The Nixon Administration and the Death of Allende's Chile

by Jonathan Haslam

In this revealing history of Allende's Chile, Haslam uncovers the actual involvement of Cuba, the Soviet Union, and the CIA in that country's struggle for political and economic stability.

Genres: History

245 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2005

About the author

Jonathan Haslam is George F. Kennan Professor in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge.

Reviews

[Sam Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plans by Nixon and Kissenger for destabilization were kept secret from even the local CIA lead and the ambassador. Their goal was "Our hand doesn't show on this one..." But administration officials lied to congress and the American people. Massive amounts of money they sent were spent to influence newspapers, the military, the opposing parties even down to striking truckers. The author makes it clear that Allende did not have the background to pull off his socialist agenda. The effect of the coup were thousands were killed by Pinochet's regime immediately and in the subsequent years of terror.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is misleading. It is less about the the Nixon Administration and more an overview with new sources on the Allende years. The biggest strength of the 230 pages is the constant official and behind the scenes sources of the PCCH, PS, MIR, East Germans, Italian CP, USSR, Cuba/Fidel, CIA/State Department, AFL-CIO (AIFLD/ORIT), and the the UK.

I'm not sure how much info is new, but the plethora of quotes and the multidtude of sources highlight the following:

-PCCH consistently arguing for UP to go slow and "consolidate the revolution" and try and bring the Christian Democrats (middle) on board.

-MIR (far left) pushes the revolutionary process forward, get vacillating support from Allende.

-Allende, compromising much and not be able to successfully unite the UP coalition.

-US, does what it can to undermine the regime with millions of dollars to the truck owners strike, and training and tactical support to the military, various trade unionints, and opposition newspapers and media.

-USSR, feels it is doomed to fail from the beginning. See's Allende's slim victory and lack of a solid economic plan, along with the weakness of the UP government, as the reason for providing little help to Allende.

-Cuba, Castro says reach out to the Christian Democrats, but at the same time offers military training to members of MIR.

Clearly the US ASSISTED in the death of the UP government. I'd recommend this with the bottom view account of the Yarur textile workers in Peter Winn's "Weavers of Revolution." His book leaves us with radicalized workers ready to defend the revolution, but he's only looking at one textile mill. Haslam looks at the major players from the top.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting analysis of the overthrow of Allende, and Nixon and Kissinger's role in it. I found it a little bit hard to follow, partly because of the slightly dry academic style but mainly due to how complex and chaotic the events were - at the point of the coup, I was flipping back and forth, trying to figure out who was on what side.