On September 11, 1973, the Chilean armed forces, led by General Augusto Pinochet along with other senior commanders, deposed President Salvador Allende, who had been democratically elected in 1970. The coup ended a turbulent three-year presidency marked by deep political polarization, intense economic conflict, and confrontations between Allende’s socialist government and conservative domestic and international forces. Events and immediate consequences In the early hours of September 11, military units surrounded and attacked key government installations in Santiago, including the presidential palace, La Moneda. President Allende remained in the palace as the assault proceeded; reports from that day indicate he died inside La Moneda during the coup. The armed forces announced the toppling of the constitutional government and established a military junta, with the stated aim of restoring order and halting what they described as a Marxist takeover. The new regime quickly suspended the constitution, dissolved Congress, banned political parties aligned with the left, and imposed curfews and strict controls on the press. The junta implemented widespread arrests, forced disappearances, executions, and the exile of thousands of political opponents, activists, and perceived dissidents. These patterns of repression and human-rights violations were documented by domestic groups and later by international human-rights organizations. Political, social, and economic context Allende’s Popular Unity government pursued an ambitious program of nationalizations, land reform, and expanded social welfare, aiming to redistribute wealth and reduce inequality. Those policies polarized Chilean society and economy: they won strong support from many workers and peasants while provoking fierce opposition from business sectors, conservative political forces, and parts of the middle class. The economy experienced shortages, inflation, and strikes as state intervention deepened and opposition groups organized resistance. Internationally, Cold War dynamics played a significant role: the United States government viewed Allende’s government with deep suspicion and provided political and economic support to opponents of the presidency. Historians and declassified documents show U.S. involvement in efforts to destabilize Allende’s government, though direct involvement in the coup itself is a subject of ongoing scholarly debate and investigation. Long-term effects The military government under Pinochet remained in power for 17 years, implementing wide-ranging economic reforms that liberalized markets, privatized state industries, and restructured pensions and labor relations. These reforms produced both sustained economic growth in certain sectors and deep social costs, including increased inequality and weakened labor protections. The authoritarian regime’s human-rights abuses left a lasting legacy: thousands were killed, disappeared, tortured, or exiled. After the return to civilian rule in 1990, Chilean society engaged in processes of truth-seeking, memorialization, and legal accountability. Commissions and courts have documented abuses and pursued cases against some perpetrators, while debates over memory, justice, and the socioeconomic legacy of the coup persist in Chilean politics and public life. Historical assessment The September 11, 1973 coup is widely recognized as a pivotal rupture in Chilean democracy and a key episode in Cold War Latin America. Historical assessments emphasize both the domestic political polarization that set the stage for the coup and the international context that influenced events. Scholarship continues to refine understanding of the actors, motives, and external influences involved, relying on archival research, oral histories, and declassified records. The coup’s legacy endures in Chile’s institutions, politics, and collective memory, shaping ongoing discussions about democracy, human rights, and the social and economic directions the country should pursue.