Given the events in Egypt today, we thank FT's Joseph Cotterill for posting this chart on how to execute a coup.
It comes from the famous Edward Luttwak book Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook, which was written in 1968.
The chart shows the three teams that you need in place, and the targets they need to penetrate (residence, TV stations, etc.). This then concludes in domination of key traffic locations.
For what it's worth, if reports are true in Egypt, then this is a textbook coup, with domination of key locations, such as residences, media stations, and key traffic locations.
