"Our first precondition of the coup, therefore, is: The social and economic conditions of the target country must be such as to confine political participation to a small fraction of the population... The second precondition of the coup, therefore, is: The target state must be substantially independent, and the influence of foreign powers in its internal political life must be relatively limited... The third precondition of the coup, therefore, is: The target state must have a political center. If there are several centers, these must be identifiable, and they must be politically, rather than ethnically, structured. If the state is controlled by a nonpolitically organized unit, the coup can only be carried out with its consent or neutrality."
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Academics from the United StatesEssayists from the United StatesHistorians from the United StatesJews from the United StatesImmigrants to the United States
Original Language: English
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Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook, Chapter 2
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Luttwak
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Edward Luttwak
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