An analysis of the crisis in El Salvador during a period of convulsive turmoil in Latin America and the Caribbean. The author provides the social and political background of El Salvador from the early 20th century to the 1979 coup which marked the first time in fifty years that civilians were included in the Salvadoran government. The role of the military as a mediating force between the several-thousand-strong ruling class and the developing Elites of a newly industrializing society is covered thoroughly.