On September 1, 1969, a group of army captains, most of them in their late 20's, successfully ousted King Muhammad Idris al-Sanussi and established an Arab Socialist Republic.

Taking advantage of the king's absence in Turkey, the officers outmaneuvered older colonels, loyal monarchists, and the 15,000-man police force and had both Tripoli and Bengasi under their control within 24 hours. A government was appointed on September 14, but real power was vested in a revolutionary council headed by Colonel Mu'amar al-Qaddafi.

Left: Libyan students in Damascus, Syria, remove a portrait of their ousted king at the Libyan embassy, which they had occupied soon after the coup.

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In the Year 1969

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This page was last updated on May 23, 2017.