Records of the Department of State Relating to Political Relations between the United States and Chile, 1945-1959
Spanning the presidencies of Juan Antonio Ríos (1942–1946), Gabriel González Videla (1946–1952), Carlos Ibáñez (1952–1958), and Jorge Alessandri (1958–1964), this collection provides a history of the political relationship between the United States and Chile from the post-World War II era into the early years of the Cold War. The span of years covered by this collection represent the middle of Chile’s history as a Presidential Republic (1925-1973). Publications relating to political relations between the United States and other states generally include cables, memoranda, and correspondence addressing the political affairs and concerns affecting the particular state. Covering primarily the early Cold War documents, this collection gives researchers a unique insight into American foreign policy during one of its most stressful periods in international relations. After World War II, with only two superpowers vying for influence, access, and control, the United States looked to its state department to provide detailed analyses and insight into political affairs. As such these records are bound to be of great interest to diplomatic historians and historians studying these countries, seeking to understand American foreign affairs during this period.