Inspired by the Cuban Revolution, and unintentionally stimulated by the reform efforts of the Alliance for Progress, a wide-ranging, deep process of radicalization affected numerous Latin American countries during the 1960s and early 1970s. Using cognitive shortcuts and drawing facile inferences from Castro's success, many leftist and populist forces came to believe that profound transformations were now feasible in their country. Drawing similar inferences and therefore regarding the established order as fragile, elites and other conservative sectors were stricken with fear of "Communism." Leftwing agitation therefore provoked a rightwing backlash that imposed reactionary authoritarianism to forestall the perceived menace of revolution. As leftwing challengers started to create paramilitary formations and the military therefore saw a threat to its monopoly over organized coercion, the armed forces took the lead in these coups and consolidated dictatorial power afterwards. Driven by intense loss aversion, conservative sectors employed all the resources at their disposal to defeat the radical left. Consequently, determined counter-revolution overpowered revolutionary initiatives.