A coup d'etat ( pronounced [ ?ku.de.?ta ]), or just coup ([ ?ku ]) 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'etat . 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 .