Burkina Faso, formerly the Republic of Upper Volta, earned independence from France in 1960. After the country gained independence, Maurice Yaméogo began his tenure as the nation's first President. Most nations view the moment when they achieve nationhood as a cause for joy and hope for the future. In the instance of Upper Volta, this was the situation; nevertheless, the hopeful outlook was quickly dampened because the country's economy was among the lowest in the world.
In 1964, Yaméogo implemented several stringent austerity measures to solve the country's economic problems and large budget imbalance. Although the measures were perceived to be harsh, the unfairness of the situation was exacerbated by the fact that Yaméogo's rule was shown to be corrupt.
In addition, it was believed that the subsequent presidential and parliamentary elections had been significantly rigged to benefit Yaméogo. The fact that Yaméogo was able to find the time to marry a 22-year-old beauty queen despite the economic destruction and instability definitely did not help matters.
The administration announced on December 30th, 1965, that it would implement additional austerity measures, including lowering the salaries of public sector personnel and increasing taxes.
In response, on January 3rd, the unions, traditional chieftains, and clergy collectively arranged a nationwide strike and peaceful protests.
In the moment that Yaméogo's soldiers disobeyed his instructions to fire protesters who had overrun the headquarters of the ruling party and the National Assembly, the game was over for Yaméogo.
In response, the military intervened and compelled Yaméogo to step down from his position.
