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or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at into History.com. It's new on September 11th, 1973 in Santiago Chile. A Chilean Army officer hustles across a deserted public square at the head of a squad of soldiers.

Usually Chile's capital city would be packed with workers enjoying a long lunch, but not today.

Instead, the officer, his men, and hundreds of others like them are making their way through

the eerily quiet streets on an extraordinary mission.

They're going to overthrow the government.

Only a few hours ago, the Chilean Armed Forces launched a coup to depose the country's

democratically elected President Salvador Ayende.

But President Ayende refused to resign. So now the generals behind the

coup are applying pressure. Their troops are launching a direct assault on the President's

offices in Lam Moneta Palace.

As the Army officer reaches the edge of the square, a bullet ricochets off the ground near his feet.

The officer dives into a shocked doorway,

appears around the corner trying to get a clear view of the

palace but as he tries to find where the gunshot came from another bullet breaks the

shop's window the officer jerks his head back.

Snipers and the palace are taking shots at him.

He frantically signals the soldiers behind him to find cover.

But as the officer considers his next moves, the rhythmic drone of a helicopter echoes across the square.

The officer risks another glance out of the doorway and spots gun ships flying low over Santiago's rooftops speeding toward the palace.

...