The invention of a tradition. Evocations of the Socialist Republic and Eugenio Matte Hurtado in the Chilean socialist imaginary (1933-1943)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of the commemorations of the Socialist Republic of 1932 and the remembrance of Eugenio Matte Hurtado in the construction of socialist identity and imagination. Through the review and analysis of newspapers and party leaflets, the historical representations developed by party members are reconstructed, identifying key elements of socialist political culture and its internal tensions. As a hypothesis, this article argues that the use of history, through these commemorations, not only provided the Socialist Party of Chile with a distinct identity but also served as a tool for legitimization in contingent party decisions.