History of Chile during the Parliamentary Era (1891–1925) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Republic of Chile
República de Chile
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| 1891–1925 | |||||||||
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Anthem: Himno Nacional de Chile
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| Capital | Santiago | ||||||||
| Common languages | Spanish | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism (official religion) until 1925 | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary quasi-parliamentary republic
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| President | |||||||||
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• 1891–1896
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Jorge Montt (first) | ||||||||
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• 1925–1925
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Arturo Alessandri Palma (last) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Civil War
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18 September 1891 | ||||||||
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• Constitution of 1925
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18 September 1925 | ||||||||
| Currency | Chilean peso | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | CL | ||||||||
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The Parliamentary Era in Chile was a special time in Chile's history. It started in 1891, right after the 1891 Chilean Civil War. This period lasted until 1925, when a new set of rules for the country, called the 1925 Constitution, was created.
This era is sometimes called the "pseudo-parliamentary" period. This means it was a bit like a parliamentary system, but not exactly. It followed the rules of the 1833 Constitution. During this time, the President of Chile was still the head of the country. However, the President's power to control the government was much less. The Parliament had more say. This system changed in 1925. President Arturo Alessandri helped create a new Constitution. This new Constitution brought back a presidential system, where the President had more power. This system continued for many years.
Around this time, Chile also settled some of its border disagreements with Argentina. They used agreements like the Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina and the Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case in 1902.
Contents
How Parliament Worked
Chile's special "pseudo-parliamentary" system started after the 1891 Chilean Civil War. In a true parliamentary system, the main leader of the government is chosen by the group with the most votes in Parliament. But in Chile, the Minister of Interior unofficially became the main government leader.
The National Congress (Chile's Parliament) had a lot of control. They could influence who became the Minister of Interior and other government officials. They did this by voting on important laws, like the country's budget and money for the military. If the government wanted to pass a law, Parliament could refuse to vote for it. This gave Parliament a lot of power over the President and the government.
In many parliamentary systems, if the Parliament doesn't like the government leader, that leader can call for new elections. This lets the people decide who should be in charge. But in Chile, the President could not do this. This meant the government leader had less power to make big decisions if Parliament disagreed.
The political parties in Chile were always changing. They often formed groups based on strong individual leaders, called caudillos. These leaders could create or break up government groups. Also, parties didn't always vote together. It became common for the President to choose ministers from all different parties. This made it hard for governments to stay stable. They often changed because of political disagreements in the National Congress.
This system led to a lot of changes in government leaders. It was quite unstable. This "pseudo-parliamentary" system ended with the 1925 Constitution. This new Constitution made sure that government ministers could not also be members of Parliament. It also made it easier for the government's budget to be approved. Most importantly, it said that the President would be chosen by a direct vote from all citizens.
Political Parties and Elections
Between 1891 and 1925, several main political parties existed in Chile. On the right side of politics, there was the Conservative Party, which was closely linked to the Roman Catholic Church. In the middle, there were different liberal groups. These included the National Party and the Liberal Party. On the left, there was the Radical Party and the Democrat Party. Later, in the 1910s, the Socialist Workers Party, which supported workers' rights, started to become important.
These parties often formed alliances. The "Coalition" brought together the Conservative Party and some liberal groups. The "Liberal Alliance" was made up of other liberal groups and the Radical Party.
Unlike earlier times, the President's government did not interfere with elections during this period. Before, government officials would often try to influence who won. But now, local leaders, called caudillos, often organized elections in their towns. Sadly, things like bribes, cheating, and stealing ballot boxes were common in rural areas.
Social Groups in Chile
During the Parliamentary Republic, Chilean society had three main groups. These were the very rich (oligarchy), the middle classes, and the working classes.
The very rich group included landlords (people who owned a lot of land). It also included politicians, people who made money from saltpeter (a valuable mineral), bankers, physicians, and intellectuals. They often lived in fancy palaces and followed European fashion. However, even within this rich group, there were disagreements. This is why there were so many political parties and alliances.
The working classes included saltpeter miners, factory workers, and people who built public projects. Many were also peasants who did not own land. Saltpeter workers in the north lived in simple huts. These huts were often made of Calamina and had big temperature changes between day and night. Other workers lived in crowded dormitories called conventillos. These were often rooms without windows or good lighting. Peasants lived on ranches. Most workers had no contracts. They worked long hours, sometimes 12 to 16 hours a day, without a day off on Sunday. Some were paid with special company money, not regular cash.
The Saltpeter Economy
Saltpeter, also known as sodium nitrate, was Chile's most important resource. The entire economy depended on it. About one-third of the profits from saltpeter mining went to foreign companies. Another third went to the Chilean government, which taxed the exports. The last third was used to re-invest in the saltpeter mines. The money the government earned from saltpeter was used to build important things. This included infrastructure like roads, railroads, and ports.
Presidents of the Parliamentary Republic
If the President died, the Minister of Interior would temporarily take over as Vice-President.
- Alm. Jorge Montt Álvarez (1891–1896)
- Federico Errázuriz Echaurren (1896–1901)
- Germán Riesco Errázuriz (1901–1906)
- Pedro Montt Montt (1906–1910)
- Elías Fernández Albano (1910 as Vice-President)
- Emiliano Figueroa Larraín (1910 as Vice-President)
- Ramón Barros Luco (1910–1915)
- Juan Luis Sanfuentes (1915–1920)
- Arturo Alessandri Palma (1920–1924)
- September Junta and January Junta (1924–25)
- Arturo Alessandri Palma (1925 - 1925)
See also
- Chilenization of Tacna, Arica and Tarapacá
- Patriotic Leagues (Southern Cone)
- South American dreadnought race
- Saber noise incident of 1924
