О куволюции. История и обоснование нового понятия

Полис. Политические исследования. 2026. № 4. С. 170–183.

Fain E., Korotayev A.

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: regime transformations, режимные трансформации, Africa, Egyptian revolution, Египетская революция, Западная Африка, military coups, куволюции, Theory of revolutions, revolution, coupvolution, современные революции, военные перевороты, теория революций

Publication based on the results of: State Resilience and National Security of Russia in the Context of the World Order Transformation (2025)