1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt — February 1981 coup d'état attempt in Spain
The failed 1981 coup was Spain's last serious attempt to restore Francoism and solidified the country's democratic transition, boosting the monarchy's legitimacy.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 February 1981
- Armed officers involved
- ~200 Civil Guard officers led by Tejero
- Hostage duration
- 18 hours
- Prison sentences
- 30 years each for Tejero, Milans del Bosch, Armada
- Known as
- 23F
- Documents declassified
- 24 February 2026 (45th anniversary)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Right-wing Francoist factions within the Civil Guard and Spanish military opposed Spain's democratic transition. Amid political instability during the vote to confirm a new Prime Minister, conspirators including Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero, Captain General Milans del Bosch, and General Armada coordinated a plan to seize power and reverse the country's post-Franco democratic reforms.
On 23 February 1981, Tejero and approximately 200 armed Civil Guard officers stormed the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, taking parliamentarians and ministers hostage for 18 hours. Simultaneously, Milans del Bosch attempted a coup in Valencia. King Juan Carlos I addressed the nation on television, explicitly denouncing the coup and calling for democratic rule, which fatally undermined the conspirators' efforts.
The coup collapsed the following morning; hostages were freed and all three principal conspirators were sentenced to thirty years in prison. The event marked the end of serious Francoist threats to Spanish democracy and significantly strengthened the monarchy's public standing. In 1988 the Supreme Court suggested pardoning Armada and Tejero; Felipe González's government ultimately pardoned Armada alone.