Question 1

True or false: The 1964 Brazilian coup was one of the first to involve large-scale disinformation campaigns on social media.

Accepted Answer

False. Social media didn't exist in 1964; the coup relied on radio, newspapers, and propaganda to oust President Goulart.

Question 2

True or false: In 2021, Myanmar's military staged a coup citing alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Accepted Answer

True. The Tatmadaw seized power on February 1, 2021, claiming the election was rigged, leading to ongoing civil conflict.

Question 3

True or false: The word 'coup' originally comes from the French phrase 'coup d'état,' meaning a blow against the state.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Coup' is short for 'coup d'état,' first used in 17th-century France to describe a sudden, illegal seizure of government.

Question 4

True or false: The 1973 Chilean coup was solely orchestrated by the CIA without any local involvement.

Accepted Answer

False. While the CIA supported opposition groups, the coup was led by Chilean General Pinochet with significant domestic military backing.

Question 5

True or false: In 1991, the Soviet Union experienced a successful coup that permanently reinstated communist hardliners.

Accepted Answer

False. The August 1991 coup failed after just three days, actually accelerating the Soviet Union's collapse later that year.

Question 6

True or false: The 2014 coup in Thailand was triggered by a dispute over who would star in the country's most popular soap opera.

Accepted Answer

False. The 2014 Thai coup stemmed from political protests against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, not a TV show.

Question 7

True or false: The only successful coup in modern U.S. history was the 1933 overthrow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Accepted Answer

False. No successful coup has ever occurred in the U.S.; the 1933 'Business Plot' was a rumored conspiracy that never materialized.

Question 8

True or false: Fiji has experienced four coups since 1987, more than any other Pacific Island nation.

Accepted Answer

True. Fiji had coups in 1987 (two), 2000, and 2006, making it unusual for a region with few such upheavals.

Coup Trivia Questions