Changes

==Urban guerilla warfare==

==Urban guerilla warfare==

The Montonero insurgent leadership made a conscious decision to “militarize” the struggle and attack directly the Argentinian police and military forces in the main cities. The political objectives that originally motivated the escalation were sacrificed to military considerations. The groups that were supposed to bring national and social liberation to the country developed into mirror images of the Argentinian armed forces, and legitimizing political-psychological efforts were considered unproductive niceties.

The Montonero insurgent leadership made a conscious decision to “militarize” the struggle and attack directly the Argentinian police and military forces in the main cities. The political objectives that originally motivated the escalation were sacrificed to military considerations. The groups that were supposedly to bring national and social liberation to the country developed into mirror images of the Argentinian armed forces, and legitimizing political-psychological efforts were considered unproductive niceties.

The leftist militants bombed and destroyed numerous buildings in the 1970s in its campaign against the authorities; these belonged chiefly to police and military hierarchies. But a number of civilian and non-governmental buildings were targeted as well, such as the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Buenos Aires, which was bombed in 1972 (killing a Canadian woman and injuring her husband)<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z94QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7258,1915009&dq=&hl=en  Peronists blamed in Hotel bombing]</ref>and the bombing of a crowded theatre in downtown Buenos Aires in 1975<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wuQeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0EYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2828,4751834&dq=&hl=en Isabel Peron cleared of charge]</ref>.

The leftist militants bombed and destroyed numerous buildings in the 1970s in its campaign against the civilian and military authorities; these belonged chiefly to police and military hierarchies. But a number of civilian and non-governmental buildings were targeted as well, such as the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Buenos Aires, which was bombed in 1972 (killing a Canadian woman, Lois Crozier and injuring her husband Gerry Crozier)<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z94QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7258,1915009&dq=&hl=en  Peronists blamed in Hotel bombing]</ref>and the bombing of a crowded theatre in downtown Buenos Aires in 1975<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wuQeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0EYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2828,4751834&dq=&hl=en Isabel Peron cleared of charge]</ref>.

During the month of August 1975, the Argentine city of Córdoba witnessed a number of armed actions on the part of the left-wing guerrillas and militants that resulted in the death of at least five policemen (Sergeant Juan Carlos Román, Corporal Rosario del Carmen Moyano and Agents Luis Rodolfo López, Jorge Natividad Luna and Juan Antonio Diaz) and units of the elite 4th Airborne Infantry Brigade were obliged to be called in to stand guard at strategic points around the city after the bombing of police headquarters and the police radio communications centre.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vdJGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6XsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3887,3282259&dq= 5 Policemen Dead In Argentina Violence]</ref>

During the month of August 1975, the Argentine city of Córdoba witnessed a number of armed actions on the part of the left-wing activists and guerrillas that resulted in the death of at least five policemen (Sergeant Juan Carlos Román, Corporal Rosario del Carmen Moyano and Agents Luis Rodolfo López, Jorge Natividad Luna and Juan Antonio Diaz) and units of the elite 4th Airborne Infantry Brigade were obliged to be called in to stand guard at strategic points around the city after the bombing of police headquarters and the police radio communications centre.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vdJGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6XsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3887,3282259&dq= 5 Policemen Dead In Argentina Violence]</ref>

On 13 January 1976, left-wing militants fire to a Buenos Aires commuter train after forcing passengers to descend at gunpoint.<ref>Peronist Guerrillas Burn Train Near Buenos Aires, ''The New York Times'', 14 January 1976</ref> On 2 February 1976 about fifty Montoneros attacked the Juan Vucetich Police Academy in Buenos Aires in an attempt to capture the helicopter-gunships there,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qLsSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3vgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6809,70028&dq= "Guerrilla Raid Foiled"]. page 8, ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'' (2 February 1976).</ref> but were repelled in heavy fighting. In the week preceding the military coup, the Montoneros killed 13 policemen as part of its ''Third National Military Campaign''.<ref>Lewis, Paul. (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=NtZ3EvNYxjYC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125 Guerrillas and Generals: the Dirty War in Argentina], p. 125, Greenwood Publishing Group.</ref> On 15 March, a powerful guerrilla bomb exploded next to the Argentine Army Headquarters, smashing windows in the nearby Casa Rosada and wounding 15 military personnel and 6 civilians as well as killing a civilian passerby.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e_tQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jr8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1543,2038489&dq= Argentine army quarters blasted, The Telegraph Herald, 6 March 1976]</ref> During 1976, Videla himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in which a time bomb planted in the reviewing stand at the vast Campo de Mayo barracks blew out a meter-wide hole at the exact spot where he had been standing.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946715,00.html "A Monopoly of Force"]. ''Time''. (18 October 1976).</ref>

