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 10-11, 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

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. This influenced the nation's anti-National Republican stance and its foreign policy in the coming years.

Influence of National Republicans

Members of the Chilean National Front in a meeting.

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.

Lorenzo Guerrera, the Chilean president tied to the infamous Valparaiso Scandal

Protesters composed of workers and members of the middle-class take to the streets of Santiago.

Guerrera Administration and Valparaiso Scandal

The Guerrera administration was just the latest in countless administrations and regime changes in the nation who pledged its citizens economic stability and prosperity for Chile. However, the administration failed to address the problems and issues plaguing the country, and their efforts only made things worse. Private companies and corporations in the nation used their money to influence members in the administration, aligning government policies in favor of the private companies. For the duration of Guerrera's tenure, his administration would double down on these policies, giving him the reputation as the president who endorsed cronyism in the nation.

The final straw for the administration would be the Valparaiso Scandal, in which numerous government secrets and plans were leaked in a hotel located in Valparaiso. These documents showed the public the motivations of government officials on the implementation of these policies. Numerous opposition parties would use this opportunity to slander Guerrera and his administration, citing the issues that remain due to his incompetence. The FNC would use the scandal to launch a propaganda campaign against the government, with slogans such as 'Crear poder popular!'(Create People Power!) and powerful messages drawing from the anger and outrage of the populace. Numerous protests around the country would propel Chile into another period of unrest and instability.

This sudden wave of protests would force Guerrera into declaring martial law and imposing the military and national guard in urban areas to 'suppress the protests accordingly'. Later accounts would look back on this moment as an unjustified use of the military and the start of the Mid-September Crisis.

Martial Law

On September 10, 1945, witness accounts would dub this day as the bloodiest day in Chilean history. In what seemed to be peaceful protests, military personnel were given the order to fire upon unarmed civilians. This act would be condemned by the international community, isolating Chile in the diplomatic stage. Lorenzo Guerrera would use his newfound presidential power to enact censorship laws, propaganda campaigns, and 'disappearances' of members of the opposition. The FNC, looked up by many who are against the Guerrera administration, would convince members of the military to defect and support a coup d'etat against the government. Members of the military who chose to defect to the FNC would play a part in the ousting of President Guerrera and serve as the NGN(Nueva Guardia Nacional) or New National Guard, the armed wing of the Chilean National Front.

Coup d'etat and FNC rule

On the dawn of September 11, 1945, the New National Guard and high-ranking members of the FNC would break into the presidential residence and detain the president and two his close associates. This incursion caused the deaths of 3 security guards in the area and one civilian. Before FNC forces reached the office of the president, President Lorenzo Guerrera and his close associates would escape through a hidden trapdoor and cross the border into neighboring Carolina. The president would then plead to the Carolinian government to send an expeditionary force to intervene in chaos erupting in Chile. When the New National Guard did a check of the residence, the president was nowhere to be found, not knowing that he was on his way across the border. The FNC would declare itself to be the legitimate government of Chile, and began state transformation as the National Republic of Chile.

FNC officials would elect Chairman Alessandro Mendoza as the leader of the new nation, and enacted on a mission to remove traces of the old government. Members of the FNC, supported by the NGN, would purge officials in the country part of the old regime and re-establish branches of the government, in the vision of the FNC. The Chilean National Republic would be recognized only by members of the International Republican Coalition(IRC), especially by the governments of Equador and Peru. However, aid by these nations were only limited to humanitarian aid, and the limited economic and military aid given was not enough to rebuild the country.

Protests that went against the FNC were brutally put down by the New National Guard, giving the reputation as 'Mendoza's Matadors' by dissenters of the regime.

Carolinian Intervention

Carolina's response to Chilean instability was to close off the long border between the two nations, in order to contain the spread of National Republicanism to the affected areas. This essentially made the crisis contained within its sovereign borders. The Carolinian Navy patrolled Chilean waters and sunk docked Chilean naval vessels as a precaution by the Carolinian government. Hispanophone Carolinians voiced their concern and urged the government to intervene in Chile. A resolution was passed on September 12, 1945, that immediate action be taken in Chile, and that an expeditionary force be sent to the area. This gave the affirmative to General Malcolm Haywood to assemble the Carolinian Expeditionary Force(CEF).

Members of the Carolinian Expeditionary Forces embark on a 5-mensura hike on a trail in full combat gear as a part of their strict training regime, located somewhere in the Falkland Islands.

