The Pete Quiñones Show Pete Reads 'Coup D'état' by Edward N. Luttwak with Guests - Complete Part 2 of 2
Feb 7, 2026
Christopher Sandbatch, a historian-style analyst offering context and parallels, and John Fieldhouse, a tactical military analyst, join the reading. They probe police and paramilitary roles, failed Algiers tactics, seizing media and transport, isolating political parties and unions, choke points and roadblocks, neutralizing religious and jihadi threats, and post-takeover stabilization and legitimacy strategies.
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Police Are Structurally Different From Armies
- Police forces vary widely by country in structure, deployment, and political attachment.
- Edward Luttwak argues police are usually less able or willing to defend a regime than the army because they are integrated in civilian life.
Paramilitary Police Can Outmatch Armies
- Paramilitary police often act as both police and light military, growing quickly after independence.
- Their size and loyalty can sometimes exceed the army and complicate coup planning.
Police Tie To Society Undercuts Coup Role
- Police live among civilians and are less corporately cohesive than the military.
- That makes them harder to recruit for a coup but easier to neutralize defensively after seizure of power.
