History of Chile. Chile: major historical events. History of Chile History of development and settlement of Chile

Chile is a very diverse country, where you can find every conceivable landscape of nature, from the desert in the north to the glaciers in the south in Patagonia. In Chile, there was a mixture of Spanish culture with the customs and traditions of the local Mapuche Indians. Many tourists begin their acquaintance with this country from Montevideo, then go to Patagonia for a week, and then relax in some Chilean seaside resort.

Geography of Chile

Chile is located in the southwest of South America. Chile borders Peru to the north and Bolivia and Argentina to the east. In the west, the country is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Chile includes the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Easter Island, and the Juan Fernandez archipelago. The total area, including the islands, is 756,950 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is 2,010 km.

Geographically, Chile occupies a narrow coastal strip between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountain system. Most of the country's territory is mountainous. Only one fifth are plains and lowlands. To the north is the Atamaca Desert. Further south towards Bio-Bio, there are many tropical forests, lakes and lagoons.

The largest Chilean peaks are located in the north and in the center of the country. These are the extinct volcanoes Llullaillaco (6,739 meters), Tres Cruces (6,749 meters), Cerro Tupungato (6,635 meters) and Ojos del Salado (6,893 meters). By the way, Ojos del Salado is considered the highest volcano in the world.

In the extreme south, where the Patagonian Andes, the highest Chilean peaks are Torres del Paine and Mount Fitz Roy.

Capital of Chile

Santiago is the capital of Chile. More than 6 million people now live in this city. Santiago was founded by the Spaniards in 1541.

Official language of Chile

The official language is Spanish.

Religion

About 63% of the population are Catholics, about 15% are Protestants.

State structure

According to the 1981 Constitution, Chile is a presidential republic. The president is elected by popular vote for a term of 4 years. The president is both head of state and head of government.

The bicameral local parliament is called the National Congress, it consists of the Senate (38 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (120 deputies elected by popular vote for a term of 4 years).

The main political parties are the coalition of “left” and center-left parties “Consent of Parties for Democracy”, the coalition of “right” and center-right parties “Coalition for Change”.

Administratively, the country is divided into 14 regions and 1 capital district. The regions are in turn divided into 53 provinces and 346 communities.

Climate and weather

The climate in Chile is very diverse, it is determined by the cold Humboldt Current, which originates in the subantarctic waters off the Pacific coast. Thanks to this current and southwest winds, the climate in the central and northern regions of Chile is temperate (even in those areas that lie in tropical latitudes).

Since Chile is located in the southern hemisphere, summer is in December, January and February, and winter is in June, July and August.

Santiago has an ideal climate, which is why 80% of Chileans live in this city. Summers in Santiago are hot (+28-32C), and winters are short and moderate (the air temperature sometimes drops to 0C).

The best time to visit Chile is from January to March.

Seas and oceans of Chile

To the west, Chile is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. The length of the sea coast is 6,171 km. The Humboldt Current makes the water off the coast of Chile cold, so outdoor enthusiasts who like to surf and windsurf should always wear wetsuits. Near the shore, the water temperature is warm and pleasant.

Rivers and lakes

There are many rivers in Chile, but they are not very long. The largest of them are Loa (440 km), Bio-Bio (380 km), Maipe (250 km) and Maule (240 km).

culture

In many ways, Chile's culture is more European than South American, even though the country is located in South America. The reason for this phenomenon is immigrants. However, about 1 million local Indians live in Chile (mainly in the north of the country).

As in other Latin American countries, Chile celebrates a huge number of religious, cultural and folk holidays every year. In April, for example, the religious festival Fiesta de Quasimodo is celebrated, and in July, another religious festival, the Fiesta de la Tirana.

But, of course, holidays in this country are not limited to religious festivals. Every year, Chile celebrates many folklore festivals (Angola, San Bernardo, Humbelln) and music festivals (Valdivia Classical Music Festival, Tongo Jazz Festival, Semagnas de Frutillar Music Festival and Joranadas de Villarrica Music Festival) .

Chilean Cuisine

The Chilean smithy was formed on the basis of the culinary traditions of local Indians and immigrants from Europe. The main food products are potatoes, corn, beans, fish, seafood, meat. For some tourists, Chilean dishes may remind you of Peruvian cuisine. However, in fact, the Chilean forge is much richer than the Peruvian culinary traditions. Note that in Chile, spicy dishes are not very common, unlike, for example, Mexico.

Carbonada (meat soup with finely chopped beef and various vegetables);
Arrollado de Chancho (pork in spicy sauce);
Cazuela de Ave chicken soup with potatoes, beans and rice);
Costillar de Chancho (baked pork);
Curanto en Hoyo (a typical dish in southern Chile, fish, seafood with potatoes in a tortilla);
Palta Reina (tuna or ham with avocado and mayonnaise);
Parrillada (fried various meats, served with potatoes or rice);
Pollo Arvejado ( chicken fillet with green peas, onions and carrots);
Ceviche (sea bass in lemon juice);
Arroz con Leche (rice pudding).

Traditional soft drinks - fruit juices, tea, coffee.

Traditional alcoholic drinks are Chicha (sweet liqueur made from apples or grapes), Pipeno (sweet fermented wine), Pisco (grape brandy), wine.

Attractions

The main Chilean attraction is nature, although, of course, the country has several dozen interesting historical and architectural monuments of Indians and Spanish conquistadors.

In any case, tourists in Chile are definitely advised to see the mysterious Easter Island, the El Tatio geysers, the Atacama Desert, the Lauca Biosphere Reserve, Lake Miscanti, the archaeological sites of the Mapuche Indians of Copaquilla and Sapahuira, the Parinacota volcano and Patagonia. In the south of the country, in the city of Valdivia, there is an old Spanish fortress built in the Middle Ages.

A significant part of the territory of Chile is occupied by national parks and reserves. The most famous and popular of them are Puyehu National Park (107 thousand hectares), Lauca National Park (located in the east of the country), Villarrica National Park with Carbugua Lake, Chiloe National Park with relic coniferous and evergreen forests.

Cities and resorts

The largest cities are Santiago, Puente Alto, Antofagasta, San Bernardo, Viña del Mar, Temuco and Valparaiso.

Most of the most famous Chilean seaside resorts are located in the central part of the country.

Some of the best Chilean beaches include the following:

La Virgen Beach 70 kilometers from Copiapo (infrastructure is not developed)
Anakena Beach, Easter Island (beach surrounded by coconut trees, turquoise water with soft sand)
Bahía Inglesa Beach near Copiapo (well developed infrastructure)
Ovahe Beach, Easter Island (located at the foot of a volcanic cliff)
Las Tijeras, Dama Island (114 km northeast of Coquimbo)

In Chile, there are several good, even by European standards, ski resorts. Among them, we single out Valle Nevado, 60 km from Santiago at an altitude of 3025 m (more than 30 slopes and 40 lifts), Portillo, 145 km from Santiago at an altitude of 2880 m (a large number of slopes, 11 lifts, an outdoor swimming pool with heated water), ski complex Farellones - El Colorado - La Parva (more than 14 km of slopes and 17 lifts).

Souvenirs/Shopping

Tourists in Chile buy handicrafts, jewelry (especially lapis lazuli), Greda (Chilean traditional pottery), small ceramic animal figurines, copper utensils, Emboque (traditional Chilean game), small moai statues from Easter Island, football souvenirs, Chilean spices (eg Merquén), wine.

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Chile is a state in South America, the longest and narrowest country on earth. The name of the country in the language of the local Arawak Indians means "cold, winter."

The history of Chile begins with the settlement of the region about 13,000 years ago. The first European to land on the Chilean coast was the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (in 1520). At that time, the country was dominated by the Araucans, occupying most of the territory, the northern part of the country belonged to the Inca Empire.

In 1535, the Spaniards came to Chile. However, after three fruitless years of conquest, they returned to Peru. The second, more successful expedition of the Spaniards was organized in 1540. As a result, the Spanish established several fortified settlements, including Santiago in 1541, Concepción in 1550 and Valdivia in 1552.

From the middle of the 16th century, Chile was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, but later received its own government.

The colonization of the country was very slow due to the lack of gold or silver deposits, which were of most interest to the Spaniards. Agriculture was the main source of income. On September 18, 1810, the First National Junta of the Government of Chile declared independence, but it was not until February 2, 1818 that the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

The further development of Chile until the Second World War was predetermined initially by the extraction of saltpeter and somewhat later by copper. The large availability of minerals has led to a significant economic growth of Chile, but also to a strong dependence on neighboring states and even wars with them.

