coup d'etat is illegally overthrow a constitutionally legitimate government. Coups d'état can be violent or not, and they can correspond to the interests of the majority or a minority, although this type of action usually only triumphs when it has popular support.
A coup d'état may simply consist in the approval by a sovereign body of a diploma to revoke the constitution and to confer all the powers of the state on a single person or organization; a military coup, in which units of the armed forces or a popular army conquer some strategic places of political power in order to force the government to surrender. To be considered a coup d'état, the ruler who assumed power by force does not necessarily have to be a military man, as happened in Brazil.
It has this name of coup, because it is characterized by a institutional breakdown sudden, contrary to the normality of law and order and subjecting State control to people who had not been legally designated, whether through election, heredity or other process of transition. In the most common model of coups, rebel forces surround or storm the seat of government, often expelling, arresting, or even executing members of the deposed government.
This modification of the instituted government or political regime of a country represents a drastic disruption of the constitutional order. Usually a coup d'etat is more than a simple revolt or demonstration of insurrection, because it consists of a decision taken by elements belonging to the political or military class.
There are few countries in the world that have never suffered a coup d'état since their independence, such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Canada and others.
Learn more about the meaning of Military coup.
Coups d'etat in Brazil
Brazil has already experienced two coups d'état: one in 1937 and another in 1964.
In 1937, Getúlio Vargas used the "communist threat" as a way to increase his authority in the Government, ensuring its permanence in power, even managing to annul the elections scheduled for the year Following.
In 1964, the coup d'état corresponded to a military coup, because the military class was responsible for overthrowing the government of President João Goulart. Furthermore, the military not only managed to end the regime that was in force, but also managed to remain in power.
See also: the meaning of Military dictatorship.