In contrast to previous military regimes, the military dictatorship that took power in 1966 aspired to govern for a long time (O’Donnell 1978, 1982), by 1969 it fractured and began to collapse. It was initially more ambitious in its design to change Argentina, and it was more repressive than the country’s previous military dictatorship. President Juan Carlos Ongania fell in a coup in June 1970. His successor, General Roberto Levingston, lasted only nine months (June 1970 to March 1971) before he was ousted by another coup. Finally, General Alejandro Lanusse (1971-73) from the outset planned to restore power to civilians, and did so by allowing elections in 1973.