After a century of leadership of the Christian Democratic forces in the country, in 1970 socialist President Salvador Allende came to power in Chile. The coup of General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973 marked the beginning of a 17-year dictatorship in the country and led to radical market reforms in the economy. Since 1988, Chile has embarked on a democratic path of development.

One Chilean legend says: “Once upon a time, God created miracles on the planet. When he finished, he found that there were still many unused objects: rivers, valleys, lakes, glaciers, deserts, mountains, forests, grasslands and hills that simply could not find a place on earth. But before throwing them away, he took them all together and threw them into the most remote corner of the planet. This is how Chile was born.”

The country of poets is what Chile is called by its own inhabitants. The extraordinary beauty of each region of this country inspires great works and deeds.

Chile stretches for 4630 km from south to north of the continent, thanks to which the country is characterized by an amazing variety of landscapes. From the lifeless Atacama desert with its deposits of copper and nitrates, the Central Valley, where the capital of Santiago is located and most of the country's population, to the southern regions with their forests, volcanoes, lakes, fjords, canals and winding peninsulas. Chile owns some areas of Antarctica and about a dozen large islands in the Pacific Ocean: the mysterious Easter Island, the island of Sala y Gomez, belonging to the possessions of eastern Polynesia, Robinson Crusoe Island, a source of inspiration for Daniel Defoe, and others.

The state of Chile is considered the southernmost country in the world, while the unusually large extent of Chile allows it to have the widest variety of climatic zones with a huge number of unique objects and attractions of a very different nature.

In the central part of the country there are many volcanoes, both extinct and still active. The tops of many of them rise above 5 thousand meters and are covered with eternal snow. In the northern part of Chile, the Andes are a huge highlands with peaks reaching a height of more than 6 thousand meters. To the south of the Andes gradually drop to 2 - 2.5 thousand meters.

Southern Chile is known for its picturesque lakes, formed under the influence of tectonic processes and glaciers. The largest lake is Buenos Aires (2100 km2). The eastern part belongs to Argentina. The second largest lake, Llanquihue, is located entirely in Chile. The largest Chilean rivers are Bio-Bio and Maule in the central part of the country, but they are rather short.

The most popular places in the country among tourists are: Easter Island, alluring with its mysteries and mystical history, the Atacama Desert with its unique landscapes, the Lake District and Chilean Patagonia, which amaze with their natural beauties, ski resorts, as well as the capital Santiago - the largest and most developed city of Chile.

So, in Chile you can visit three continents at once: South America, Oceania and Antarctica.

The Atacama Desert is the driest place on the planet. In some parts of it, precipitation has not fallen for centuries. In other areas of the desert, a unique phenomenon can be observed: winter rains here are short-lived, but so plentiful that in spring Atacama turns into a “blooming desert” of amazing beauty.

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) lies in the Pacific Ocean almost 3700 km. west of the Chilean coast. For any real inquisitive traveler, Easter Island means a lot, a lot. It is difficult to find another such mysterious island in the ocean. After the expedition of Thor Heyerdahl lifted the curtain on the mysterious past of Rapa Nui, he began to attract people from all over the world. Fortunately, only the most enthusiastic of them get here. There are no luxury hotels and beaches here, but the rich history of the island is still its main asset. This mysterious piece of land is the most remote inhabited island in the world.

There are actually more Oceanian peoples than Chileans living here, although the presence of Pacific islanders in this isolated part of the world is one of the biggest mysteries on Earth. And most importantly, what the island is famous for is the mystery of how the descendants of Indian peoples who sailed here on the border of the old and new eras could design and sculpt hundreds of colossal statues ("moai") from solid volcanic basalt and tuff, transport their multi-ton "bodies "from inland quarries to the coast, and then install them in some kind of sequence that only they can understand. This is all the more surprising when you consider that you can swim more than 1900 km. from the island in any direction without the slightest chance of stumbling upon inhabited land. Now the island is actually an open national park and annually hosts many thousands of lovers of secrets and mysteries.

Patagonia - from here began an exciting round-the-world trip of the crew of the two-masted yacht "Duncan" in search of Captain Grant along the 37th parallel. The adventures of Jules Verne's heroes begin precisely in Patagonia, in a harsh and beautiful land of wild rocks, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, winds and snows...

The capital of the state of Santiago de Chile is a huge city, spread out in the fertile valley of the same name, sandwiched between mountain ranges 100 km away. from the ocean. The city was founded in the middle of the 16th century by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. Remarkable monuments of ancient architecture have been preserved here, including the most beautiful cathedral in Duarte Park. Temples of the 18th-19th centuries coexist in Santiago with ultra-modern skyscrapers made of glass and concrete, and the fashionable districts of the capital are replaced by the no less colorful slums of calampas.

The city's many tourist attractions include the colorful Mercado Central (Central Market), the historic Plaza de Armas, the Paseo Ahumada pedestrian mall, and the La Moneda palace complex, the presidential palace and site of President Allende's "last stand". Santiago has many museums, including the excellent Pre-Columbian Museum and the Museum of Santiago, which document and beautifully illuminate the entire history of both the city and the country. The Palace of Art Palacio de Bellas Artes is copied from the Palais Petit in Paris and has a fine collection of European and Chilean art. The Bellavista area, known as the "Paris Quarter", is one of the city's most vibrant areas, with countless "ethnic" restaurants and an active craft fair on Friday and Saturday nights.

Chile's main beach resort, Viña del Mar, is located just 10 km away. north of Valparaiso, and is commonly referred to as the "Garden City" because of its subtropical landscape, palms and banana trees. Horse-drawn carriages ply between attractive mansions of the last century, the beach and the river bank. Other attractions are pure white sand beaches, numerous parks and excellent museums housed in restored colonial mansions. The National Botanical Garden of Chile is also located here, presenting many hundreds of species of native and exotic plants on its 61 hectares.

Punta Arenas is an amazing city on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. In the city center you can find the luxurious palaces of the rich sheep breeders of the past, not far from the city there are the famous Big Falls, the penguin colonies in Otway, the Milodon cave, where the remains of prehistoric animals were found, and the Torres del Paine National Park with its giant picturesque towers and massifs of granite, which is about 12 million years old. It also preserves the unique ecosystem of the pampas, inhabited by guanacos, rhea, condors and many other animal species. The lakes are also very beautiful with glaciers sliding into them and floating icebergs.

San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, an important center of the agricultural region and a beautiful town founded in the 18th century. San Fernando is famous for its architectural and historical monuments. Not far from the city is the Sierra Bellavista mountain resort and the La Misurina lagoon.

87 km from Santiago is Rancagua, the capital of the Bernardo O'Higgins region. Once upon a time, the Picunche Indians lived on the territory of Rancagua, then this land was part of the Inca Empire. The date of foundation of the city is considered to be 1743, and in October 1814 a legendary battle took place here between the armies of partiotes and realists. The memory of the significant history of the city is kept by monuments of architecture and monumental art. Today, Rancagua is home to the well-known tourist center of Broadway and Medjaluna, where the National Rodeo Competitions are held annually.

Pichilemu is one of the most wonderful resorts in central Chile. Located in the O'Higgins region, 123 km southeast of San Fernando and 182 km southeast of Rancagua. The resort gained popularity in the second half of the 19th century as a vacation spot for wealthy people and aristocrats. Luxurious Ross Park with numerous alleys and outdoor playgrounds, picturesque beaches with all conditions for recreation, surfing, fishing, and finally, a casino - Pichilimu has been and remains a resort for the most demanding public.

La Serena, the capital of the IV Region of Chile, can serve as a starting point for a journey through the fertile plains, on which there are orchards and where the famous Chilean drink "pisco" is produced.

Ski resorts in Chile are well-deservedly popular. The skiing season here lasts from June to September, but the best time to relax is July and August. The most popular ski resorts in Chile are Portillo, Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado / Farellones and Termas de Chillán.

Valle Nevado is a modern developing resort 60 km from Santiago, located at an altitude of 3025 m. There are more than 30 slopes, and some of the "black" ones lie at a colossal height of up to four thousand meters. Those who wish can get to the top of the mountain glaciers by helicopter. Valle Nevado has dedicated snowboarding trails and plenty of cross country skiing.

Portillo is 145 km away. northeast of Santiago at an altitude of 2880 m. This is the most famous ski resort in South America. There are excellent conditions not only for advanced skiers, but also for beginners. For lovers of outdoor activities after skiing - an outdoor heated swimming pool and a sports center.