On 13 January 1976, leftists set fire to a Buenos Aires commuter train after forcing passengers to descend at gunpoint.<ref>Peronist Guerrillas Burn Train Near Buenos Aires, ''The New York Times'', 14 January 1976</ref> On 2 February 1976 about fifty Montoneros attacked the Juan Vucetich Police Academy in Buenos Aires in an attempt to capture the helicopter-gunships stationed there,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qLsSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3vgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6809,70028&dq= "Guerrilla Raid Foiled"]. page 8, ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'' (2 February 1976).</ref>but were repelled in heavy fighting involving police reinforcements. In the week preceding the military coup, the Montoneros killed 13 policemen as part of its renewed offensive aptly named ''Third National Military Campaign''.<ref>Lewis, Paul. (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=NtZ3EvNYxjYC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125 Guerrillas and Generals: the Dirty War in Argentina], p. 125, Greenwood Publishing Group.</ref> On 15 March, a powerful guerrilla bomb exploded next to the Argentine Army Headquarters, smashing windows in the nearby Casa Rosada and wounding 15 military personnel and 6 civilians as well as killing a civilian passerby.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e_tQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jr8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1543,2038489&dq= Argentine army quarters blasted, The Telegraph Herald, 6 March 1976]</ref> During 1976, Videla himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in which a time bomb planted in the reviewing stand at the vast Campo de Mayo barracks blew out a meter-wide hole at the exact spot where he had been standing.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946715,00.html "A Monopoly of Force"]. ''Time''. (18 October 1976).</ref>

On 29 September 1976 fierce fighting took place in the Floresta suburb of Buenos Aires, where one-hundred soldiers and policemen were forced to use bazookas and armored cars against heavily armed guerrillas.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7k40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=OWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1952,5810098&dq= "Troops Clash With Guerrillas"]. ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' (29 September 1976).</ref> On 2 October, Lieutenant-General Jorge Videla narrowly escaped death when a bomb packed in metal tubing supporting a reviewing stand at the Campo de Mayo army barracks exploded only moments after he left.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KeVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4OADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6997,382239&dq= Argentina's chief escapes blasts, Eugene Resister-Guard, 3 October 1976]. Google News.</ref> On 17 October a bomb blast in an Army Club Cinema in downtown Buenos Aires killed 11 and wounded about 50 officers and their families. On 15 December, another bomb planted in a Defense Ministry movie hall killed at least 14 and injured 30<ref name="encyclopedia202"/> officers and their families. By the first anniversary of the coup that ousted President [[Isabel Martínez de Perón|Isabel Perón]], 124 soldiers and police had been killed in incidents involving left wing guerrillas<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918823,00.html?iid=chix-sphere|title=Hope from a Clockwork Coup|work=Time|date=11 April 1977}}</ref> in what the military referred to as, "the Dirty War".

On 29 September 1976 fierce fighting took place in the Floresta suburb of Buenos Aires, where one-hundred soldiers and policemen were forced to use bazookas and armored cars against heavily armed guerrillas.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7k40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=OWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1952,5810098&dq= "Troops Clash With Guerrillas"]. ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' (29 September 1976).</ref> On 2 October, Lieutenant-General Jorge Videla narrowly escaped death when a bomb packed in metal tubing supporting a reviewing stand at the Campo de Mayo army barracks exploded only moments after he left.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KeVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4OADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6997,382239&dq= Argentina's chief escapes blasts, Eugene Resister-Guard, 3 October 1976]. Google News.</ref> On 17 October a bomb blast in an Army Club Cinema in downtown Buenos Aires killed 11 and wounded about 50 officers and their families. On 15 December, another bomb planted in a Defense Ministry movie hall killed at least 14 and injured 30<ref name="encyclopedia202"/> officers and their families. By the first anniversary of the coup that ousted President [[Isabel Martínez de Perón|Isabel Perón]], 124 soldiers and police had been killed in incidents involving left wing guerrillas<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918823,00.html?iid=chix-sphere|title=Hope from a Clockwork Coup|work=Time|date=11 April 1977}}</ref> in what the military referred to as, "the Dirty War".