Download History of Chile WHAP/Napp “Salvador Allende, an avowed Marxist

History of Chile
WHAP/Napp
“Salvador Allende, an avowed Marxist, became president of Chile in 1970 after being
confirmed by the Chilean congress. For the next three years, the United States exerted
tremendous pressure to try to destabilize and unseat the Allende government.
Allende’s election in 1970 was his third attempt at the presidency. In 1958, and again in
1964, Allende had run on a socialist/communist platform. In both elections, the United
States government (as well as U.S. businesses such as International Telephone and
Telegraph (ITT), which had significant investments in Chile) worked to defeat Allende by
sending millions of dollars of assistance to his political opponents. In 1970, the United
States again worked for Allende’s defeat, but he finished first out of the four candidates.
However, since he had garnered less than 40 percent of the popular vote, the final decision
had to be made by the Chilean congress. The United States worked feverishly to derail
Allende’s selection but the election was upheld on October 24, 1970. Allende immediately
confirmed the worst fears of U.S. officials when he extended diplomatic recognition to
North Vietnam, North Korea, and Cuba, and also began to take action to nationalize the
holdings of U.S. corporations in Chile, notably ITT and Kennecott Copper. U.S. officials
also believed that Allende was supporting revolutionary activities in Latin America and
viewed him as a significant threat to hemispheric security and U.S. economic interests in
Chile.
Yet, Allende posed an interesting problem. Unlike Castro, he had come to power
peacefully and democratically. Thus, the United States could hardly launch a Bay-of-Pigslike attack on the Allende regime. Undaunted, the administration of President Richard
Nixon began to formulate plans to destabilize the Chilean government and see to the
removal of Allende. These plans came to fruition in 1973 when a coup by the Chilean
military overthrew Allende and assassinated him.” ~ History
1. The United States government tried to
2. The U.S. policy of containment was a
stabilize the government of Salvador
policy that
Allende because
(A) Sought the expansion of theocracy in the
(A) Allende was an advocate of tariffs and
world
sought to prevent the creation of a free
(B) Encouraged the abolition of private
trade association in the Americas
property
(B) Allende was a Marxist and sought to
(C) Advocated the proliferation of nuclear
nationalize foreign-owned investments
weapons
(C) Allende forged alliances with South
(D) Sought to prevent the spread of
Korea and Iran.
communism
(D) Allende promoted international
(E) None of the above
terrorism.
“The success of the Cuban Revolution impressed and worried those who feared
revolutionary change in a Communist mode. Military officers often saw themselves as
above politics and best equipped to solve their nation’s ills. Many times these leaders had
the support of the U.S. In Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru, governments were
taken over by military-based rulers with repressive authoritarian inclinations.”
~ World Civilizations
Key Words/ I. Chile’s Geography
Questions
A. Western Coast of South America; between Andes and Pacific Ocean
II. The Incas
A. An empire that stretched from Ecuador to Chile
III. The Conquistadors
A. In 1536, Spanish conquistadors arrived looking for gold
B. In 1540, Pedro de Valdivia, a lieutenant in Pizarro’s army, led the
conquest of Chile; Spain pursued mercantilism (a colony must benefit
the mother country – a colony’s resources are extracted and sent to the
mother country and colonies only trade with mother country)
C. Spain ruled Chile for nearly 300 years
IV. On the Road to Independence
A. Napoleon’s brother, Joseph, was placed on the Spanish throne
B. Chileans proclaimed independence from Napoleon’s rule since his
brother was not the legitimate king of Spain in the colonists’ eyes
C. After the defeat of Napoleon, Spain reclaimed the colony
D. Bernardo O’Higgins was a creole, nationalist leader in Chile
E. O’Higgins was aided by another nationalist leader, José de San Martín
F. By 1818, Chile had gained independence
V. After Independence
A. Little change occurred in the social hierarchy; Chile was still a stratified
class system – creoles had replaced peninsulares as the new elites
B. The government was influenced by the Roman Catholic Church and
wealthy landowners often dominated government posts
VI. Liberals and Conservatives
A. The government was dominated by wealthy landowners
B. Liberals wanted reforms
C. Conservatives wanted to maintain the status quo
VII. Eduardo Frei Montalva
A. Christian Democrat president in 1964/Wanted reforms
B. But not enough for liberals and too much for conservatives
VIII. Salvador Allende
A. 1970, Marxist, elected President; nationalization and land expropriation
B. But opposition to his “Chilean Road to Socialism”
C. By 1973, Chilean society split apart
IX. Military Coup
A. September 11, 1973; 3,000 killed in military onslaught
B. Presidential palace bombed with Allende inside; death of Allende
X. General Augusto Pinochet
A. Led new military government/17 year rule
B. Dissolved Congress and suspended constitution
C. Night-time curfew, limits on media yet free market
D. Brutal repression/Thousands died, thousands fled
E. But Pinochet miscalculated and lost plebiscite in 1988
F. Accused of corruption and human rights abuses; never brought to court
Reflections:
1. What was the Spanish
conquistadors’ PRIMARY
motivation in gaining new territories
in the Americas?
