How did the Sandinista National Liberation Front overthrow the Somoza regime?

The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) overthrew the regime of Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979 through a protracted campaign of political mobilization and armed insurrection.12

Founded in 1961, the FSLN initially operated as a guerrilla movement, organizing support among students, workers, and peasants. By the mid-1970s, the group intensified its activities, staging high-profile actions such as the 1974 kidnapping of Somoza elites and the 1978 occupation of the national palace. These actions, coupled with the 1978 assassination of opposition leader Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, triggered widespread general strikes and violent uprisings across the country.12

The FSLN, which had previously split into factions, reunited in 1978–79 under the leadership of Daniel Ortega and his brother Humberto. Backed by tens of thousands of civilian combatants, the FSLN launched a final offensive in June 1979. As city after city fell to the insurgents, the National Guard collapsed. On July 17, 1979, Somoza resigned and fled the country, and two days later, the Sandinistas entered Managua to accept the surrender of the remaining army forces.2134