one would call him a revolutionary. | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 12:06 | comment | added | Separatrix | Which leads to the wonderfully ambiguous phrase, "the peasants are revolting" | |
| Dec 9, 2016 at 8:34 | history | edited | 1006a | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 49 characters in body
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| Dec 9, 2016 at 5:22 | history | edited | 1006a | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Added examples and additional phrase
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| Dec 9, 2016 at 5:13 | history | edited | 1006a | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Added examples and additional phrase
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| Dec 9, 2016 at 3:46 | history | answered | 1006a | CC BY-SA 3.0 |