Why do generals attempting to coup always storm the palace? What happens next? Why do ordinary soldiers follow them? Are they in on the plot?
In: Economics
Coups have two objectives: 1. seizing the symbols of power, and the and 2. Maintaining a facades of normalcy.
If executed successfully power is transferred to the coup leaders and by the time the rest of the world finds out it’s a fait accompli if they ever do.
If done poorly they are exposed as attempting a coup and will be arrested or shot.
The first thing a coup in progress does is sow confusion, seizing or disabling news, radio and infrastructure to restrict information and movement of personnel. Then disrupt the normal chains of command by detaining important officials and generals to prevent them from becoming nuclei of resistance.
This then causes the pre-existing security forces to split into a much more manageable loyalist faction and a much larger majority of pragmatists who default to inaction in the absence of clear commands, both of whom are rendered blind and deaf to the coup.
Next the conspirators seize the symbols of power be it the palace, parliament house, senate, or throne to prevent a legitimate authority of declaring them as such.
Now the final step is declare to the country and world that nothing untoward has happened and maintain the facades of normalcy. At this point the conspirators fully appear as the legitimate authority and thus have the full backing of the pragmatist faction. That could even at this point declare the loyalist forces to have attempted the coup and purge them.
EDIT: typo
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