A sudden violent overthrow of a government by those opposed to a previous coup d'état; a counter-revolution.
From counter- (against) + coup (from French coup d'état, literally 'stroke of state'). Coup comes from Latin colpus, meaning 'blow' or 'stroke.'
Countercoupsare historically brief and volatile—studies show they succeed only about 50% of the time because the original coup-makers are prepared for retaliation, making them especially dangerous conflicts.
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