Page 25 - All About History - Issue 38-16

Dictators

How not to… overthrow the government 4 FAMOUS…
Even after the atomic bombs dropped on any officials who favoured submission. COUP D’ETAT
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some felt Japan The group justified their actions
should still not give in to the Allies. through ‘Gekokujō’, which is the idea of LEADERS
The Kyūjō Incident was a coup attempt overthrowing superiors for the good of
undertaken by military officers trying the people. After killing the commander
to prevent an unconditional surrender. of the Imperial Guard, Hatanaka and
It was led by Major Kenji Hatanaka on his men hurriedly searched for copies
the night of 14 August 1945, and the of the surrender announcement before
plan was to put Emperor Hirohito under the army could mobilise. They failed.
house arrest and prevent the acceptance Realising the game was up, Hatanaka
of the Potsdam Declaration. shot himself. One hour later, the
While the emperor was confined, surrender announcement was aired and
the officers’ plan was to assassinate the war was officially over.
AYATOLLAH
RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI
1978 79, IRAN
The Iranian Revolution was led by
Supreme Leader Khomeini, who
overthrew the government of
Shah Mohammad Reza.

KLEMENT GOTTWALD
1948, CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Keep plugging away Take desperate measures Gottwald became president of his
Coups aren’t always successful and a cycle of Even if your coup has been successful, it doesn’t mean homeland after a communist coup,
03 overthrowing can become the norm. If one fails, a coup 04 everything will fall into place after you take charge. In which purged all anti-communist
members of the Czech military.
can soon be attempted again if those in power endure another April 1833, Santa Anna was president but left the governing of the
weak period. When you return for a second or third coup, the country to his vice-president, Valentin Gómez Farias. However,
route to power may well be easier, with stronger and better allies after Farias introduced unpopular reforms, Santa Anna was
attacking the government with a renewed tenacity. forced to overthrow his own government and become a dictator.

NAPOLEON
1799, FRANCE
This coup enabled Napoleon to
topple the current institution and
rule by decree. The First French
Empire was born shortly after.

Make a statement Save your skin MARCUS JUNIUS
Once the glory of a coup is over, you can easily turn Unfortunately, you can only engage in so many coups
05into yesterday’s news. Take every opportunity to 06 before you run out of steam. If you are unable to make BRUTUS 44 BCE, ROME
remind both your allies and rivals that you are the undisputed things go your way, it’s best to throw in the towel and admit defeat. Fearing Julius Caesar’s ever
leader. Santa Anna lost a leg to a cannonball shot in 1838, and Leaving with at least some sort of reputation will help save your skin growing power, Brutus, along
with Cassius and a host of other
he later he rode on horseback holding his new wooden leg and get you out unscathed. Santa Anna slunk off into exile in 1855, senators, stabbed the dictator
above his head to illustrate the sacrifice he had made. fleeing to Cuba. to death.
© Ed Crooks

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