クーデター

1888 is Shogakukan's early printed point for クーデター: Seisenban cites the Mainichi Shimbun of June 21, 1888. The source form is French coup d'État, with coup meaning a blow or stroke and État meaning state. Merriam-Webster gives English first known use in 1646, but Japanese took the political term through modern international news language. In Meiji political writing, クーデター named an illegal seizure of power by force, distinct from 革命, revolution. Japanese encyclopedic entries often list Napoleon's 1799 18 Brumaire, Louis-Napoléon's 1851 takeover, and Mussolini's 1922 March on Rome as examples. The meaning stayed close to government power, army action, police control, and sudden replacement of rulers. Modern Japanese uses クーデター for military takeovers and failed attempts, as in クーデター未遂. English often shortens coup d'état to coup, but Japanese normally uses the full katakana form クーデター. Example: 軍がクーデターを起こした. In business news, the word may describe a forced leadership change, but the core political sense is still clear. News headlines favor the word.