Commentary, Analysis, And Reaction To The Coup In Zimbabwe

Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg: Zimbabwe's Coup Is Nothing to Celebrate

But there is a valuable lesson for other dictators looking to hold onto power.

As leader of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has survived longer than Stalin in the Soviet Union and Mao in China. If it's coming to an end -- which seems likely given his apparent inability to emerge from house arrest after the military took charge -- it's worth reflecting on the mistakes he made to end such a remarkable run.

Daniel Treisman, a UCLA political scientist, argued in a recent paper that most dictators fall for reasons proving that they are all too human: Hubris, a propensity for needless risk, liberalization impulses that lead to a slippery slope, picking the wrong successor, counterproductive violence. Mugabe, 93, is no exception; he groomed the wrong person to succeed him and relied too much on his military. When he tried to change his pick, the generals decided they'd had enough.

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Commentary, Analysis, And Reaction To The Coup In Zimbabwe

How Zimbabwe's Mugabe clung to power for almost 40 years -- Washington Post
Balance of Power: Curtain Draws on Mugabe Era With Zimbabwe in Ruins -- Karl Maier, Bloomberg
Zimbabwe crisis: Why is the military taking over, is it a coup and what next for Robert and Grace Mugabe? -- The Independent
The downfall of the world's oldest dictator: From a young Catholic Marxist, to a political prisoner turned violent guerrilla leader who became a brutal despot -- Daily Mail
Will Mugabe's hated wife be the tyrant's downfall? IAN BIRRELL explains how power in Zimbabwe could be swinging in favour of former vice-president dubbed 'The Crocodile' -- Daily Mail
The Mugabe era is over, the old regime is not -- Claus Stäcker, DW
How Mugabe Lost His Grip on Power -- Michael Cohen, Bloomberg
What just happened in Zimbabwe? How a political crisis became a military takeover -- The Globe and Mail
Who are the key players in the Zimbabwe crisis? -- Al Jazeera
Who's in charge in Zimbabwe? Here are the leading players -- CTV News
Robert Mugabe - revolutionary hero or the man who wrecked Zimbabwe? -- Joseph Winter, BBC
How Mugabe's reign over Zimbabwe became a byword for misrule -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
Zimbabwe takeover: Difficulties of navigating the media jungle -- Sella Oneko, DW
In Harare, uncertainty and optimism after army takeover -- Enock Muchinjo, Al Jazeera
'Like a dream': Harare wakes up to new era after a very low-key coup -- The Guardian
Grace Mugabe: the rags to riches rise and fall of 'Gucci Grace' -- Simon Allison, The Guardian
Grace Mugabe: Who is Zimbabwe's first lady? -- BBC
How Mugabe's reign over Zimbabwe became a byword for misrule -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
Zimbabwe: From VP sacking to Mugabe house arrest -- AFP
Zimbabwe's Military Says There's Nothing to See Here -- Foreign Policy
Mugabe: Liberation hero turned despot -- AFP
After 37 years, rule of Zimbabwe’s Mugabe appears to be over -- AP
Robert Mugabe's most famous quotes -- Aljazeera
Zimbabweans in London: 'Today a comma not a full stop' -- George Mann and Joice Etutu, BBC
Zimbabweans elated but cautious as Mugabe flounders -- AFP
Zimbabweans in South Africa hope for change at home as army seizes power -- Reuters