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On coupvolution. History and justification of a new concept

Fain E.D.,

HSE University, Moscow, Russia, efayn@hse.ru

elibrary_id: 1226525 | ORCID: 0000-0003-1229-3691 |

Korotayev A.V.,

HSE University; Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, akorotayev@gmail.com

elibrary_id: 72980 | ORCID: 0000-0003-3014-2037 | RESEARCHER_ID: N-1160-2018

Article received: 2025.01.10 12:58. Accepted: 2025.10.17 12:59


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2026.04.12
EDN: ZGYEUB

Rubric: Thesaurus

For citation:

Fain E.D., Korotayev A.V. On coupvolution. History and justification of a new concept. – Polis. Political Studies. 2026. No. 4. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2026.04.12. EDN: ZGYEUB (In Russ.)

This article is an output of a research project implemented as part of the Basic Research Program at the HSE University (HSE-BR-2025-048) in 2026 with support from the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 24-18-00650).

Abstract

In the 21st century, the theory of revolutions has encountered a number of theoretical and practical difficulties, the main one being the conceptualization of revolutions. At the moment, the theory needs new focuses and approaches. One potential innovation that could enrich the theory is the concept of “coupvolution”, which emerged after the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. This paper explores the concept of “coupvolution”, defined as a particular type of revolutionary event in which elements of both coup and revolution are present. We trace the first emergence and uses of the concept in academic works, and also consider studies that describe phenomena of the same nature, but without using the term itself. In particular, we examine works on so-called “endgame” military coups and the consequences of coups preceded by protest activity. Next, the paper discusses the most comprehensive definitions of coupvolution, including Mark Beissinger’s definition. We study Beissinger’s conceptualization of coupvolution, and propose to distinguish two types of coupvolutions according to the sequence of events. The first type begins with a revolutionary mobilization followed by a military coup. The second type begins with a military coup, which triggers revolutionary mass mobilization. We illustrate these two types of coupvolutions with various examples from African history: in particular, the paper details the cases of coupvolutions in Burkina Faso. The paper examines the events in Burkina Faso in 2014, when the military seized power during a protest campaign against incumbent President Blaise Compaore; Thomas Sankara’s coup in Upper Volta in 1983, after which revolutionary changes began in the country. Finally, we demonstrate the necessity of the concept of “coupvolution” and its relevance for understanding current revolutionary processes.

Keywords

coupvolution, revolution, military coups, theory of revolutions, regime transformations, Africa, Egyptian revolution.

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