The most exciting tours connect opposite points of the country and allow you to collect an incredible collection of impressions in one trip: walk among the geysers of the driest desert in the world, taste the delicious wines of the Central Valley, touch the giants of Easter Island and drink an exotic cocktail with pieces of millennial ice straight from the Patagonian lagoon .

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the territory of today's Chile was inhabited by numerous Indian tribes: in the north - Atakameno, Digita, Aymara and Uru, in the central part - Picunche, Mapuche, Wilche and Pehuenche, known collectively as the Mapuche or Araucanians, and in the south - Chonos, she , Yagans, Alakalufs and Tehuelche. In the middle of the 15th century The Indians of the north and parts of the center of Chile were conquered by the Incas. But most of the Mapuche retained their independence. At the beginning of the 16th century the Indian population of Chile was about 1 million people.

In 1535 Spanish conquistadors headed by Diego de Almagro landed in Chile. By 1544, the entire northern part of the center of Chile was conquered by the Spaniards and was included in the viceroyalty of Peru as a governor. A number of cities were founded on the occupied lands, incl. Valparaiso (which became in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th, before the creation of the Panama Canal, the main Pacific port of South America), Santiago, La Serena and Concepción. The Mapuche offered fierce resistance to the conquerors. The wars with the Indians ("Araucanian Wars") lasted from 1536 to 1882. According to some reports, Spain lost several times more soldiers in Chile than in all other countries of America combined. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Indian population of Chile was only 125 - 150 thousand people. Some peoples, eg. she and the Alakalufs were completely destroyed.

As a result of the anti-Spanish popular uprising on September 18, 1810, independence was proclaimed in Santiago. At the beginning of 1813, the Spanish army resumed hostilities against the rebels, and in 1814 the colonial regime was restored. But in 1817, the Liberation Army of José de San Martin, the main backbone of which was the Chilean units under the command of Bernardo O "Higgins, invaded Chile from the territory of Argentina, and finally defeated the colonial troops. In 1823, the slavery of Negroes was abolished. In 1826 was liberated from the Spanish troops on the island of Chiloe - the last stronghold of the colonialists in Chile. In the same year, the highest legislative body, the National Congress, was established. In the late 20s and early 30s, a civil war broke out between conservatives and liberals. In 1836- 1839 Chile was at war with Peru and Bolivia, who made an alliance against Chile.The victory of the Chilean army strengthened the position of the country in South America.

The discovery of the richest deposits of copper and silver led to the rapid development of the mining industry. The United Kingdom has become the closest economic partner and investor in the Chilean economy. In the Pacific War against Spain in 1864-1866, Chile defended its independence. The clash of economic and political interests of Chile (supported by Great Britain) and its neighbors Peru and Bolivia (supported by the USA) caused the Pacific War of 1879-1884. Chile won and the regions of Peru (Tarapaca) and Bolivia (Antofagasta), with the richest saltpeter deposits in the world, went to it. Bolivia has lost access to the sea. After the Pacific War, the government moved troops south against the Mapuche, who retained land south of the river. Bio-Bio. In 1885, their independence was liquidated, and active settlement of the south of Chile by emigrants from Europe began. The activities of the liberal government of José Manuel Balmaceda (1886-1891) contributed to the acceleration of the country's economic development. His policy of strengthening Chile's national independence aroused British and German fears for their positions in Chile. During the unleashed by them in 1891. civil war, government troops were defeated, and Balmaceda committed suicide.

In World War I, Chile declared neutrality, but the ships of Great Britain and Germany called at Chilean ports and conducted military operations in the territorial waters of Chile. By the end of the war, Chile's main trading partner was the United States. In 1925, a new constitution was adopted, proclaiming basic civil liberties and separating church from state. In 1927, the dictatorship of Colonel Carlos Ibanes del Campo was established in the country. In July 1931, as a result of mass popular uprisings, the dictatorship fell. On June 4, 1932, a group of progressively minded military men, led by Colonel Marmaduke Grove, carried out a coup d'état and a "socialist republic" was proclaimed. The "Socialist Republic" lasted only 12 days and was overthrown in a military coup. The dictatorship of Carlos Davila comes to power, which lasted only a few months. In 1938, the candidate of the Popular Front (an alliance of socialists, communists, radicals and democrats), the radical Pedro Aguirre Cerda, won the presidential election, during whose reign important reforms were carried out in the social sphere and education.

With the outbreak of World War II, Chile declares its neutrality, but in 1943 breaks relations with Germany, Italy and Japan and in 1945 declares war on Germany and Japan. But Chile did not participate in the hostilities. December 11, 1944 Chile establishes diplomatic relations with the USSR. With the beginning cold war»Under pressure from the United States in 1947, the government of Gabriel Gonzalez Videla tore them apart. In 1964, the government of the Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva came to power, which in the same year restored diplomatic relations with the USSR. During this period, the implementation agrarian reform that put an end to latifundism, and a number of other progressive transformations. The political radicalization of Chilean society and pressure from below are intensifying, demanding to accelerate social reforms.

In the presidential elections on September 4, 1970, the candidate of the left bloc Popular Unity (which included socialists, communists, social democrats, radicals, the United Popular Action Movement and the Independent Popular Action) socialist Salvador Allende wins. He won a relative majority, a little over 36% of the vote. For the first time in world history, a socialist government comes to power peacefully through a general election. The program of Popular Unity, despite the fact that it was aimed at creating the conditions for building socialism in Chile, was in essence rather social democratic, it provided for reforms within the framework of existing legislation. In 1971, Chile nationalizes copper, the country's main natural wealth. In carrying out reforms, the Allende government encounters opposition from the opposition-controlled legislature and judiciary. The internal political and economic situation of the country is sharply complicated, which is caused by many factors. On the one hand, the openly hostile position taken by the United States, which was losing its positions in Chile, proved by today's declassified documents, the massive intervention of the CIA to destabilize the situation, and the sabotage of internal forces that sought to prevent the loss of their privileges, and on the other hand, disagreements and problems between the Popular Unity parties over the pace and methods of reform. However, in the parliamentary elections in March 1973, the government receives 43.4% of the vote. The opposition is betting on a military coup as the only way to remove Allende from power. The country is in chaos. A political strike by truck owners is paralyzing the country. On September 11, 1973, the armed forces, led by the newly appointed Allende, the new commander-in-chief Augusto Pinochet, carry out a military coup. Allende refuses to step down as president and submit to the putschists, and commits suicide during the storming of the presidential palace.

The military regime that has come to power unleashes the most severe repression against any possible opposition, dissolves the National Congress and bans political parties. Tens of thousands of Chileans go through prisons and torture, thousands are killed. About a million Chileans are in exile, the return of many of them is prohibited. Chilean intelligence agencies are conducting operations to physically eliminate opposition leaders abroad. In connection with the death and torture of many foreign citizens, a number of states break off diplomatic relations with Chile. Repression does not meet any organized resistance. Chile has been repeatedly condemned by the UN General Assembly, UNESCO, etc. international organizations. The only organization capable of containing and moderating the wave of war crimes in Chile is the Catholic Church, led by Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez of Chile, which, despite the enormous risk and threat, comes into conflict with the Pinochet government and, together with a number of church organizations, takes upon itself the protection of the rights and the lives of the persecuted. Nevertheless, for a more objective understanding of the recent history of Chile, something else must be taken into account: firstly, during the three years of government, Popular Unity never achieved support from the majority of the country's population, i.e. it is logical to assume that the “other half” of the Chileans wanted the fall of the Allende government (which, of course, does not mean that through a military coup, much less a coup of such cruelty); secondly, most of the repressions of the military junta were concentrated in Santiago and other large cities, mining and agricultural centers, where there was a developed trade union movement and various forms organization and self-organization of workers and specialists; were aimed specifically at putting an end to these organizations. Those. a significant part of the Chileans were simply not affected by repression, and since all the media were completely under the control of the military government, this part of the population did not have the feeling of life under a dictatorship. To understand today's problems of "national reconciliation" in Chile, it is very important to take this into account.

