Majors' Coup
| Majors' Coup | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Military dictatorship in El Salvador | |||
| Date | 14 December 1948 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | President Salvador Castaneda Castro's attempt to extend his term in office | ||
| Goals | Deposition of Castaneda Castro Establishment of a military junta | ||
| Methods | Coup d'état Shelling of the Presidential Palace | ||
| Resulted in | Coup successful
| ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
Salvador Castaneda Castro (POW) Manuel de Jesús Córdova | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Death | 4 civilians | ||
| Injuries | 10 civilians | ||
| Arrested | President Castaneda Castro | ||
The Majors' Coup (Spanish: Golpe de los Mayores), also known as the 1948 Salvadoran coup d'état or the Revolution of 1948 (Revolución del 48), was a coup d'état in El Salvador that took place on 14 December 1948. Junior officers of the Salvadoran Army successfully deposed President Salvador Castaneda Castro, who had attempted to extend his term in office. The coup marked the end of the conservative "martinist" era and the beginning of a period of military reformism dominated by the Revolutionary Party of Democratic Unification (PRUD).[1]
Background
Following the resignation of dictator Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in 1944, El Salvador entered a period of political instability. General Salvador Castaneda Castro was elected president in 1945, ostensibly to transition the country back to stability. However, his administration was largely seen as a continuation of the previous regime, maintaining many of Martínez's policies and officials.[2]
Castaneda Castro's term was scheduled to end in March 1949. On 13 December 1948, the president called an emergency session of the National Assembly to pass a decree calling for the election of a Constituent Assembly within two days. The intent was to alter the constitutional ban on re-election, allowing Castaneda Castro to extend his term for another two years.[3] This move alienated the younger officers in the military, known as the Juventud Militar (Military Youth), who saw it as a violation of the constitutional order and a return to indefinite dictatorship.[1]
The Coup
On the afternoon of 14 December 1948, a faction of junior officers (mostly majors and lieutenant colonels) launched the coup. The rebels seized the strategic El Zapote Fort (Artillery Barracks) in San Salvador at approximately 1:00 p.m. without facing significant resistance from the garrison.[3]
From the fort, the rebels demanded the President's surrender. When Castaneda Castro refused, the rebels opened fire on the Presidential Palace with machine guns and mortars. Fighting also broke out near the National Police headquarters, which remained loyal to the president. By 4:00 p.m., the police surrendered after coming under heavy fire. President Castaneda Castro was subsequently arrested and imprisoned.[3]
According to diplomatic reports from the time, the conflict resulted in relatively few casualties; four civilians were killed and ten were injured, mostly bystanders caught in the crossfire.[3]
Aftermath
Revolutionary Council of Government
Following the coup, the victors established a junta known as the Revolutionary Council of Government (El Salvador) (Consejo de Gobierno Revolucionario). The council was composed of three military officers and two civilians:
- Major Óscar Osorio
- Major Óscar Bolaños
- Lt. Col. Manuel de Jesús Córdova (later forced to resign)
- Dr. Reynaldo Galindo Pohl (civilian)
- Dr. Humberto Costa (civilian)
The Council justified the coup as a "patriotic movement" necessary to protect the constitution.[4] They issued decrees abrogating the 1886 Constitution and dissolving the National Assembly. Lt. Col. Córdova resigned from the junta shortly after its formation, leaving Osorio and Bolaños as the dominant military figures.[1]
Constitution of 1950
The coup led to the drafting of the Constitution of 1950, which for the first time in Salvadoran history defined the state's role in ensuring social justice and economic well-being.[5] This marked a shift from the purely liberal economic policies of the "coffee republic" era to a model of "military developmentalism," characterized by state-led industrialization and limited social reforms initiated by the PRUD party.[4]
Major Óscar Osorio eventually resigned from the council to run for president, winning the 1950 Salvadoran general election and governing until 1956.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Valle Monterrosa, Víctor Manuel (14 December 2022). "Remozamiento de la dictadura militar en El Salvador en 1948". El Independiente (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "El Salvador - Government". Country Studies. Library of Congress. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Western Hemisphere, Volume IX". Office of the Historian. United States Department of State. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ a b López Bernal, Carlos Gregorio (2019). "La Revolución salvadoreña de 1948. Propaganda visual e imágenes". Tzintzun. Revista de Estudios Históricos (in Spanish) (69): 169–196. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ Turcios, Roberto (1994). "El Estado en momentos de crisis: Redefinición del papel del Estado 1948-1960" (PDF). Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (in Spanish) (41). Universidad Centroamericana: 727–746. Retrieved 26 November 2025.