Ne Win and the Burmese military launched the March 1962 coup d'état to overthrow Prime Minister U Nu and the democratic Union Parliament due to economic, religious and political crises, particularly the issue of federalism and secession rights of the States of Burma. The Union Revolutionary Council established Burma as a one-party socialist state under the BSPP and adopted the Burmese Way to Socialism in April 1962 as a blueprint for economic development, decreasing foreign influence in Burma to zero percent and increasing the role of the military. Ne Win ruled Burma as a "de facto" dictator as Chairman of the BSPP and other top offices including Prime Minister and President. Burma was renamed the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma and the Union Revolutionary Council was replaced with the People's Assembly in 1974. The Burmese Way to Socialism was characterized by isolationism, totalitarianism, superstition, xenophobia, sinophobia, and the rejection of Cold War politics.