DBWI: A Successful 1969 Libyan coup d'état.

[Historyman 14]

In 1969, a group of rebel military officers led by Muammar Gaddafi launched a coup d'état against King Idri. However, this obviously failed, the Free Officers Movement purge as the military loyal to the King fought back, and Gaddafi was executed. But if the coup was successful, what would become of Libya? Would they make an alliance with the Eastern Bloc (who supported the coup)?

 

[Anchises]

In 1969, a group of rebel military officers led by Muammar Gaddafi launched a coup d'état against King Idri. However, this obviously failed, the Free Officers Movement purge as the military loyal to the King fought back, and Gaddafi was executed. But if the coup was successful, what would become of Libya? Would they make an alliance with the Eastern Bloc (who supported the coup)?

Well it was a stupid idea to begin with.

After 1959 the Libyan government had enough money to pacify the population. Rising living standards and a massive increase of social security assured that the population was mostly satisfied.

A successful coup would have resulted in a strange Libya. Sure the Eastern Bloc supported the Coup but the plotters were dead set against Atheism and their beliefs were deeply rooted in Islam. I don't think that a true alliance would have emerged. Especially because Libya needed the Western Oil markets.

Maybe we would have seen an isolationist regime in the 70s. The 80s,90s and 2000s saw the advent of Islamism. I could easily see Libya supporting the Mujahedin (acting as a middlemen for the CIA) and generally becoming a key supporter of Islamist movements/groups. This might have resulted in a totally different "War on Terror" in the new millennium.....