From virtually the onset of its independence in the early
nineteenth century, Chile took a superior attitude toward its
racially mixed and less organized neighbors. This stance was not
unlike that of another young republic in the hemisphere: the United
States. With their relatively stable governments and prosperous
economies, the two countries claimed amoral right to impose their
will on nearby nations. Given this shared imperial impulse, it is
not surprising that they became rivals. In Chile and the United
States, the third volume to appear in the series The United States
and the Americas, William F. Sater traces the often stormy course
of U.S.-Chilean relations, covering not only policy decisions but
also the overall political, cultural, and economic developments
that formed the context in which those policies unfolded. As Sater
explains, the Chileans initially believed that they could triumph
in the event of a clash with the Americans because of their
superior moral commitment and willingness to endure sacrifice.
Unintimidated by the size of the United States, Chile found its
sense of mission bolstered by the American government's
inconsistent enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine and grudging
acceptance of Chilean dominance over Peru and Bolivia. Yet, Sater
shows, by the end of the nineteenth century Chile had to face
reality: its organizational skills could no longer compensate for a
limited population and resource base. Worse, just as both the
United States and Chile's neighbor Argentina became wealthier and
more populous, Chile sank into a political morass that paralyzed
its ability to govern itself. Once the premier power of the
Pacific, it fell to second-rate status--a fact that nevertheless
did little to mitigate the Chileans' sense of cultural superiority.
In the early twentieth century, Sater notes, Chile scored several
economic and diplomatic victories over the United States and, after
World War II, resorted to various new doctrines and strategies in
hopes of regaining its lost glory. When the efforts of strongmen
failed, Chileans turned to Christian Democracy, Socialism, and
finally military rule--none of which succeeded in restoring the
country's political unity and self-esteem. Yet, Sater contends,
rather than accept that geopolitical and economic realities had
limited their nation's place in the world, Chileans blamed the
United States for whatever ills befell them, even as they continued
to expect American aid. For its part, the United States insisted
that Chile accept its counsel in order to receive U.S. economic
assistance. This frustrating standoff, Sater shows, is but the
latest phase of a contentious relationship, nearly two centuries in
the making, that shows no ready signs of disappearing.
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