Podcasts History Witness History: Witness Archive 2015 Afghanistan's First Coup

Afghanistan's First Coup

Published: Aug. 3, 2015, 2:45 p.m.

In July 1973 the King's cousin, in Afghanistan, staged a coup against him. It brought to an end centuries of monarchy and for the first time established a republic in the country. Twelve officers were in charge of carrying out the long-planned coup. Zia Majid was one of them and still remembers the day vividly.

(Photo: Coup leader Daoud Khan, centre, Zia Majid standing on the right)