It represented the right-wing of the Chilean political spectrum, against the centrist Christian Democratic Party and the leftist coalition Popular Unity. Its candidate Jorge Alessandri lost the 1970 presidential election. Three years later, in August 1973, after escalating political polarization, the Christian Democrats joined with the National Party in the same legislature against Allende. The following month, newly appointed chief of staff General Augusto Pinochet led the 1973 military coup against Allende, after which the National Party voluntarily dissolved itself on 21 September 1973.