In the mid-1970s, a number of economic reforms were attempted, as a result of which the general situation only worsened. By 1975, inflation reaches 341%. In March 1978, the state of siege, which had been in place since 1973, was replaced by a state of emergency. In September 1980, without respecting the minimum democratic guarantees, a “popular plebiscite” was organized, which approved a new political constitution for the country, protecting the interests of economic groups and the military. In the early 1980s, with the beginning of structural neoliberal reforms in the Chilean economy following the recipes of the Chicago School, the social situation in the country sharply worsened. In 1982, a lot of enterprises go bankrupt, the unemployment rate reaches 33%. The first mass demonstrations against the regime begin. There are civil disobedience campaigns, "days of national protest". Under increasing pressure from outside and inside, the military government is forced to allow the legalization of a number of political parties. In 1984, Chile found itself on the brink of war with Argentina, provoked by the military junta that ruled Argentina in those years. The occasion is a few small islands in the far south. Several happy accidents and the personal mediation of the Pope prevent a military clash.

In the mid-1980s, the economic situation stabilized, macroeconomic indicators improved, which nevertheless had little effect on the reality of the majority of the population. Protests against the regime are on the rise. Among the country's ruling economic groups, there is a growing opinion that the dictatorship has already "fulfilled its task" and is beginning to slow down the country's economic development, given the odious image of the regime in the eyes of the world community. The first contacts begin between the Pinochet government and the legalized opposition parties, which have set a course for the peaceful restoration of democracy. The Communist Party sets a course for an "armed uprising" against the dictatorship, but suffers a complete defeat in this and finds itself isolated from the legal opposition. Under growing internal and external pressure, Pinochet appoints a plebiscite in 1988, which should decide whether to preserve or remove the military regime from power.

Despite the campaign of terror and the almost complete control of the media by the military, on October 5, 1988, 54.7% of those who voted answered "No" to the dictatorship. In 1989, presidential elections were held, which were won by the leader of the United for Democracy (a bloc of Christian Democrats, socialists, radicals, democrats and humanists), Christian Democrat Patricio Aylvin. Currently in power is the third successive United for Democracy government (now made up of Christian Democrats, Socialists, Radicals and Democrats), led by socialist Ricardo Lagos, who won 51.32 in the January 2000 elections. % of votes. The main political trend of the current government can be characterized as centrist with a bias towards social democracy. In opposition to the Rally for Democracy is the right-wing bloc Alliance for Chile, consisting of two parties: the Independent Union of Democrats and the National Renewal, the leader of the alliance is Joaquin Lavin. The left opposition is the Communist Party of Chile, the Humanist Party and a number of environmental and Indian organizations. At the moment, they do not represent a serious influence on the electoral processes.

From there, the settlement gradually spread to the south, until finally in the 10th millennium BC. e. the extreme southern point of South America, Tierra del Fuego, was not reached. The first settlers in what is now Chile were the nomadic Mapuche Indians, who settled around 13,000 BC. e. the fertile valleys of the Andes and the oases of the highlands of the Atacama Desert. Unfavorable climatic conditions and especially the extreme aridity of the Atacama Desert stood in the way of denser settlement of the region. From about 8000 to 2000 BC. e. in the Valle de Arica, there was a Chinchorro culture, during which the first mummifications of the dead known to mankind began to be produced. About 2000 years old. BC e. in the Great North, agriculture and animal husbandry began to gradually develop. About 600 AD e. Polynesian peoples settled Easter Island, who flourished over the next 400 years and who created the famous moai.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the territory of present-day Chile was also inhabited by numerous other ethnic groups: Changos, Atakamenos and Aymara lived in northern Chile between the Rio Lauca and Rio Copiapo rivers. Further south to the Rio Aconcagua, the territories were inhabited by Diaguts. Representatives of the aforementioned four ethnic groups were engaged in fishing, agriculture, hunting and crafts, traded among themselves and lived in tribal and family communities. In the southeast of the Reloncawi fjord, the Cordillera were inhabited by hunter-gatherer Chiquillanes and Poyas. Chonos and Alakaluf settled in the extreme south of the country up to the Strait of Magellan, and Alakaluf, Yamana, Selknam and Khaush lived in Tierra del Fuego.

With the coming to power of the 10th Inca Tupac Yapanqui in the city, the Incas began to move deep into Chile. During his reign, by 1493, the Incas captured territories as far as the Rio Maule south of Curicó. Here they ran into massive resistance from the Mapuchos Indians, so that further advance south became impossible. The power of the Inca extended to almost all the indigenous inhabitants of the north, for example, the Incas forced the Penuche tribe to corvée labor. Near San Pedro de Atacama, the Incas erected the fortress of Pukara de Quitor, the basis for which was the fortification of atakamenos. Here in 1540 there was a battle with the invading Spaniards.

Spanish settlement

conquistadors

The first European to set foot on Chilean soil was Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, who landed in the area of what is now Punta Arenas and whose name the Strait of Magellan was named. In 1533, the Spanish troops under Francisco Pizarro effortlessly captured the wealth of the Incas, but nevertheless did not dare to advance into the territory of present-day Chile, fenced by the Atacama Desert and the Andean chain.

Francisco Pizarro

The first Europeans to reach Nueva Toledo by land were Diego de Almagro and his entourage, who set out from Cuzco to Peru in 1535 in search of gold but never found it. On June 4, 1536, Diego de Almagro reached the Copiapo Valley and sent Gómez de Alvarado, who accompanied him, further south. All the way to the Rio Maule they were offered no resistance. But at Rio Itata, they encountered the Mapuche Indians and, having got involved in heavy fighting, were forced to retreat. A conflict broke out between Pizarro and Almagro, which escalated over time and took on the character of a war. The climax of this conflict was the assassination of Almagro in 1538 and Pizarro in 1541.

Pedro de Valdivia

In 1540, an officer under Pizarro, Pedro de Valdivia, accompanied by hundreds of soldiers and adventurers from Peru to Chile. There, despite resistance from the Mapuche Indians, he established the first European settlements. As he progressed, he founded settlements: Santiago, La Serena and Valparaiso, which simultaneously served as fortifications. Soon the Indians began to actively resist. Already in September 1541 they attacked Santiago. The Spanish needed to fight against 20,000 Mapuches. And only thanks to the ingenuity of Ines de Suarez (beloved Pedro de Valdivia), the Spaniards were miraculously able to avoid defeat and stampede the Indians.

Mapuche war

Founding of Santiago

The Spaniards continued to expand their possessions in the south: in the city they founded the city of Concepción and in the city of Valdivia. Under the leadership of the leader Lautaro, the Mapuche offered fierce resistance. In autumn they defeated the Spanish at Fort Tucapel and killed Pedro de Valdivia; it is assumed that he was taken prisoner by the Indians and they forced him to drink liquid gold. Most of the cities built by the Spaniards were destroyed by the Indians.

Soon García Hurtado de Mendoza became governor of Chile and began a ruthless persecution of the Mapuche Indians. On his orders, Francisco de Villagra launched a military campaign against the Indians. On February 26, 1554, the Spaniards suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Marihuenho. After that, the Mapuche managed to destroy a significant part of the Spanish settlements. After Concepción fell, the Mapuche moved in 1555 to Santiago de Chile. However, after the defeat of the fortress of Peteroa, the Indians suddenly stopped offensive operations, assuming that the Spaniards would launch a massive counteroffensive. The commandant of the Imperial fortress, Pedro de Villagran, managed to kill the leader of the Mapuche, Lautaro, on August 1, 1557, as a result of a night attack unexpected for the Indians.

Submit Santillana

Fernando de Santillan was the author of the famous " Taxes Santillana”(es: Tasa de Santillán), introduced in 1558 in Chile - these were the first laws that regulated relations between the Spaniards and the Mapuche. They were established due to the large decrease in population from migrations and the mistreatment of the Indians by the Spaniards.

Ersilya and Zuniga

The description of the military campaigns of 1557-1559 by his boss Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza was to be taken up by the Spanish writer Alonso de Ersilya i Zuniga. However, in his novel La Araucana, the writer presented the events in a completely different way than the general expected from him: he stigmatized the cruelty of the conquistadors and condemned their thirst for power and gold, and brought to the fore the heroism and courage of the local Arauca residents. The central character of the novel was the leader of the Mapuche Caupolitan, who was brutally murdered in 1558 by the Spaniards.

Independence

The colonial power of Spain in 1808 was under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte, who elevated his brother Joseph to the Spanish throne. On September 18 (now a national holiday in Chile), a government Junta (Junta de Gobierno) loyal to the Spanish king was formed in Chile with its own troops and which was supposed to take on the role of a resistance army. This led to the start of a civil war between royalists loyal to the king and liberal patriots led by José Miguel Carrera. In 1812, a group of Chileans from the environment of the dictatorial leadership of the Carrera brothers drafted a constitution that provided for the independence of Chile under the formal rule of the Spanish king. In 1813, Carrera was replaced by the head of the patriot army, Bernardo O'Higgins.

