This page will host the Varieties of Civilian Praetorianism dataset, which will be introduced in my book project, Beyond the Barracks. This dataset is the first systematic, cross-national record of civilian participation in successful military coups over eight decades (1945-2025). It is grounded in the concept of civilian praetorianism—the deliberate ways civilians instigate and/or consolidate military coups—and captures how non-military actors actively shape coup dynamics and post-coup political orders.
The dataset moves beyond documenting whether civilians were present, distinguishing between insider and outsider actors, their proximity to the incumbent regime, and the specific resources they bring to bear in facilitating or securing a coup. It integrates evidence from declassified archives, contemporary media, and country-specific scholarship across multiple disciplines.
Each coup episode is supplemented with a qualitative narrative that situates civilian strategies within broader political, social, and institutional contexts. Together, the data and narratives illuminate how different types of civilian involvement influence post-coup outcomes, including the personalization of executive power, policy orientation, and regime durability.
By combining systematic cross-national coverage with detailed qualitative insight, this dataset provides an unprecedented foundation for scholars, students, policymakers, and journalists to analyze the often-overlooked civilian dimension of military coups and its critical role in shaping post-coup political trajectories.
Salah Ben Hammou, Ph.D. 