Gaddafi's Coup — Al-Fateh Revolution
In the early hours of 1 September 1969, a group of around 70 young military officers calling themselves the Free Officers Movement seized control of Libyan radio stations, military bases, and government buildings in a coordinated bloodless coup while King Idris I was in Turkey for medical treatment. The operation, codenamed 'Al-Fateh' (the Conqueror), was planned by Captain Muammar Gaddafi, then just 27. Within hours Gaddafi was broadcasting the revolution's success on Libyan radio. He immediately expelled the US and British military bases, abrogated the monarchy's pro-Western agreements, and announced Libya's alignment with pan-Arab nationalism and opposition to Israel. The Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) that Gaddafi chaired would soon nationalise the oil industry and set Libya on a path of radical anti-imperialism.
- Year: 1969 CE
