Historical similarities to Cersei's coup

[dsug]

I like learning the real life history of things that may or may not have influenced fiction, and the show is no exception. And the biggest power move this season was, in my opinion, the way Cersei Lannister seized power after the huge events of the finale. I know wildfire doesn't actually exist, and the the plot points will never match perfectly, but I want to know if the broad strokes (someone killing all opposition and taking power in the ensuing chaos) match up to any real life incidents? 

Thanks in advance, history buffs

[charleois]

1. When Vlad the Impaler inherited the crown of Transyvania, the nobles presumed that were more powerful than the crown and had been used to telling the previous princes what to do. He invited hundreds of them to a banquet and arrested them, marched them off to another place and impaled them.

 

2. The Dowager Queen of France Catherine de Medici was worried that her son the weak King Charles was listening to much to the Admiral Coligny and the Protestant faction. She therefore had Coligny assassinated, which event also incited a general massacre of thousands of Protestants in Paris.

[Adam141414]

The attempt on Hitler's life in 1944. Brought to the big screen by Tom Cruise on 'Valkyrie'. Some German Colonel wanted to blow up Hitler and his power structure in a bunker during a war meeting, then sezie power himself and negotioated a peace with the allies

He failed and was executed for treason. 

[Vhaegon Targaryen I]

GRRM has said that much of the conflict in ASOIAF can trace back to British history. Examples are the war between empress Matilda and king Stephen which are similar to the dance of the dragons. Another is the similarity between aegon the conquerer and William the conquerer. As because I am British, I found 1 event that somewhat resembles the massacre at baelor, which some call the green trial. When king Henry VIII's son became king, most likely the adaptation for tommen, abdicates the crown to lady jane grey. She would probably be considered the adaptation of margaery tyrell. When lady grey got the crown she allied herself with the Church of England. Then the first daughter of Henry VIII, queen Mary, most likely cersei, rightfully  took the crown and killed lady jane grey, the bishops and monks who supported her, and any lords who supported her as well. This made Mary queen and this is where Bloody Mary came from. Mary and lady jane both had been in a struggle for power and influence for years against each other with shows the conflict between margaery and cersei. However, the one key difference is that Mary killed all those people to save the realm because lady jane was a lot in behavior like ellyn tarbeck, so Mary killed her to keep that from happening. She didn't expect to be queen anyways, and she was a brutal, but very good and wise ruler. Any problem she faxed, she averted through her wits. The last part might be the only real difference between the fight between Mary and jane and the green trial. 

[Vampyyri]

@ Vhaegon Targaryen: a very good post and well thought

 

The nature of how Cersei took power and the methodology (barrels of explosive placed under a building where at a certain time will be concentrated all the political men with the exception of the ones who are prevented to attend) is very similar with the Gunpowder Plot, of course in real life the Gunpowder Plot had failed, but should it had succeed the effect would have been similar with the explosion of the Baelor's Sept, devastating for London and the fallout would have been on the same level: the history of the planet would have been totally different.

However the context indeed is more fit for Bloody Mary