, ▁is ▁data . ▁David ▁wis ely ▁conf ines ▁himself ▁to ▁cases ▁where ▁there ▁is ▁reason ably ▁firm ▁public ▁evidence ▁of ▁external ▁invol vement . ▁On ▁this ▁basis , ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 ▁successful ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 ▁attempted ▁cou ps ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁he ▁ident ifies ▁a ▁significant ▁foreign ▁role ▁in ▁backing ▁twenty - four ▁and ▁suppress ing ▁four teen ▁– ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁just ▁over ▁ 1 0 ▁per ▁cent . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁minimum ▁figure , ▁but ▁the ▁over wh el ming ▁majority ▁of ▁cou ps ▁are ▁evidently ▁internal ▁affairs ▁– ▁though ▁even ▁so ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁significant ▁foreign ▁policy ▁imp lications . ▁The ▁‘ external ’ ▁cou ps ▁non eth eless ▁include ▁some ▁important ▁cases , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ang lo - American - orch estr ated ▁over throw ▁of ▁M oss ade q ▁in ▁Iran ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁or ▁the ▁US ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁coup ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁One ▁finding ▁that ▁may ▁well ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁data ▁is ▁that ▁nine ▁cou ps ▁have ▁been ▁back ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Britain , ▁and ▁France ▁and ▁only ▁two ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁the ▁remaining ▁th ir teen ▁cases ▁involving ▁mer cen aries , ▁or ▁other ▁Third ▁World ▁states . ▁Sur pr ising ly , ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁coup ▁for ▁which ▁David ▁can ▁find ▁good ▁evidence ▁of ▁US ▁invol