Why did being well-dressed cost Spanish General José Sanjurjo (1872-1936) not only the chance to rule Spain, but also his life?

Answer: In 1936, Sanjurjo led a coup to overthrow the Spanish government. He prepared to fly back from exile in a small bi-plane when the pilot queried the amount of baggage he was bringing. Sanjurjo replied, “I need to wear proper clothes as the new caudillo (leader) of Spain!” The heavy luggage was a contributing factor to the plane crashing, killing Sanjurjo.

Source: The Luck of Politics by Andrew Leigh

More at: History

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