Background
Jorge Montt Álvarez was born on 26 April 1845 in Casablanca.
Jorge Montt Álvarez was born on 26 April 1845 in Casablanca.
He entered the naval school in 1858 and received his commission three years later.
He saw action in both the 1865-1866 war with Spain and the War of the Pacific of 1879-1883 against Peru and Bolivia. He was named maritime governor of Valparaiso in 1887.
When a majority in Congress rebelled against President José Manuel Bal- maceda Fernández in January 1891, Captain Jorge Montt led the navy in support of the congressional action. He was named head of a rebel Government Junta established in Iquique in April, which took over in Santiago on August 31, after the victory of the rebels. On December 26, 1891, with the support of the Conservative, Liberal, and Radical parties, he took office as constitutional president.
After leaving the presidency in 1896, Jorge Montt returned to active navy service. He did not retire until 1913.
During his five-year term. President Jorge Montt relied principally on the Conservative Party. However, he had eight total reorganizations of his cabinet, reflecting the beginning of the parliamentary regime that had been brought about by victory of the rebels in the 1891 civil war. During Montt's period there was a return to a constitutional regime in which, after at first suffering some persecution, the followers of deposed President Balmaceda were able to participate fully.
