While the phrase has only recently entered everyday American speech, regime‑change has been as American as apple pie. Throughout nearly all of the nation’s history—especially since the dawn of the 20th century—the United States has repeatedly felt compelled to meddle in the political destinies of other lands, often cloaking its motives in the language of “national security.” Yet, as you’ll soon see, hidden agendas were frequently at play. Without further ado, here are the ten worst occurrences of regime change by the United States.
Why This Top 10 Disastrous List Matters
10 The Syrian Coup D’etat
The degree of American involvement in the 1949, bloodless overthrow that toppled Syria’s post‑World‑War II secular democracy remains a matter of debate. The prevailing story holds that the CIA, eager to secure its own interests, quietly “encouraged” a coup. The linchpin was the Trans‑Arabian Pipeline, whose construction was threatened under President Shukri al‑Quwatli, and nothing irks Washington more than being denied oil.
Consequently, a dubious figure named Husni al‑Za’im—who had served a prison sentence for corruption less than a decade earlier—was installed by the CIA and led the removal of Syria’s elected president. The pipeline received swift approval, and a slew of pro‑American initiatives followed, including peaceful talks with Israel after the First Arab‑Israeli War. Yet al‑Za’im’s reign was fleeting: merely four months later he was assassinated by a strongman who would rule for about five years before meeting a similar fate. A cascade of coups ensued over the next two decades until Hafez al‑Assad seized power and held the presidency for three decades.
9 Operation PBSUCCESS
In Guatemala, 1954, the United States orchestrated a regime change under the pretext that communism was gaining a foothold. The second democratically elected president, Jacobo Arbenz, rolled out sweeping land reforms aimed at improving the lives of the nation’s poorest. The CIA, however, perceived this as a threat. It promptly placed a literal and figurative target on his back, even contemplating assassination before Arbenz eventually stepped down.
Dubbed Operation PBSUCCESS—a plan for “psychological warfare and political action”—it received Eisenhower’s green light in 1953. The CIA financed and trained a paramilitary outfit led by Castillo Armas, which attempted a violent overthrow but encountered several setbacks. The mere menace of U.S. intervention, amplified by a sophisticated propaganda campaign, compelled Arbenz to resign. Ten days later, Armas assumed control, ushering in four decades of authoritarian rule that devastated Guatemala’s Maya population amid a relentless civil war. Internationally, the coup drew widespread condemnation, with critics likening the United States to colonial oppressors or even “Hitler speaking about Austria.”
8 Operation Urgent Fury
Grenada, a tiny Caribbean island just 640 km south of Puerto Rico, is often described by locals as “just south of paradise, just north of frustration.” President Ronald Reagan grew increasingly annoyed as Marxist elements held sway throughout his presidency. In 1983, the ruling party’s leader was assassinated and replaced by General Hudson Austin of the People’s Revolutionary Army—an act that finally pushed the United States over the edge.
The ensuing operation, dubbed Urgent Fury, was plagued from the start by inter‑service disagreements over tactics. Ultimately, more than 7,000 American troops stormed the island with multiple objectives, the most prominent being the removal of Austin’s regime. The U.S. leveraged the rescue of American students as a pretext. Faced with overwhelming military force, Austin’s government collapsed swiftly, making way for a pro‑U.S. administration. When confronted with worldwide outrage, Reagan famously quipped, “It didn’t upset my breakfast at all.”
7 The Iraq War
The 2003 invasion of Iraq is often cited as the archetype of modern regime‑change warfare. The United States framed the operation around the removal of Saddam Hussein, alleging that he possessed weapons of mass destruction. In reality, Hussein had none and was even cooperating with United Nations inspectors. Nevertheless, President George W. Bush dismissed these findings and issued an ultimatum: leave the country or face invasion.
Despite massive global protests, coalition forces launched the attack as the deadline lapsed. Conventional combat concluded quickly—U.S. troops easily overmatched the Iraqi army—but a protracted insurgency persisted, turning the occupation into a quagmire. Even today, the ultimate outcome remains contested, and the conflict’s human cost—nearly 200,000 civilian deaths—renders any claim of success virtually impossible.
6 The First Caco War
By 1915, Haiti had endured four years of relentless political turmoil, prompting the United States to view the island nation as a problem demanding a military solution. That year, the despotic ruler Vilbrun Guillaume Sam was overthrown by the same forces that had fueled previous coups: Haitian peasant militias known as the cacos. With Haiti’s debt repayments dwindling, France, England, Germany, and the United States dispatched troops to the island.