The training the candidates of the CEF experienced were said to be brutal and merciless. One anonymous report by a candidate stated that they were forced to wake up at 4 in the morning and hike in full combat gear. Another statement mentioned the grueling exercise regime and unforgiving living conditions in the barracks. When approached about these issues, General Haywood simply stated, "The men need to be comfortable lying their head in a pile of dirt and surviving off of the land. Otherwise, there's no damn point if our soldiers complain about every little thing. There's no room for pansies in the army, you know that." The training and orientation for the Carolinian Expeditionary Force took 15 days to organize and complete, and the mettle of the CEF troops would soon be tested in the inevitable invasion of Chile.

Operation Achilles

The Carolinian Expeditionary Forces crossing the Andes mountains, Chile.

The invasion of Chile, dubbed Operation Achilles, aimed to insert a clandestine force into the Andean region of Chile. This region was chosen for the initial operation as FNC influence was limited in the urban areas and nearby towns. FNC forces would be alerted of Carolinian incursion into Chilean territory and would send around 500 troops from the New National Guard to intercept the CEF. At the same time, the CEF would use their naval superiority by attempting an amphibious invasion of Chilean port cities such as Concepcion and Valparaiso. This

Battle of the Atacama

The battle of the Atacama was the first engagement of the CEF, which saw 250 NGN soldiers face 100 CEF troops. Due to the elevated terrain and organized fortifications set up by the defenders, the battle ended in a Carolinian victory with 5 wounded CEF against 100 dead and unknown wounded on the opposing side.

Battle of Valparaiso
Part of Operation Achilles and Mid-September Crisis
Chilean Army troops engaging the Carolinian Expeditionary Forces in the streets of Valparaiso.
Date September 28-29, 1945 Location Valparaiso, Chile Result Carolinian victory; Destruction of the New National Guard as a paramilitary force.
Belligerents
Carolina	Chilean National Republic
Carolinian Expeditionary Force Carolinian Navy	Chilean Army New National Guard

Battle of Valparaiso

On the other side of the the country, CEF forces numbering one thousand would attempt an amphibious invasion of Valparaiso in order to provide the Carolinian Army with an unchallenged path to Santiago. The battle of Valparaiso saw the deadliest urban engagement up until that point, where CEF forces faced Chilean army detachments and the bulk of the New National Guard. The battle would be known for NGN forces as a formidable fighting force and its ultimate demise as a paramilitary force.

As the New National Guard's base of operations, Valparaiso experienced heavy fighting and massive casualties on both sides. Before the initial invasion, the Carolinian Navy bombarded the coast, destroying the majority of the fortifications and military installations.

The invasion force was concentrated on one focus point, and CEF forces were instructed to form a beachhead and secure it from Chilean forces. When the government heard about the Carolinian amphibious invasion, 500 Chilean Army troops and 250 NGN personnel. They were instructed to secure the easily defendable strongholds and hold the city by any means necessary.

At approximately 5 am, an ambush, led by an officer of the Chilean Army, went sideways and a firefight ensued between the two forces. Attempts of finding another point of attack resulted in reinforcements and additional firefights.

The battle turned in favor of the Expeditionary Forces when 20 Chilean Army troops were encircled by a numerically inferior CEF detachment. The encircled troops decided to surrender, which impacted Chilean morale when the news spread. The NGN pursued a policy of no surrender, to die an honorable death rather than to surrender cowardly. Accounts from CEF veterans would later give their experiences when engaging NGN forces, citing that they 'fought like devils' and 'struck fear into the invaders'. Ultimately, it would be this policy that would cause in the destruction of the New National Guard, with some sources reporting that NGN casualties exceeding Chilean Army casualties, though this remains disputed.

The capture of Valparaiso on the 29th of September struck the final blow against the FNC, as their military capabilities were shattered after the battle. All that remained in Santiago was a skeleton force of the Chilean Army which was estimated to be around two hundred.

FNC Surrender and the Treaty of Buenos Aires

News of military defeats in the Andes and Valparaiso quickly spread to the urban areas, and loyalists that initially fled the country came back to arm civilians for an eventual counter-revolution. However, the counter-revolution would not come to fruition as Alessandro Mendoza, the Chairman of the CNR, committed suicide in the presidential palace. When news of this tragedy reached high-ranking FNC officials, they decided to negotiate their surrender to the Carolinian government, in hopes of a favorable peace.

The peace terms sent by the Carolinian government to the Chilean National Republic included a return to the status quo and government. The Republic of Chile would reinstate Lorenzo Guerrera as president, with a power-sharing system between the president and the senate. The peace treaty would be signed by the FNC and the Carolinian government in Buenos Aires, Carolina.

Economists in Carolina would take this opportunity of a post-war Chile to develop extreme Leiden school economics in the country. This would provide Chile with the necessary tools it needs to jump-start its economy and enter international trade once more.

See also

• Chile