Mid-September Crisis

Mid-September Crisis
Part of The Silent War
Chilean military detachments stationed in the presidential residence. The soldiers pictured above would later defect to the FNC and participate in the coup d'etat.
Date September 11, 1945 - September 30, 1945 Location Chile Result Loyalist and Carolinian victory; Chilean National Republic dismantled
Belligerents
Chilean National Front (FNC) Peruvian National Republicans	Guerrera Administration Chilean Loyalists Carolina (Carolinian Expeditionary Force)

The Mid-September Crisis or September Crisis (Spanish: Crisis de Mediados de Septiembre) was a period in Chilean history where a coup d'etat and attempted takeover of the Republic of Chile was orchestrated by the members of the Chilean National Front(FNC). This event was characterized by political chaos and strife during the tenure of President Lorenzo Guerrera. Members of the military sympathetic of the FNC launched a coup against the administration and seized control of the country. This incident would establish the short-lived Chilean National Republic, until its dissolution by the Carolinian Expeditionary Force and loyalist remnants by the end of the month.

Context

Members of the Chilean National Front convene for discussion.

Chilean soldiers engage the Carolinian Expeditionary Forces in urban warfare somewhere in Valparaiso, Chile.

Chilean Political Instability

Chile following its independence was rife with corruption and cronyism, as the fledgling government had to deal with reconstruction efforts and consolidation of their currency. For the next 5 years, the administration focused on reconstruction of the nation and for their efforts, experienced a short golden age in which foreign investment from the UK, Carolina, Colombia, and other nations fueled the economy and industry of the nation. The 'golden age' would end in 1926, at the height of the European Economic Crisis, as it would hit the nation hard. Chile would experience a period of unrest as unfair wages would be levied on workers around the country. The country would experience political instability, as governments and administrations came and went, with the issues and pleas of the Chilean people gone unanswered.

The Great War

Chile was not militarily involved in the conflict, but aligned closely with the Cordial League. This alignment gave the Chilean government the funds it needed to recover from the EEC, as well as allies in order to not remain diplomatically isolated in the post-war era.

Influence of National Republicans

After the Great War, the South American continent experienced a spread of National Republicanism; an ideology which aimed to establish a self-sufficient nationalist nation-state. This ideology became the root cause of the 1944 National Republican Coup, and the subsequent Peruvian Civil War. This created the belief among the Chilean populace that the spread of the ideology cannot be stopped, and that the ideology would enter the country one way or another. This belief motivated those dissatisfied with the current status quo to establish the Chilean National Front, or FNC. The political party gained widespread popularity among the middle class and resonated with those who shared the same impression, especially against those in the Chilean government.