1973 Chilean coup d'état — military overthrow of the Popular Unity coalition government in 1973 in Chile
The coup ended 41 years of Chilean democratic governance, installing a military dictatorship responsible for widespread human rights abuses lasting until 1990.
Key Facts
- Date of coup
- 11 September 1973
- Overthrown president
- Salvador Allende
- Coup leader
- General Augusto Pinochet
- Duration of democratic rule ended
- Elections held continuously since 1932
- Dictatorship duration
- 1973–1990
- Pinochet declared president
- Late 1974
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Chile under President Salvador Allende faced intense social unrest, economic instability, and political conflict between the Popular Unity coalition government and the opposition-controlled National Congress. The Nixon administration, hostile to Allende's socialist program and describing him as a dangerous communist, worked to create conditions unfavorable to his government, while the Chilean military coordinated plans for removal of civilian rule.
On 11 September 1973, military forces led by General Augusto Pinochet launched air raids and ground attacks on the Palacio de La Moneda. Allende delivered a final radio address rejecting exile before dying in the palace in what is generally accepted as suicide. The coup swiftly ended civilian rule, and a military junta assumed control, suspending all political activities and suppressing left-wing parties and movements.
A military junta under Pinochet, officially declared president in late 1974, conducted a brutal campaign of political repression through torture, murder, and exile that targeted leftist opposition throughout the dictatorship's duration until 1990. The coup marked the end of Chile's Presidential Republic era dating to 1925. Pinochet ultimately ceded power following the 1989 constitutional referendum, enabling a peaceful transition back to democracy.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Augusto Pinochet.
Side B
1 belligerent
Salvador Allende.