In response to this, Spanish troops under the leadership of the Peruvian general Mariano Osorio moved to Valdavia to defeat the patriots. As in all South American movements for independence, the Creoles fought first of all against each other. At the Battle of Rancagua on October 1, 1814, the Chilean liberation army, led by José Miguel Carrera and Bernard O'Higgins, was defeated by the Spanish troops, and its leaders fled to Argentina. The period from 1814 to 1817 is called the time of the Reconquistadors. With the support of the Argentine José de San Martin, the reconquistadors gathered a joint army to fight against the Spaniards. They crossed the Andes and utterly defeated the outnumbered Spanish army at the Battle of Chacabuco on February 12, 1817.

On February 12, 1818, Chile declared its independence and some time later, on April 5, 1818, the patriots achieved their next significant victory at the Battle of Maipu. In 1820, the Chilean flotilla led by Thomas Cochran managed to recapture Valdavia, but the final victory over the Spaniards did not take place until 1826, when the last Spaniards who fled to the island of Chiloé were defeated.

Chile from 1818 to 1917

Second Pacific War. Battle of Iquique 05/21/1879

The legislative initiatives of the Allende government were blocked by a parliamentary majority that did not belong to Popular Unity. On May 26, 1973, the Supreme Court accused the Allende regime of destroying the rule of law in the country. On August 22, 1973, the National Congress passed the "House Agreement", a resolution outlawing the government and accusing Allende of violating the constitution. In fact, the "Agreement" called on the armed forces to disobey the authorities until they "stand on the path of the rule of law." The opposition did not have the 2/3 votes necessary to remove Allende from power. The parliamentary elections in March 1973 confirmed the trend towards polarization of society - the People's Unity bloc received 43% of the vote.

In the context of an acute internal political crisis, Salvador Allende hesitated between announcing a plebiscite of confidence and pressure from radical elements demanding accelerated reforms, discussing projects for the complete expropriation of capitalist property, the establishment of popular justice and the formation of a democratic army.

Military coup on September 11, 1973

The highest military circles in Chile, with the support of the CIA, decided to use the crisis to eliminate the current government through a coup. However, it is believed that the commander of the armed forces, General Augusto Pinochet, although he took part in the meetings of the conspirators, became convinced of the need for action only a few minutes before it began, putting forward the slogan "Me or chaos."

The military coup began on September 11, 1973 at 7:00 am with the capture of the port of Valparaiso by naval forces. At 8:30 a.m., the military announced they had taken control of Chile and deposed the president. By 0900, only the presidential palace of La Moneda remained under the control of Allende's supporters. President Allende four times rejected proposals to resign from the leadership of the country without bloodshed and with the so-called "providing security guarantees". Allende's appeal was broadcast on the Portales radio with the words: "I declare that I will not leave my post and that I am ready to defend the power given to me by the working people with my life!"

... the armed forces demand ...

The President of the Republic (Allende) immediately transfers his powers to the Chilean armed forces.

The Chilean armed forces are united in their determination to take on a responsible historical mission and fight to liberate the fatherland from Marxist beliefs.

The working people of Chile should not fear that the economic and social welfare of the country, which has been achieved to date, will change significantly.

The press, radio and television must immediately stop disseminating information, otherwise they will be attacked either from land or from the air.

The people of Santiago de Chile must remain in their homes so that the blood of innocent people is not shed.

General Augusto Pinochet...

During the ensuing assault on the La Moneda Palace, President Allende committed suicide (the fact of suicide was finally established after the exhumation of his remains in 2011, before that there were suggestions that he could have been killed). Officially, the state of "state of siege", introduced to carry out the coup, was maintained for a month after 9/11. During this period, over 30 thousand people were killed in Chile (the source is extremely doubtful; an exhaustive list of those killed for political reasons during the entire reign of Pinochet by all parties - that is, Pinochet's opponents included - includes 2279 people according to the Rettig commission or 3200 people according to the commission Valech: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rettig_Report , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valech_Report).

Pinochet era

Conflict with Argentina (Beagle conflict)

Presidency of Eduardo Frei (1994-2000)

Eduardo Frei, the candidate of the "left", received a record percentage of votes in the history of the Chilean elections (57%).

Presidency of Ricardo Lagos

In 1999, the CPD's candidate was the socialist Ricardo Lagos, who won the right against the Christian Democrat Andrés Zaldivar. During the first round of elections, no candidate received the required 50% of the vote, during the re-election in January 2000, Lagos defeated his rival Lavin (the right-wing candidate), gaining 51.3% of the vote at the end of the election, and became second after Allende the President of Chile from the Socialist Party.

Commission for the Investigation of Torture

On November 30, 2004, the Chilean State Commission on Political Prisoners and Torture (Comisión Nacional sobre Prisión Politíca y Tortura) published a report (the so-called Valech Report) on the heinous crimes of the Pinochet regime, which highlighted the aspect of the existence of the regime, which in its report omitted the Rettig Commission, which had previously investigated the issue, namely torture. The report confirms that people suspected by the regime of involvement in "leftist" movements or the opposition in general were abducted by the police, tortured and killed. The report also confirms that such actions occurred regularly, were not exceptions, and all armed formations and secret services were involved in torture. The methods of torture were constantly improved. One of the high-ranking officials in the power structures - the commander-in-chief of the army, General Juan Emilio Cheyre - confirmed the systematic guilt of the army in participating in torture.

constitutional reform

In 2005, an extensive constitutional reform was carried out, eliminating non-democratic elements and also numerous privileges for the military.

Plan
Introduction
1 History of Chile before 1520
2 Spanish settlement
2.1 Conquistadors
2.2 Mapuche war
2.3 File Santillana
2.4 Ercilla and Zúñiga
2.5 Results of the war
2.6 Economic and social development

3 Independence
4 Chile from 1818 to 1917
5 Chile since 1918
6 Chile in 1970-1973
6.1 Salvador Allende
6.2 Crisis 1972-1973
6.3 September 11, 1973 military coup

7 Pinochet era
7.1 Military government policy
7.2 Chilean economic miracle
7.3 Conflict with Argentina (Beagle conflict)
7.4 Transition to democracy

8 Democratic Chile
8.1 Presidency of Patrizio Aylwin (1990-1994)
8.2 "Truth Commission"
8.3 Power struggle with the military
8.4 Economic policy
8.5 Presidency of Eduardo Frei (1994-2000)
8.6 Presidency of Ricardo Lagos
8.6.1 Commission for the Investigation of Torture

8.7 Constitutional reform
8.8 2006 presidential election
8.9 2010 presidential election
8.10 Chile earthquake (2010)

Bibliography

Introduction

The history of Chile begins with the settlement of the region about 13,000 years ago. In the 16th century, the conquest and subjugation of the territories of present-day Chile by the Spanish conquistadors began; in the 19th century, the Chilean people won independence from the colonial authorities. The further development of Chile until the Second World War was predetermined initially by the extraction of saltpeter and somewhat later by copper. The large availability of minerals has led to a significant economic growth of Chile, but also to a strong dependence on neighboring states and even wars with them. After a century of leadership of the Christian Democratic forces in the country, in 1970, President Salvador Allende came to power in Chile. The coup of General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973 marked the beginning of a 17-year dictatorship in the country and led to radical market reforms in the economy. Since 1988, Chile has embarked on a democratic path of development.

1. History of Chile until 1520

Around 30,000 BC, the first settlers enter America through the Bering Strait. From there, the settlement gradually spread to the south, until finally in the 10th millennium BC. e. the extreme southern point of South America, Tierra del Fuego, was not reached. The first settlers in what is now Chile were the nomadic Mapuche Indians, who settled around 13,000 BC. e. the fertile valleys of the Andes and the oases of the highlands of the Atacama Desert. Unfavorable climatic conditions and especially the extreme aridity of the Atacama Desert stood in the way of denser settlement of the region. From about 8000 to 2000 BC. e. in the Valle de Arica, there was a Chinchorro culture, during which the first mummifications of the dead known to mankind began to be produced. About 2000 years old. BC e. in the Great North, agriculture and animal husbandry began to gradually develop. About 600 AD e. Polynesian peoples settled Easter Island, who flourished over the next 400 years and who created the famous moai.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the territory of present-day Chile was also inhabited by numerous other ethnic groups: Changos, Atakamenos and Aymara lived in northern Chile between the Rio Lauca and Rio Copiapo rivers. Further south to the Rio Aconcagua, the territories were inhabited by Diaguts. Representatives of the aforementioned four ethnic groups were engaged in fishing, agriculture, hunting and crafts, traded among themselves and lived in tribal and family communities. In the southeast of the Reloncawi fjord, the Cordillera were inhabited by the Chiquillanes and Poyas, who were engaged in hunting and gathering. Chonos and Alakaluf settled in the extreme south of the country up to the Strait of Magellan, and Alakaluf, Yamana, Selknam and Khaush lived in Tierra del Fuego.

