The Concept of “Coupvolution”: Its History, Characteristics and Factors

As numerous scholars have observed, the theory of revolutions is currently facing a number of significant challenges. One of the most significant challenges currently facing the field of revolution studies is the question of what events are eligible for consideration as a revolution and what the appropriate scope of this field of study should be. Modern revolution studies tend to concentrate on revolutionary events and campaigns in which opposition and protesters attempt to change the political, social, or economic landscape of a country. However, sometimes these attempts are abruptly terminated by military intervention, with army officers forcing governmental transitions.

Coups d'état are typically excluded from revolution studies. The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 initiated a discourse on the phenomenon of a hybrid between a revolution and a coup, which has been termed a "coupvolution." It is particularly intriguing to note that coupvolution became a widespread occurrence in Africa during the 2010s and 2020s. Examples of this include the events in Burkina Faso in 2014 and 2022, Sudan in 2019, and Mali in 2020. In the aforementioned cases, extensive revolutionary campaigns against the incumbent governments were initiated. Nevertheless, the governments in these cases were deposed by military officers who proceeded to establish new regimes and partially satisfy the opposition's demands. Therefore, the transformations may be considered quasi-revolutionary in nature.

This study will examine the role of "coupvolution" in the theory of revolutions, its historical development in the context of scientific discourse. This study will examine the defining characteristics of coupvolution that differentiate it from other revolutionary occurrences, while simultaneously situating it within the broader framework of revolutionary studies. Factors associated with coupvolution will also be discussed.