Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Acknowledgments -- 1 Introduction -- The Importance of Understanding Coups -- Understanding Coup Outcomes and Dynamics -- Other Theoretical Explanations -- Background of Cases -- Overview of Chapters -- 2 Theory -- Coups as Battles -- Coups as Elections -- Coups as Coordination Games -- Conclusion -- 3 Counting Coups -- Understanding Coup Attempts -- Understanding Coup Outcomes -- Understanding Coup Levels -- Limitations -- Conclusion -- 4 Coups from the Top of the Military -- A Theory of Coups from the Top -- The Case of Ghana, 1975 -- Ghana, 1978 -- Conclusion -- 5 Coups from the Middle -- A Theory of Coups from the Middle -- Ghana, 1967 -- Ghana, 1972 -- Conclusion -- 6 Coups from the Bottom -- A Theory of Coups from the Bottom -- Ghana, May 1979 -- Ghana, June 1979 -- Ghana, 1981 -- Conclusion -- 7 USSR, 1991: Three Days That Changed the World -- Background -- Analysis -- Conclusion -- 8 Conclusion -- Implications for the Study of Civil-Military Relations -- Implications for Future Coups -- Implications for Policy -- Appendix: Description of Variables Used in Analyses -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y.