Jorge Montt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jorge Montt
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 11th President of Chile | |
| In office December 26, 1891 – September 18, 1896 |
|
| Preceded by | Himself (as President of the Government Junta) José Manuel Balmaceda (as President) |
| Succeeded by | Federico Errázuriz Echaurren |
| President of Government Junta of Chile | |
| In office August 31, 1891 – December 26, 1891 |
|
| Preceded by | Manuel Baquedano (as Accidental Chief) |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as president) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26, 1845 Casablanca, Chile |
| Died | October 8, 1922 (aged 77) Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | none |
| Spouse | Leonor Frederick Ledesma |
Jorge Montt Álvarez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe ˈmont]; April 26, 1845 – October 8, 1922) was an important vice admiral in the Chilean Navy. He later became the president of Chile, serving from 1891 to 1896.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Jorge Montt was born in Casablanca, Chile. He was related to other Chilean presidents. His uncle was Manuel Montt, and his cousin was Pedro Montt.
Jorge Montt graduated from the naval academy in 1861. He served in two important wars. These were the Chincha Islands War (1864-1866) and the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). His military experience prepared him for a big role in Chile's future.
In 1891, he led a group against President José Manuel Balmaceda. This conflict was known as the 1891 Chilean Civil War. After the war, he became the temporary leader. Soon after, he was elected president.
Becoming President of Chile
After the civil war, a group called a junta was in charge. Admiral Jorge Montt led this group. He became the temporary president. The country then needed to elect a new president and lawmakers.
Admiral Montt made sure the election was fair. He did not let the government influence who people voted for. Most people wanted him to be president. He was chosen by almost everyone to lead Chile. His term was set to last until September 18, 1896.
Montt's Presidency and Reforms
President Montt faced a big challenge. He had to unite the country after the civil war. People on both sides of the war were still upset. Montt believed in letting "bygones be bygones." This meant he wanted to forget past disagreements.
In early 1892, he offered a pardon to officers who had supported the old president. They were allowed to return to Chile safely. This helped to heal the country.
One of his first big actions was to give more power to local towns. Before, towns had little control over their own money. They needed permission from the main government for many things. Montt gave them more freedom to manage their own affairs. They also took charge of local police. Later, some changes were made to the police system.
President Montt also worked to fix the damage from the civil war. He restarted public building projects. He also improved the army and navy. New instructors from Germany helped train the military. This made the army and navy much stronger. New warships were added to the navy.
A major goal for President Montt was to change Chile's money system. He wanted to stop using paper money that could not be exchanged for gold. He aimed to use a gold standard instead. This meant that the value of money would be tied to gold. Many people in congress who owed money did not like this idea. But President Montt succeeded. On February 11, 1895, a law was passed. It made gold currency the only legal money in Chile. In July 1896, the new money system began. One Chilean dollar was set to be worth 18 pence in British money.
Relations with Argentina
During Montt's presidency, there were some disagreements with Argentina. The two countries had signed treaties about their border. But the treaties were not clear. This caused confusion about where the border line was.
To solve this, Chile and Argentina signed another agreement on April 17, 1896. They agreed to ask Great Britain to help them decide. This process is called arbitration. It means a neutral third party helps settle a dispute.
President Montt finished his term. On September 18, 1896, he handed over power to the next president. This was Federico Errázuriz Echaurren, who had been elected earlier that year.
Life After the Presidency
After being president, Jorge Montt continued to serve his country. He was the commander of the Chilean Navy from 1897 until 1913. He retired from the navy that year.
Later, he served as the mayor of Valparaiso. He held this position from 1915 to 1918. Jorge Montt passed away in Santiago in 1922.
See also
- 1891 Chilean Civil War
- Montt family
- In Spanish: Jorge Montt para niños
