seizure of power
Loading your saved state.
seizure of power
The takeover of political power in a state, often through violence, a coup, or other undemocratic means.
Die Machtergreifung durch das Militär stürzte das Land in eine tiefe Krise.
The seizure of power by the military plunged the country into a deep crisis.
The word is composed of three parts: 'Macht' (power), the verb 'ergreifen' (to seize/take hold of something), and the ending '-ung', which turns a verb into a noun. So it literally means 'the seizing of power'.
Historiker analysieren die Ursachen, die zur Machtergreifung führten.
Historians analyze the causes that led to the seizure of power.
'Machtergreifung' (seizure of power) is a formal term from politics and historical studies. It has a strongly negative connotation and describes an illegitimate or violent takeover of power.
In den Nachrichten wurde über die drohende Machtergreifung durch die Rebellen berichtet.
The news reported on the threatened seizure of power by the rebels.
When people in a German context speak of 'der Machtergreifung' (the seizure of power) without any further additions, it almost always refers to the takeover of power by the National Socialists in 1933. The term is firmly associated with this historical event.
Viele Künstler mussten nach der Machtergreifung aus Deutschland fliehen.
Many artists had to flee Germany after the Nazi seizure of power.
coup
'der Putsch' and 'die Machtergreifung' both have to do with political power and a change of government. A Putsch is a usually violent and illegal attempt to overthrow a government, often by a smaller group or the military. 'Machtergreifung' more generally means the takeover of political power, often in an undemocratic way. So a Putsch can be one way to achieve a Machtergreifung. The words are easy to confuse because both occur in contexts of crises and dictatorships. Also important: in German, 'die Machtergreifung' is used especially often for the Nazi seizure of power in 1933.
Im Geschichtsunterricht sprechen wir über die Machtergreifung der Nationalsozialisten.
In history class, we are talking about the Nazi seizure of power.
Nach dem Putsch kontrollierte das Militär die wichtigsten Gebäude der Hauptstadt.
After the coup, the military controlled the most important buildings in the capital.