With the coming to power of the 10th Inca Tupac Yapanqui in 1471, the Incas began to move deep into Chile. During his reign, by 1493, the Incas captured territories as far as the Rio Maule south of Curicó. Here they ran into massive resistance from the Mapuchos Indians, so that further advance south became impossible. The power of the Inca extended to almost all the indigenous inhabitants of the north, for example, the Incas forced the Penuche tribe to corvée labor. Near San Pedro de Atacama, the Incas erected the fortress of Pukara de Quitor, the basis for which was the fortification of atakamenos. Here in 1540 there was a battle with the invading Spaniards.

2. Spanish settlement

2.1. conquistadors

The first European to set foot on Chilean soil was Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, who landed in the area of what is now Punta Arenas and after whom the Strait of Magellan was named. In 1533, the Spanish troops under Francisco Pizarro effortlessly captured the wealth of the Incas, but nevertheless did not dare to advance into the territory of present-day Chile, fenced by the Atacama Desert and the Andean chain.

The first Europeans to reach Nueva Toledo by land were Diego de Almagro and his entourage, who set out from Cuzco to Peru in 1535 in search of gold but never found it. On June 4, 1536, Diego de Almagro reached the valley of Copiapo (Copiapó) and sent Gomez de Alvarado, who accompanied him, further south. All the way to the Rio Maule they were offered no resistance. But at Rio Itata, they encountered the Mupache Indians and, having got involved in heavy fighting, were forced to retreat. A conflict broke out between Pizarro and Almagro, which escalated over time and took on the character of a war. The climax of this conflict was the assassination of Almagro in 1538 and Pizarro in 1541.

In 1540, an officer under Pizarro, Pedro de Valdivia, accompanied by hundreds of soldiers and adventurers from Peru to Chile. There, despite the resistance of the Mapuche Indians, he founded the first European settlements. As he advanced, he founded settlements: Santiago, La Serena and Valparaiso, which simultaneously served as fortifications. Soon the Indians began to actively resist. Already in September 1541 they attacked Santiago. The Spaniards needed to fight against 20,000 Mapuche. And only thanks to the ingenuity of Ines de Suarez (beloved Pedro de Valdivia), the Spaniards were miraculously able to avoid defeat and stampede the Indians.

2.2. Mapuche war

The Spaniards continued to expand their possessions in the south: in 1550 they founded the city of Concepcion and in 1552 - the city of Valdivia. Under the leadership of the leader Lautaro, the Mapuche offered fierce resistance. In the autumn of 1553 they defeated the Spaniards at Fort Tukapel and killed Pedro de Valdivia; it is assumed that he was taken prisoner by the Indians and they forced him to drink liquid gold. Most of the cities built by the Spaniards were destroyed by the Indians.

Soon, Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza became the governor of Chile, who began a ruthless persecution of the Mapuche Indians. On his orders, Francesco de Villagra launched a military campaign against the Indians. On February 26, 1554, the Spaniards suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Maricuenho. After that, the Mapuche managed to destroy a significant part of the Spanish settlements. After Concepción fell, the Mapuche moved in 1555 to Santiago de Chile. However, after the defeat of the fortress of Peteroa, the Indians suddenly stopped offensive operations, assuming that the Spaniards would launch a massive counteroffensive. The commandant of the Imperial Fortress, Pedro de Villagran, managed to kill the leader of the Mapuche, Lautaro, on August 1, 1557, as a result of a night attack unexpected for the Indians.

2.3. Submit Santillana

Fernando de Santillan was the author of the famous " Taxes Santillana” (es: Tasa de Santillán), introduced in 1558 in Chile - these were the first laws that regulated relations between the Spaniards and the Mapuche. They were established due to the large decrease in population from migrations and the poor treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards.

The tax consisted in the mita system and consisted in the obligation of the cacique of a group of Indians to send one out of six Indians to the mines and mines, and every fifth to agricultural work. Women and persons under 18 and over 50 years of age were exempted from work, and it was established that the Indians were kept by encomenderos, who were supposed to treat them for illnesses, take care of converting them to Christianity, not treat them like animals, and not force them for work on Sundays and holidays. The existence of a system of alcaldes in the mines, who were obliged to look after the discipline of the gold panners, was asserted.

2.4. Ersilya and Zuniga

The description of the military campaigns of 1557-1559 by his boss Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza was to be done by the Spanish writer Alonso de Ersilya i Zuniga. However, in his novel La Araucana, the writer presented the events in a completely different way than the general expected from him: he stigmatized the cruelty of the conquistadors and condemned their thirst for power and gold, and brought to the fore the heroism and courage of the local Arauca residents. The central character of the novel was the leader of the Mapuche Caupolitan, who was brutally murdered in 1558 by the Spaniards.

On December 16, 1575 Valdavia was shaken by a very strong earthquake, the strength of which is commensurate with one of the largest known earthquakes on May 22, 1960. The earthquake caused earth landslides that blocked the source of Lake Rinyihue. Four months later, after a dam formed as a result of landslides broke under the pressure of water, the city was flooded. The city's administrator and chronicler of Chile, Pedro Marinho de Lobera, provided significant support in rebuilding the city and helping the victims of the disaster.

2.5. The results of the war

In 1597, Pelentaro was elected military leader of the Mapuche, who launched massive attacks on the cities of Valdavia and Osorno, as well as on many other cities near Araucania. In 1599, Valdavia was captured by the Mapuche, after which the Spaniards lost control of the city for several decades. Governor Alfonso de Ribera had to withdraw the Spanish troops across the Bio Bio River. In 1641, the Treaty of Cuillin was concluded between the Spaniards and the Mapuche, according to which the border passed along the Bio Bio River. But the peace treaty lasted only a few years. The Spaniards made constant attempts to recapture the lost territories, but their attempts were not crowned with great success. In 1770, the Spanish army was utterly defeated by the Puenches and various Mapuche detachments. Only more than 100 years later, the Chilean and Argentine troops in 1881 again managed to recapture the territories of the Mapuche and Pehuenche. This 300-year-old conflict is called the Arauco War. Echoes of the conflict are felt to this day. In 2000, a group of Mapuche took over the European Union office in Santiago de Chile in protest against the division of the land.

2.6. Economic and social development

Since the gold and silver deposits in Chile were depleted too early, there was little interest in the country and economic development was rather slow. Agriculture occupied a paramount role in the economy. The fertile valleys of central Chile supplied the population of the north with food. In Chile, systems of patronage and repression, such as the original hacienda and later the economienda, took root, under these systems the indigenas (indígenas) were actually treated like slaves. The racial division also extended to mestizos and African slaves, who were also forbidden to live in Indian villages.

In 1578, Francis Drake, at the direction of the English crown, sacked the port of Valparaiso and made an unsuccessful attempt to attack La Serena. During the following centuries, pirates constantly attacked Chile. Along with the attacks of the Indians, the development of the country was also prevented by natural disasters: powerful tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Many cities were completely destroyed, such as Valdavia in 1575 and Concepción in 1570 and 1751. On May 13, 1647, a powerful earthquake hit Santiago de Chile, killing 12,000 inhabitants. In 1730 and 1783 the city was again shaken by the strongest earthquakes. Between 1598 and 1723, Spanish colonial rule was thwarted by English hunters, as well as Dutch traders and pirates.

In 1704, shipwrecked Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk found himself completely alone for four years on an island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. His story and personality inspired Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe.

3. Independence

On February 12, 1818, Chile declared its independence and some time later, on April 5, 1818, the patriots achieved their next significant victory in the Battle of Maipu. In 1820, the Chilean flotilla led by Thomas Cochran managed to recapture Valdavia, but the final victory over the Spaniards did not take place until 1826, when the last Spaniards who fled to the island of Chiloé were defeated.

