Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
The wheel of time cannot be turned back!
"23-F" is what the Spaniards call the events of February 23, 1981, which almost meant the end of the young Spanish democracy.
The death of the aged Spanish potentate Francesco Franco...
...in 1975 meant the end of 40 years of dictatorship in Spain.
During the 'Transición' that followed, the country transformed itself into a modern and democratic society. In 1978, 88% of Spaniards voted in favor of the new constitution that made the country a parliamentary monarchy.
By the early 1980s, however, Spain was in crisis: the economy was ailing, ETA's Basque Serparatists were bombing, the regions were demanding more autonomy, and the political right was demanding a "strong man" at the top.
In addition to many members of the economic and financial elite, the association of civil war veterans and Falangist splinter groups, large sections of the military and police apparatus also dreamed of an “end to moral decay” and a renaissance of Francoist conditions.
Finally, on February 23, 1981, two hundreds of paramilitary "Guardia Civil" stormed the parliament at 6:23 p.m. and took the 350 MPs hostage.
Led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero...
...the putschists wanted to reverse the democratic reform process.
Tejero waved his "Astra" pistol in front of the deputies and gave a short, confused speech - while one of his people shot a burst of fire into the ceiling with the MPi to make his boss heard.
Tejero's co-conspirator (and old Franco sidekick) Lieutenant General Jaime Milans del Bosch, commander of the Valencia garrison...
...at the same time brought up tanks in Valencia...:
Nationwide, radio and TV stations were occupied by the putschists.
That evening, 40 million Spaniards waited spellbound for King Juan Carlos I's statement on television.
Not least with his supposed approval, the conspirators had solicited supporters for the coup plans.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Juan Carlos finally appeared - in military uniform - in front of the camera...:
In a short speech, in which he also appealed to the loyalty of his generals, the king declared:
"The crown, symbol of the unity of Spain, must not under any circumstances condone any action or conduct by any person who seeks to violently disrupt the democratization process established in the Constitution voted on by the Spanish people in a referendum."
This commitment to the constitution was decisive for the rapid collapse of the coup attempt!
Milans del Bosch recalled the tanks in Valencia that night and was arrested. The MPs were released by the Civil Guard the next morning, 16½ hours later, and Parliament was evacuated.
Colonel Tejero was tried, sentenced to 30 years in prison for ringleadership and forced to leave the Guardia Civil.
He unsuccessfully ran in elections in 1982 for a right-wing party founded in prison under his leadership called "Frente de Solidaridad de España" to gain immunity...
...but it went wrong!
The party received 0.14 percent of the vote and soon ceased to exist.
From September 1993 he was put into open detention; in December 1996 his prison sentence was suspended and Tejero was released from prison as the last coup participant on December 2, 1996...:
He lives near Malaga with his son...:
General Milans del Bosch was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison, but was released after 9 years...:
He died of a brain tumor in 1997...:
"23-F" is what the Spaniards call the events of February 23, 1981, which almost meant the end of the young Spanish democracy.
The death of the aged Spanish potentate Francesco Franco...
...in 1975 meant the end of 40 years of dictatorship in Spain.
During the 'Transición' that followed, the country transformed itself into a modern and democratic society. In 1978, 88% of Spaniards voted in favor of the new constitution that made the country a parliamentary monarchy.
By the early 1980s, however, Spain was in crisis: the economy was ailing, ETA's Basque Serparatists were bombing, the regions were demanding more autonomy, and the political right was demanding a "strong man" at the top.
In addition to many members of the economic and financial elite, the association of civil war veterans and Falangist splinter groups, large sections of the military and police apparatus also dreamed of an “end to moral decay” and a renaissance of Francoist conditions.
Finally, on February 23, 1981, two hundreds of paramilitary "Guardia Civil" stormed the parliament at 6:23 p.m. and took the 350 MPs hostage.
Led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero...
...the putschists wanted to reverse the democratic reform process.
Tejero waved his "Astra" pistol in front of the deputies and gave a short, confused speech - while one of his people shot a burst of fire into the ceiling with the MPi to make his boss heard.
Tejero's co-conspirator (and old Franco sidekick) Lieutenant General Jaime Milans del Bosch, commander of the Valencia garrison...
...at the same time brought up tanks in Valencia...:
Nationwide, radio and TV stations were occupied by the putschists.
That evening, 40 million Spaniards waited spellbound for King Juan Carlos I's statement on television.
Not least with his supposed approval, the conspirators had solicited supporters for the coup plans.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Juan Carlos finally appeared - in military uniform - in front of the camera...:
In a short speech, in which he also appealed to the loyalty of his generals, the king declared:
"The crown, symbol of the unity of Spain, must not under any circumstances condone any action or conduct by any person who seeks to violently disrupt the democratization process established in the Constitution voted on by the Spanish people in a referendum."
This commitment to the constitution was decisive for the rapid collapse of the coup attempt!
Milans del Bosch recalled the tanks in Valencia that night and was arrested. The MPs were released by the Civil Guard the next morning, 16½ hours later, and Parliament was evacuated.
Colonel Tejero was tried, sentenced to 30 years in prison for ringleadership and forced to leave the Guardia Civil.
He unsuccessfully ran in elections in 1982 for a right-wing party founded in prison under his leadership called "Frente de Solidaridad de España" to gain immunity...
...but it went wrong!
The party received 0.14 percent of the vote and soon ceased to exist.
From September 1993 he was put into open detention; in December 1996 his prison sentence was suspended and Tejero was released from prison as the last coup participant on December 2, 1996...:
He lives near Malaga with his son...:
General Milans del Bosch was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison, but was released after 9 years...:
He died of a brain tumor in 1997...:
