Yemen's 1948 al-Waziri Coup and the Fall of the Hamid ad-Din

In 1948, a conspiracy of Zaydi sayyids, tribal leaders, and reformist intellectuals nearly ended the Hamid ad-Din imamate that had ruled Yemen for half a century. This episode tells the story of the al-Waziri coup — from the assassination of Imam Yahya in a mountain pass to the brief, chaotic rule of Abdullah al-Wazir. Lucas and Luna explore the motives behind the coup, the role of the Free Yemeni Movement, the British-backed Ahmad bin Yahya's counter-coup from Ta'izz, and the brutal aftermath that set Yemen on a path toward revolution. They also unpack the complex figure of Imam Yahya — isolationist, devout, and ruthless — and ask whether the 1948 coup was a genuine reformist push or simply a power struggle among the sayyid elite. Along the way, they touch on the Hashid and Bakil tribal federations, the isolationist policy of the imamate, and the little-known 'Bara't' letter that gave the conspirators their religious cover.

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