4. Chile from 1818 to 1917

In 1818, the Chilean constitution was adopted, establishing a republican form of government. Bourgeois freedoms were declared in the constitution, all executive power was concentrated in the hands of the supreme ruler O'Higgins. Chile began to establish relations with other countries. In 1822, Great Britain provided Chile with the first loan of 5 million pesos, which was the beginning of the penetration of British capital into the Chilean economy and the strengthening of its influence on the political life of the country. O'Higgins' struggle against the privileges of the landed oligarchy and the Catholic Church, his attempts to carry out progressive reforms and limit the influence of the church caused discontent among the feudal-clerical circles. The promulgation of a new constitution (October 1822), aimed at democratizing the political system and limiting the privileges of the aristocracy, led to a further aggravation of the situation in the country. Under pressure from the reaction, O'Higgins resigned and was forced to emigrate. In 1823, General R. Freire became president, trying to continue the policy of O'Higgins. A sharp struggle for power between various factions ended in 1830 with the victory of the conservatives, who represented the interests of the landowning oligarchy and the church and relied on foreign capitalists. The Constitution of 1833 consolidated their dominance, and until 1875 conservative governments were in power. In the 30-40s. many new national and foreign enterprises appeared. With the development of crafts and industry, especially mining, the number of workers increased.

In the 2nd half of the 19th century. the class consciousness of the working people began to awaken, the working class embarked on the path of organized struggle. Marxism became widespread, and the first workers' newspaper, El Proletario, was published (1875). In 1879, Great Britain provoked Chile into a war against Peru and Bolivia (Second Pacific War 1879-1883) in order to seize large saltpeter deposits in their territories. As a result of the war, the Peruvian province of Tarapaca and the Bolivian province of Antofagasta went to Chile. The seizure of saltpeter deposits by Chile gave impetus to the rapid development of capitalism, and the penetration of British capital increased. The coming to power in 1886 of the liberal J. M. Balmaceda, a supporter of the independent economic and political development of the country, aroused dissatisfaction with the oligarchy, supported by foreign monopolies, the church, and the military elite. As a result of the civil war unleashed by them, Balmaceda was forced to resign from the presidency in 1891. Representatives of the financial and landowning elite came to power, contributing to the subordination of the country to the English, and from the beginning of the 20th century. American capital. The difficult economic situation of the working people gave rise to a strike movement, which took on a particularly wide scope in 1905-07 in the years. Iquique, Antofagaste, Concepcione. The organization of the working class grew. In 1909, the Federation of Workers of Chile (FOC) was created, and in 1912, the Socialist Workers' Party. During World War I (1914-18), Chile remained neutral. The US monopolies increased their penetration into the industry of Chile, especially in the copper industry, strengthening their economic and political influence in the country.

5. Chile since 1918

After the end of the war, due to the decline in the production of saltpeter and the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, the struggle of the working people intensified, especially under the influence of the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia. In 1922 the Socialist Workers' Party was transformed into the Communist Party of Chile (CCP). Mid 20s. Chile was characterized by political instability. In September 1924, the government of A. Alessandri Palma was overthrown, and a military junta came to power. In January 1925, the military, led by C. Ibanes del Campo, carried out a coup d'état. In September, a constitution was adopted, reflecting the political alliance of the big bourgeoisie and the landed oligarchy against the working class and the working masses. In 1927 Minister of War C. Ibanez removed the President and established a dictatorship. The Communist Party, the FOC, as well as anarcho-syndicalist organizations were outlawed. In the early 30s. there were protests against the dictatorship; in 1931 - an uprising in the fleet; In June 1932, a group of military men led by Colonel M. Grove Vallejo staged a coup and proclaimed Chile a socialist republic. Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies arose in a number of cities. Soon, as a result of a new military putsch, the republic fell. In October 1932, A. Alessandri Palma came to power again, helping to strengthen the position of foreign capital. In March 1936, the Popular Front was created with the participation of the Communist, Radical and Socialist parties. In 1938, the radical P. Aguirre Cerda, a candidate of the Popular Front, became president. The Aguirre government carried out some progressive measures (the law on labor, the law on bank credit for peasants, etc.), but under the pressure of the reaction, it did not dare to carry out agrarian reform. Due to the betrayal of the right-wing socialists in 1941, the Popular Front collapsed. In 1942, on the initiative of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, the Democratic Alliance was created - a bloc of Communist, Radical and Democratic parties.

In February 1945 Chile declared war on Nazi Germany, and in April 1945 on the Empire of Japan; in fact, Chile did not participate in World War II. In 1946, the candidate of the Democratic Alliance, the radical G. Gonzalez Videla, became president. His government included representatives of the HRC. However, in the context of the Cold War, unleashed by reactionary circles in the United States, Gonzalez Videla in 1947 withdrew the Communists from the government and severed diplomatic relations with the USSR (established in 1944). In 1948, the National Congress passed the "Defense of Democracy Act", according to which the CPC, progressive trade unions, and other democratic organizations were banned. The Chilean economy was dominated by American monopolies. In 1951, on the initiative of the Communists, the People's Front (Spanish: Frente del Pueblo), in 1953 - the United Trade Union Center of the Workers, and in 1956 - the People's Action Front (FRAP) (Spanish. Frente de Accion Popular; FRAP), which, in addition to the Communist and Socialist parties, included representatives of other parties. The strike movement that unfolded in 1954-55 embraced over 1 million people. Under pressure from the broad FRAP movement, the "law on the defense of democracy" was repealed in 1958, and the activity of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was legalized. In the presidential election of 1958, the FRAP candidate, the socialist S. Allende Gossens, collected only 30,000 votes less than the candidate of the right-wing forces, the protege of big business, Jorge Alessandri. The Alessandri government (1958-64) pursued a policy of enslaving the country with foreign capital and suppressing the labor movement. E. Frei Montalva, the leader of the right wing of the Christian Democrats, who came to power (1964), restored diplomatic relations with the USSR (1964), proclaimed the national reformist program of “revolution in conditions of freedom,” which provided for a series of bourgeois-democratic reforms. However, the "chillization" of copper announced by the government (that is, the gradual buyout of shares of American monopolies) did little to limit the profits of US companies. The agrarian reform proclaimed in 1967 was carried out extremely slowly. All this caused discontent among the masses. The influence of the HRC and FRAP continued to grow.

6. Chile 1970-1973

6.1. Salvador Allende

In December 1969, the Communist, Socialist, Social Democratic, Radical parties, the United People's Action Movement (MAPU) and the Independent People's Action formed the People's Unity bloc, which, on the eve of the 1970 presidential elections, put forward a program of fundamental socio-economic transformations. The victory of the candidate of "People's Unity" socialist S. Allende led to the creation in November 1970 of a government with the participation of representatives of all parties that were part of the bloc. The Allende government carried out profound reforms: the copper ore enterprises belonging to the US monopolies were nationalized, the activities of the national industrial, landlord and financial oligarchy were limited, an agrarian reform was carried out, which led to the virtual liquidation of the latifundism system. Measures were taken to improve the material situation of workers and employees, pensions, and expand housing construction. the government actively advocated for peace and international security, in support of the principles of peaceful coexistence and cooperation of states with different social systems, against colonialism and neo-colonialism. Chile's ties with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries have taken on a qualitatively new character. Diplomatic relations with Cuba were restored and diplomatic relations were established with the socialist countries. Nevertheless, the government of Salvador Allende soon began to experience a shortage of funds for the implementation of its program, and in order to prevent spending cuts, it began to cover the budget deficit by printing money, and in order to prevent price increases, it began to control the prices of goods and services. Soon, a state system of public procurement for the distribution of goods and services was created, through which the consumer received almost all goods and services, which caused dissatisfaction with large companies and other business circles, often goods began to be sold illegally, a "black market" arose, from the legal sale of goods often disappeared. Serious economic difficulties were exacerbated by international pressure on the Allende government and restrictions on trade with Chile.

6.2. Crisis of 1972-1973

In 1971-1973. were marked by the continuous growth of crisis tendencies in the political life and economy of Chile. Sabotage at large industrial enterprises, the withdrawal of financial resources from the country forced the government to resort to accelerated nationalization of banks and large mining companies. However, this could not prevent hyperinflation, shortages of goods and food. Lines for food lined up on the streets of Santiago, the government resorted to organizing distribution supplies for the townspeople. The peasants, endowed during the agrarian reform, were assigned crop quotas transferred to a government agency at fixed prices. The refusal of the Popular Unity government to pay compensation to American mining companies that own nationalized copper mines led to an aggravation of relations with the United States, which lobbied for an embargo on Chilean copper, the seizure of Chilean property abroad, and a credit boycott by banks and international financial organizations. In 1972, President Allende made a statement at the UN session that a campaign of economic strangulation was being waged against his country. With the consent of US President Nixon, the CIA developed the so-called. September Plan, which provided support for opposition groups to the government of Popular Unity.