(A) They were mainly concerned with
making great profits.
(B) Above all, they wanted to bring
Catholicism to the Native
Americans.
(C) They planned to use the land to
build prisons for Spanish felons.
(D) They hoped to find the “Fountain
of Youth.”
(E) None of the above
2. How did the harshness and
ruggedness of the terrain in the
Andes Mountains affect the way that
societies there evolved?
(A) People were forced to cooperate
with each other and work out a
division of labor.
(B) Very few buildings were erected.
(C) Culture was very primitive.
(D) There was much fighting over
scarce resources.
(E) Individual families tended to
remain isolated, retarding the
development of sophisticated
societies.
3. What political characteristic did
Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina share
during the 1920s and 1930s?
(A) All became democracies.
(B) All were governed by
authoritarian regimes.
(C) All were monarchies.
(D) All were ruled by Getúlio Vargas
(E) All had experienced communist
revolutions
4. Who among the following was a
democratically elected leader of a
Marxist government in Chile?
(A) Salvador Allende
(B) Che Guevara
(C) Augusto Pinochet
(D) Juan Perón
(E) Fidel Castro
5. The precious metal most sought by
the Spanish and Portuguese in the
Americas was
(A) Gold
(B) Copper
(C) Tin
(D) Silver
(E) Nickel
6. Spain’s principal reason for
colonization in the New World was
(A) Economic profit
(B) Conversion of Native Americans
to Catholicism
(C) Scientific curiosity
(D) Strategic advantage
(E) The desire of ordinary Spanish to
settle elsewhere
7. At its height, how large was the
Incan Empire?
(A) It stretched from Chile to what is
today Panama
(B) It stretched from Argentina to
Brazil
(C) It stretched from Chile to
northern Ecuador
(D) It stretched from Colombia to
Peru
(E) It stretched from Mexico to Costa
Rica
Thesis Practice: Continuity and Change over Time
Analyze political and economic continuities and changes in Chile from 1540 to 1990.
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Out of the Barracks: Soldiers Take Power
“The success of the Cuban Revolution impressed and worried those who feared
revolutionary change in a Communist mode. Military officers often saw themselves as
above politics and best equipped to solve their nation’s ills. Many times these leaders had
the support of the U.S. In Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru, governments were
taken over by military-based rulers with repressive authoritarian inclinations. All these
regimes were nationalistic but approached economic problems differently; however, the
result – little or no growth – was a common theme.
The New Democratic Trends
“The 1970s and 1980s witnessed an increase in democratization in many Latin American
countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Panama, but not
without problems. Leftist rebel groups continued to agitate in some of them, as in Colombia
and Peru. Cuba remained Communist, but under what appeared to be fewer restrictions.
Economies continued to struggle, with inflation as a common problem. Despite difficulties,
by the 1990s it appeared democratic trends were well established.” ~ World Civilizations
The socialist president of Chile who was overthrown by the military in 1973 was
(A) Peron.
(B) Romero.
(C) da Camara.
(D) Allende.
(E) Batista.
MAP EXERCISE: The following exercise is intended to clarify the geophysical environment
and the spatial relationships among the important objects and places. Locate the following
places on the map.
Panama, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti