| This article is about the event. For the episode, see Coup D'état. |
A coup d'état, also known as simply a coup, is the process in which a group overthrows governments and take control from them. Throughout Earth history, there has been several coups. However, according to Dr. Elizabeth Weir, most coups end up with the new government being about as bad as the old one. (SGA: "Coup D'etat")
Known coup d'états[]
- 2003: Commander Kalfas of the Tagreans organized a military coup to capture Jonas Quinn, Teal'c and the Tagreans they had managed to bring to their aid to retrieve Tagrea's Stargate. Chairman Ashwan arrived aboard the Prometheus and, after careful verbal persuasion, Kalfas' men backed down. (SG1: "Memento")
- 2004: A religious extremist group led by Soren succeeded in overthrowing the government of the Rand Protectorate. However, with the combined forces of SG-1 and the remnants of Commander Gareth's military, the coup was stopped, and Soren was killed by Jared Kane. (SG1: "Icon")
- 2006: Ladon Radim of the Genii plotted to overthrow Cowen and take control of the Genii. To this end, he lured Cowen and his elite guard to M6R-867, an abandoned world where he planted a nuclear weapon using the promise of Puddle Jumpers and some of the Atlantis team. After learning that Doctor Carson Beckett could save some of the people he sent as "hostages" to Atlantis including Ladon's own sister, he let the Atlantis team go. The plan worked and the nuclear weapon killed Cowen and all of his men. As so many of Cowen's followers were killed, the rest laid down their weapons and let Ladon take over in what was billed a "bloodless coup" as it didn't happen on the Genii homeworld. (SGA: "Coup D'etat")
- 2008: Mardola plotted to overthrow her sister Harmony by hiring the Genii to kill her before she could be officially crowned Queen of her people. Mardola's plot was thwarted when Lt. Colonel John Sheppard killed Toran with the mini-drones and drove off the other Genii. Following this, Mardola's role was exposed due to her being in possession of a Genii communicator and she was imprisoned for her coup attempt. (SGA: "Harmony")
- 2009: The Wraith underling lead a coup against Todd and takes command of the Super-hive. This proved nearly disastrous for Earth as the Wraith underling took his new Hive Ship there and attacked, leading to the Battle of the Super-hive. Todd allied with Atlantis against his former underling and the underling was killed by Lt. Colonel John Sheppard after reviving Ronon Dex from death. The Super-hive was then destroyed above Earth by Sheppard with a Nuclear warhead, ending the coup. Todd later resumed control of his faction after Atlantis returned to Pegasus. (SGA: "Enemy at the Gate", "Legacy: Homecoming")
- 2009: When General Jack O'Neill used the fact that Atlantis was in US territorial waters to seize control from the IOA, Doctor Carson Beckett believed that O'Neill was using the opportunity to pull a coup against the IOA to get control of the city for himself. However, this was actually an ultimately successful ploy to force the IOA to allow Atlantis to return to the Pegasus Galaxy. (SGA: "Legacy: Homecoming")
- 2010: Dr. Nicholas Rush and Camile Wray led a coup to try to take control of Destiny and force the military to submit to civilian command. During the coup, the Nakai attacked, but the shields held long enough for Destiny to jump to FTL. The coup was eventually put down when Colonel Everett Young and MSgt. Ronald Greer managed to free the trapped military personnel. In the aftermath of the coup, Young started being more receptive to civilian input. (SGU: "Divided")
- 2098: In an alternate timeline, an insane Karin Yuma declares that she is going to kill President Gunnison Jones and take control of Arbella, telling him that it's a coup. However, she is shot by General Roz Bailey and falls to her death instead. (SG1: "Insurrection")