Simon Collier Bücher

Focusing on the transformative period from the collapse of the Spanish Empire in America to the establishment of a stable republic, this book explores the political, social, and economic changes that shaped Chile's early national identity. It delves into the challenges faced during this tumultuous era and highlights key events and figures that influenced the country's path towards independence and governance.

The book explores Chile's unique political evolution during the nineteenth century, marked by a struggle between the authoritarian Conservative Party and the rising forces of Liberalism. It details the significant political realignment of 1857-58 that led to liberal reforms, analyzing the ideas of the political elite alongside a narrative of the era's tumultuous events. Drawing on extensive research of political writings and the vibrant press, the study provides insights into the foundational years of Chile's republican history and its journey toward liberalization.

The year 1879 marked the beginning of one of the longest, bloodiest conflicts of nineteenth-century Latin America. The War of the Pacific pitted Peru and Bolivia against Chile in a struggle initiated over a festering border dispute. The conflict saw Chile’s and Peru’s armored warships vying for control of sea lanes and included one of the first examples of the use of naval torpedoes. On land, large armies using the most modern weapons—breech-loading rifles, Gatling guns, and steel-barreled artillery—clashed in battles that left thousands of men dead on the battlefields. Eventually, the warring parties revamped their respective military establishments, creating much needed, civilian-supported supply, transportation, and medical units. Chile ultimately prevailed. Bolivia lost its seacoast along with valuable nitrate and copper deposits to Chile, and Peru was forced to cede mineral rich Tarapaca and the province of Arica to the victor. Employing the primary and secondary sources of the countries involved, William F. Sater offers the definitive analysis of the conflict's naval and military campaigns. Andean Tragedy not only places the war in a crucial international context, but also explains why this devastating conflict resulted in a Chilean victory.

A History of Chile provides an overview of Chilean history which will appeal to the general reader as well as the specialist. Employing primary and secondary materials, it analyses the nation's political, economic, and social evolution from Chile's independence to 2002.

This new edition investigates the various reasons for Chileans spurning the Pinochet Constitution in favor of another system, and covers the formation and critical events of the Lagos, Bachelet, and Pinera regimes, their relations with nearby nations, and the cultural and economic changes that have occurred within the country.