Declassified Files Reveal Why Spain's 1981 Coup Attempt Failed
Newly released documents offer insights into the collapse of a brazen coup attempt against Spain's government 45 years ago, shedding light on the factors that led to its downfall.
Four and a half decades after a dramatic failed coup attempt in Spain, the country has finally declassified a trove of files that shed new light on the events of that fateful day. On February 23, 1981, Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero Molina stormed the Spanish Parliament with a group of Civil Guards, taking members of Congress hostage in a bid to seize control of the government.
The coup, known as 23-F, was ultimately thwarted, thanks to a combination of factors that are now better understood thanks to the newly released documents. According to the declassified materials, the coup's downfall was the result of a complex web of military dynamics, political maneuvering, and public resistance.
{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}Source: The New York Times
