Putsch

Definition: a sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government

It’s a German word, and it might come from an Old Germanic term for “blow” or “strike.”

The “u” sound is like “put” not “putt.”

Why I Looked It Up

From a book about history of the Koch family, after Bill tried to get his brother Charles removed from the board.

Charles had wanted to fire Bill that summer. The narrowly averted putsch confirmed to him that he shouldn’t have relented.

Postscript

In Faster, the word is used often to discuss German turmoil because of (and within) the Nazi party.

Postscript

In a NY Times article, I found this sub-headline:

Sunday’s riot lad bare a daunting threat to Brazilian democracy: Unlike past putsch attempts in Latin America, this one was driven by deeply rooted conspiracy theories.

Postscript

In Bookshops, I found a reference to Adolf Hitler as “a failed putschist.”