In 1972 - 73 years. the country was swept by mass demonstrations and a wave of strikes, including a CIA-funded and economy-crippling driver's strike. Far-right groups resorted to terror tactics. Their militants blew up the headquarters of the left, democratic and trade union organizations, robbed banks and killed unwanted people. The youth movement "Patria y Libertad" (PyL - "Motherland and Freedom"), together with the Navy, developed a plan for the disorganization of power, which included sabotage on infrastructure - bridges, oil pipelines, power lines; in June 1973, members of the PyL participated in El Tancazo (Spanish for "tank coup"), a coup attempt by Colonel Roberto Sopera. Military leaders loyal to Allende were obstructed.

The military coup began on September 11, 1973 at 7:00 am with the capture of the port of Valparaiso by naval forces. At 8:30 a.m., the military announced they had taken control of Chile and deposed the president. By 0900, only the presidential palace of La Moneda remained under the control of Allende's supporters. President Allende four times rejected proposals to resign from the leadership of the country without bloodshed and with the so-called "providing security guarantees." Allende's appeal was broadcast on the Portales radio with the words: "I declare that I will not leave my post and that I am ready to defend the power given to me by the working people with my life!"

... the armed forces demand ...

· The President of the Republic (Allende) immediately transfers his powers to the Chilean armed forces.

· The Chilean armed forces are united in their determination to take on a responsible historical mission and fight to liberate the fatherland from Marxist beliefs.

· The working people of Chile should not fear that the economic and social welfare of the country, which has been achieved to date, will change significantly.

· The press, radio and television should immediately stop disseminating information, otherwise they will be attacked either from land or from the air.

· The people of Santiago de Chile must remain in their homes so that the blood of innocent people is not shed.

General Augusto Pinochet...

During the ensuing assault on the palace of La Moneda, President Allende was killed by the attackers. Officially, the state of "state of siege" imposed to carry out the coup continued for a month after 9/11. During this period, over 30,000 people were killed in Chile.

7. Pinochet era

Military Government Policies Chilean Economic Miracle Conflict with Argentina (Beagle Conflict)

In December 1978, there was a threat of war between Argentina and Chile. The "bone of contention" was the islands of Lennox, Picton and Nuevo (Spanish. Picton, Lennox, Nueva) in the Beagle Channel (Spanish. beagle), primarily because significant oil reserves were assumed in this region. The conflict between the countries was resolved peacefully with the help of the Vatican, as a result of which, on May 2, 1985, a border agreement was signed, according to which all three islands became part of Chile.

7.4. Transition to democracy

In September 1973, as a result of a military mutiny prepared by internal and external reaction, the government was overthrown; President Allende is killed during the storming of the presidential palace. A military junta came to power, headed by the commander of the army, General A. Pinochet Ugarte. The junta suspended the constitution, dissolved the national congress, banned the activities of political parties and mass organizations. She launched a bloody terror (30 thousand Chilean patriots died in the dungeons of the junta; 2,500 people "disappeared"). Repression, illegal imprisonment and torture of innocent people and political opponents continued throughout the period of Pinochet's rule. The junta canceled many of the transformations made by President Allende, returned land to landowners, enterprises to their former owners, paid compensation to foreign monopolies, etc. Diplomatic relations with the USSR and other socialist countries were severed. In December 1974 A. Pinochet was proclaimed President of Chile. The policy of the junta led to a sharp deterioration in the situation in the country, the impoverishment of workers, and the cost of living rose significantly. In 1976, the number of unemployed was 20% of the active population. To preserve the military dictatorial regime, the United States (together with international economic organizations closely associated with them) provided Ch. with loans and credits worth about $2.5 billion. .6 billion dollars. The junta is carrying out the militarization of the economy, strengthening ties with the imperialist states. In area foreign policy the military government follows the US. The Chilean left forces resist the regime. The HRC appeals to all democratic, anti-fascist forces in the country with an appeal to strengthen unity and expand the struggle to overthrow the dictatorship of Pinochet. The junta's internal isolation is complemented by broad international isolation.

8. Democratic Chile

Presidency of Patricio Aylvin (1990-1994)

Patricio Aylvin, a Christian Democrat, won the first presidential election since the dismantling of the dictatorship of the junta's favorite, Minister of Economy in 1985-89, Hernan Busci. Interestingly, Aylvin was a fierce opponent of Allende in his time and even advocated military intervention in politics.

Aylvin's victory, supported by a broad front of "left" parties from the MAPU to the Christian Democrats, known as the KPD (Spanish. Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia), laid the foundation for the trend of domination of the "left" in the political space - since 1990 they have won all the elections held, both parliamentary and presidential.

8.2. "Truth Commission"

Like many other countries in Latin America, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Chile has established a "truth and reconciliation commission". In 1993, she completed her work and published the results.

Power struggle with the military Economic policy Presidency of Eduardo Frei (1994-2000)

Eduardo Frei, the candidate of the "left", received a record percentage of votes in the history of the Chilean elections (57%).

8.6. Presidency of Ricardo Lagos

In 1999, the CPD candidate was the socialist Ricardo Lagos, who won this right in the fight against the Christian Democrat Andrés Zaldivar. During the first round of elections, no candidate received the required 50% of the vote, during the re-election in January 2000, Lagos defeated his rival Lavin (the right-wing candidate), gaining 51.3% of the vote at the end of the election, and became the second after Allende the President of Chile from the Socialist Party.

Commission for the Investigation of Torture

8.7. constitutional reform

In 2005, an extensive constitutional reform was carried out, eliminating non-democratic elements and also numerous privileges for the military.

8.8. 2006 presidential election

After the first round of elections in December 2005, no candidate was able to achieve the required absolute majority of votes. On January 15, 2006, during the second round of elections, Michelle Bachelet, the CPD candidate, defeated the right-wing candidate Sebastian Piñera in the second round, gaining 53.5% of the vote and becoming Chile's first female president.

8.9. 2010 presidential election

In the elections held on 17 January 2010, the centre-right candidate Sebastián Piñera won the largest number of votes, defeating CPD candidate Eduardo Frei (son of former Chilean President Eduardo Frei). Thus, for the first time in the last 50 years, a candidate of the “right” managed to be elected to the presidency of the country. 51.61% of the voters voted for Sebastian Piñer, and 48.38% for the leftist candidate. During the election campaign, both candidates showed unusual politeness and courtesy, constantly exchanging compliments and courtesies.

Earthquake in Chile (2010)

On February 27, 2010, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 occurred off the coast of Chile, killing more than 800 people, 1,200 were missing, and more than two million people were left homeless. The amount of damage, according to various estimates, ranged from 15 to 30 billion dollars. One of the oldest cities in the country, Concepción, was especially hard hit, near which the epicenter of the earthquake was located.

A Brief History of Chile

History of Chile in dates

History of Chile and Easter Island

· Salvador Allende"Last Address to the Chilean People"

· Lisandro Otero “Mind and Strength: Chile. Three Years of National Unity"

· From the materials of the First International public tribunal over the Chilean junta // Tragedy of Chile. Materials and documents. - M.: Publishing house of political literature; News Press Agency Publishing, 1974.

・National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation Proceedings

Bibliography:

1. 3. El descenso demográfico

2. The commander of the ground forces, General Carlos Prats, resigned after a public slap in the face of a woman who accused him of cowardice.

3. It is now known that the aircraft provided to Salvador Allende was mined.

4. History of Latin America. Second half of the XX century. M.: Nauka, 2004. S. 209

5. Report of the Presidential Commission on Political Prisoners and Torture (2004). 67.4% of the victims fell on the first period of repression (September - December 1973, p. 141 of the commission's report), 19.3% on the second period (January 1974 - August 1977, p. 150), 13.3% on the third period (August 1977 - March 1990, p. 156).

6. Document of the organization of former political prisoners on human rights violations during the dictatorship (2004), pp. 22, 35.

7. National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation

8. La derecha chilena vuelve a la presidencia por las urnas medio siglo después (Spanish)