The first priority of Raúl Alfonsín was to consolidate democracy, incorporate the armed forces into their standard role in a civilian government, and prevent further military coups.
Alfonsín first tried to reduce the political power of the military with budget cuts, reductions of military personnel and changing their political tasks.
As for the crimes committed during the Dirty War, Alfonsín was willing to respect the command responsibility and accept the "superior orders" defense for the military of lower ranks, as long as the Junta leaders were sentenced under military justice.
This project was resisted by human rights organisations such as Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and public opinion, as it was expected that the defendants would be acquitted or receive low sentences.
The military considered that the Dirty War was a legally sanctioned war, and considered the prosecutions to be unjustified.
Alfonsín also established the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP), composed of several well-known personalities, to document cases of forced disappearances, human rights violations and abduction of children.
Alfonsín sent a military code bill to the Congress, so that the military would use it.
In its "Nunca más" report (Spanish: Never again), the CONADEP revealed the wide scope of the crimes committed during the Dirty War, and how the Supreme Council of the military had supported the military's actions against the guerrillas.

As a result, Alfonsín sponsored the Trial of the Juntas, in which, for the first time, the leaders of a military coup in Argentina were on trial.
The first hearings began at the Supreme Court in April 1985 and lasted for the remainder of the year.
In December, the tribunal handed down life sentences for Jorge Videla and former Navy Chief Emilio Massera, as well as 17-year sentences for Roberto Eduardo Viola.
President Leopoldo Galtieri was acquitted of charges related to the repression, but he was court-martialed in May 1986 for malfeasance during the Falklands War.
Ramón Camps received a 25-year sentence.
The trials did not focus only on the military: Mario Firmenich was captured in Brazil in 1984 and extradited to Argentina.
José López Rega was extradited from Miami in 1986, because of his links with the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance.

The military were supported by the families of the victims of subversion, a group created to counter the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.
This group placed the blame of the Dirty War on the guerrillas, but had few followers.
The trials were followed by bomb attacks and rumors of military protests and even a possible coup.
Alfonsín sought to appease the military by raising their budget.
As that was not enough, he proposed the full stop law, to set a deadline for Dirty War-related prosecutions.
The Congress approved the law, despite strong opposition from the public.
Prosecutors rushed to start cases before the deadline, filing 487 charges against 300 officers, with 100 of them still in active service.
Major Ernesto Barreiro refused to appear in court, and started a mutiny in Córdoba.
Lieutenant Colonel Aldo Rico started another mutiny at Campo de Mayo, supporting Barreiro.
The rebels were called "Carapintadas" (Spanish: "Painted faces") because of their use of military camouflage.
The CGT called a general strike in support of Alfonsín, and large masses rallied in the Plaza de Mayo to support the government.
Alfonsín negotiated directly with the rebels and secured their surrender.
He announced the end of the crisis from the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
The mutineers eventually surrendered, but the government proceeded with the Law of Due Obedience to regulate the trials.
However, the timing of both events was exploited by the military, and the opposition parties described the outcome as a surrender by Alfonsín.

Aldo Rico escaped from prison in January 1988 and started a new mutiny in a distant regiment in the northeast.
This time, both the military support for the mutiny and the public outcry against it were minimal.
The army attacked him, and Rico surre
The first priority of Raúl Alfonsín was to consolidate democracy, incorporate the armed forces into their standard role in a civilian government, and prevent further military coups. Alfonsín first tried to reduce the political power of the military with budget cuts, reductions of military personnel and changing their political tasks. As for the crimes committed during the Dirty War, Alfonsín was willing to respect the command responsibility and accept the "superior orders" defense for the military of lower ranks, as long as the Junta leaders were sentenced under military justice. This project was resisted by human rights organisations such as Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and public opinion, as it was expected that the defendants would be acquitted or receive low sentences. The military considered that the Dirty War was a legally sanctioned war, and considered the prosecutions to be unjustified. Alfonsín also established the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP), composed of several well-known personalities, to document cases of forced disappearances, human rights violations and abduction of children. Alfonsín sent a military code bill to the Congress, so that the military would use it. In its "Nunca más" report (Spanish: Never again), the CONADEP revealed the wide scope of the crimes committed during the Dirty War, and how the Supreme Council of the military had supported the military's actions against the guerrillas.
As a result, Alfonsín sponsored the Trial of the Juntas, in which, for the first time, the leaders of a military coup in Argentina were on trial. The first hearings began at the Supreme Court in April 1985 and lasted for the remainder of the year. In December, the tribunal handed down life sentences for Jorge Videla and former Navy Chief Emilio Massera, as well as 17-year sentences for Roberto Eduardo Viola. President Leopoldo Galtieri was acquitted of charges related to the repression, but he was court-martialed in May 1986 for malfeasance during the Falklands War. Ramón Camps received a 25-year sentence. The trials did not focus only on the military: Mario Firmenich was captured in Brazil in 1984 and extradited to Argentina. José López Rega was extradited from Miami in 1986, because of his links with the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance.
The military were supported by the families of the victims of subversion, a group created to counter the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. This group placed the blame of the Dirty War on the guerrillas, but had few followers. The trials were followed by bomb attacks and rumors of military protests and even a possible coup. Alfonsín sought to appease the military by raising their budget. As that was not enough, he proposed the full stop law, to set a deadline for Dirty War-related prosecutions. The Congress approved the law, despite strong opposition from the public. Prosecutors rushed to start cases before the deadline, filing 487 charges against 300 officers, with 100 of them still in active service. Major Ernesto Barreiro refused to appear in court, and started a mutiny in Córdoba. Lieutenant Colonel Aldo Rico started another mutiny at Campo de Mayo, supporting Barreiro. The rebels were called "Carapintadas" (Spanish: "Painted faces") because of their use of military camouflage. The CGT called a general strike in support of Alfonsín, and large masses rallied in the Plaza de Mayo to support the government. Alfonsín negotiated directly with the rebels and secured their surrender. He announced the end of the crisis from the balcony of the Casa Rosada. The mutineers eventually surrendered, but the government proceeded with the Law of Due Obedience to regulate the trials. However, the timing of both events was exploited by the military, and the opposition parties described the outcome as a surrender by Alfonsín.
Aldo Rico escaped from prison in January 1988 and started a new mutiny in a distant regiment in the northeast. This time, both the military support for the mutiny and the public outcry against it were minimal. The army attacked him, and Rico surre
Raúl Alfonsín