American forces arrived first and initially faced little resistance. The cacos, spurred by populist sentiment, were reluctant to surrender. A brief guerrilla conflict—the First Caco War—ensued, lasting only a few months until U.S. Marines captured Fort Riviere, the cacos’ final stronghold. Pro‑American politician Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave assumed the presidency, remaining in power until 1922. U.S. troops stayed in Haiti until 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt transferred authority to the Haitian Garde d’Haiti.
5 Operation Just Cause
By 1989, Panama’s strongman Manuel Noriega had ruled for roughly six years, overseeing cocaine trafficking and providing covert assistance to the CIA across Latin America. By 1986, Noriega’s utility had waned, and rumors swirled that he was acting as a double agent. A U.S. court later convicted him on drug‑related charges.
The 1989 Panamanian elections saw Guillermo Endara, leader of the anti‑Noriega Democratic Alliance of Civic Opposition, win decisively. Angered, Noriega nullified the results and declared himself the de facto ruler. Public pressure mounted in the United States, citing lax drug enforcement and threats to American citizens. On December 20, U.S. forces landed at several strategic sites across Panama. Noriega was eventually captured at the Vatican mission in Panama City after diplomatic pressure from the Vatican and relentless rock music—something he reportedly despised—forced his surrender. Endara was subsequently sworn in as president.
4 The Huerta Toppling
In 1913, after three years of relentless conflict, Mexico saw a succession of overthrown presidents. General Victoriano Huerta seized power during the Ten Tragic Days, but the United States, under President Woodrow Wilson, hesitated to recognize his rule, hoping instead for democratic elections.
A year later, nine American sailors were arrested for allegedly entering a prohibited zone in Mexican waters, sparking the Tampico Affair. The sailors were paraded around the city, inflaming the regional U.S. naval commander. Wilson issued ultimatums, and when Mexico refused, he dispatched Marines to occupy the port city of Veracruz. The brief battle ended with U.S. forces in control, and they withdrew only after Huerta resigned.
Later, German intelligence attempted to use Huerta to entangle the United States in a Mexican war. While traveling back to Mexico from New York, Huerta was apprehended by U.S. forces, charged with sedition, and eventually died while in custody.
3 The Puerto Rican Campaign
During the Spanish‑American War, the United States clashed with Spain over several Caribbean and Pacific holdings, including the modest island of Puerto Rico. Less than a month after hostilities began, U.S. naval forces bombarded San Juan, imposing a blockade. Shortly thereafter, ground troops landed, securing the island after a mere seven American casualties.
Following the war’s conclusion, Spain ceded Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the United States. While U.S. control over Cuba was temporary, the other three territories were initially intended to remain under American rule. Puerto Rico quickly fell under the “leadership” of U.S. military officers who set out to Americanize the populace, primarily through schooling and mandatory English instruction. It would take another 54 years before Puerto Ricans could elect their own governor, and the island still retains its status as a U.S. territory.
2 The TPAJAX Project
In the early 1950s, Mohammad Mossaddegh, Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, sought to wrest control of the nation’s oil from the British‑owned Anglo‑Iranian Oil Company (AIOC). American officials feared that a stronger, more independent Iran might fall under Soviet influence, prompting the CIA to plot his removal.
The joint Anglo‑American task force, codenamed TPAJAX, funneled money to Iranian groups that carried out terror attacks designed to erode public confidence in Mossaddegh’s government. The AIOC itself also contributed funds to bribe officials. The 1953 coup succeeded, leaving as many as 300 dead and many more imprisoned or executed under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s military tribunals. The Shah’s reign continued for another 26 years, until mounting anti‑American sentiment—fuelled in large part by persistent U.S. meddling—culminated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
1 The Deposing Of Queen Liliuokalani
Queen Liliuokalani, the first, last, and only reigning Hawaiian monarch, ascended the throne in 1891 after her brother’s death. Seeking to revive royal authority, she aimed to curb the influence of foreign businessmen and landowners—many of whom were American. When her plans became known, a coalition of wealthy elites conspired with the U.S. military to depose her, leading to her arrest in 1893.
Sanford Dole (yes, the same Dole behind the famous fruit company) led the Missionary Party, establishing a provisional government that pursued annexation by the United States. Although President Grover Cleveland initially resisted and even ordered Liliuokalani’s restoration—an order that ultimately failed—the islands were annexed in 1898. Liliuokalani later composed the beloved song “Aloha Oe.”