IB History HL- Military Dictatorship (Pinochet) Paper 3 Political Developments in Latin America. Includes: Rise to Power & Legitimacy, Social/economic policies, Repression & Treatment of Opposition. Essay Plans + Evaluation.
Table of Contents
Rise to Power & Legitimacy ...................................................................................................... 1
Social Policies .......................................................................................................................... 2
Economic Policies..................................................................................................................... 3
Repression & Treatment of Opposition ..................................................................................... 4
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, Rise to Power & Legitimacy
The 1973 Chilean coup d'état was a military coup in Chile that deposed the Popular Unity government of
President Salvador Allende. Bombed Chilean presidential palace which killed Allende.
Thesis- US involvement needed to trigger it but civil unrest in Chile, unpopularity of Allende, and inability
to repute new leader meant Pinochet could rise.
US Involvement in overthrowing of Allende:
Sept 1973 General Pinochet led a bloody coup (British hunter jets started fires that burnt for week)
Overt involvement: Nixon (to reduce public support for Allende)
• Blocked loans/aid ($70m) from World Bank + Inter-American Bank- after Allende nationalised
copper industries without compensation- Marxist “Social Revolution” (damaged economy)– La
Feber “Americans all too easily confuse nationalism with communism”
• Increased aid to Chilean military (as it was indifferent to Allende)
Covert involvement: CIA (to actively destabilise Allende)
• By 1973: US + CIA worked actively/secretly to destabilise + remove Allende through: funding
opposition groups + encouraging military coup
• CIA funds payed for civilian truck strikes in protest to Allende; this meant that Allende accused
ITT of trying to provoke civil war in Chile) - Kornbluh- “US created … chaos” in Chile
Sept 1970 Nixon’s “two track” approach:
• Track I: anti-Allende propaganda and political programs with goal to initiate a coup led by
Chileans voted by the 40 Committee.
• Track II: (kept secret from Korry, the State Department, and even the 40 Committee). Goal to
directly assist officers in starting coup against Allende (American coup done by Chileans)
Civil unrest meant failure of Allende’s gov was inevitable:
Had little domestic support
-Chilean middle classes resented him: feared their savings being shared + land expropriation; feared
uprising of Chilean peasants (who took part in strong “Pro Cuba marches”)
-Increased Chilean divide: Allende associated with Castro’s “armed revolution” policy favourable to
extreme left (who were hostile to Allende elsewhere); Chilean extreme right attacking rising inflation
-Were not using strong enough forces: Inevitable fall due to trying to promote democracy/lack of arms to
break resistance of stronger opposition forces
Bad economic conditions
-Short-term- By early 1973 rapid inflation (300%) after USSR investment but could not lower workers’
wages due to Marxism (black market increased accepting Chilean currency escudos)
-Long-term- Unemployment hangover since 1929 Great Depression- 25% Chileans left unemployed
Unstabilised commerce/industry
-Short-term Stores began to run out of coffee/toilet paper; 1971 thousands of women protested at night
in “march of empty pots” against high prices/item scarcities
-Long-term- High homelessness levels + state losses after May 1960 9.5 Richter scale Chilean earthquake
($500million in losses)
Pinochet’s justification for Sept 1973 coup made it difficult to repute
Made authoritarian repressive rule legal immediately:
-11th Sept 1973 coup: issued Act of Constitution (established military junta gov to replace
constitution/congress) = military dictatorship arose
-9pm curfew; banning of left-wing parties (Allende’s previous gov); halted political activity
Claimed that he was crushing Communism:
-Short-term: Middle classes under Allende feared state control of Chilean shops/businesses becoming
Soviet-style workers’ cooperatives (anxiety)
-Long-term: After 1948 “Ley Maldita” (law that banned Chilean Communist Party) led to Communist
witch-hunts + persecution of academics/public service employees
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