Coups and the End of Mass Killing Episodes

• In Event: Causes and Consequences of Civilian Victimization

Abstract

Why do some episodes of government-sponsored mass killing end quickly while others rage for years or decades? Scholars tend to focus on how the international community helps end or exacerbate these atrocities. Rather than focus on external factors, we focus on the domestic. For killing to occur, a government must rely on its armed forces to conduct the violence. When the military is divided on committing these crimes, coups occur and help end the violence. Statistical analysis of all mass killings since 1946 illustrates that coups are positively associated with the likelihood that the killing ends. Further analysis reveals that successful coups, and those that are violent, are most likely to end the atrocities. A series of case studies illustrate the mechanisms at work. By focusing on the domestic politics of government atrocity, we help bridge this literature with the burgeoning research on coups to reinforce the point that various forms of political violence are interrelated and jointly help produce political outcomes within a state.

Authors

• Gary Uzonyi, University of Tennessee

• Matthew Wells, Wabash College