ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the influence of domestic political and scientific factors on Chile's contribution to the formation of the Antarctic Treaty. It provides a synthesis of diverse materials, many of which either have not been previously cited or have not been presented within the context of English-language scholarship. Though the emphasis lies primarily on the 1940s and 1950s, the period in which two US-sponsored international proposals were debated, the origin of Chile's Antarctic 'mentality' is traced back to the colonial era. The traditional historical methodology of correlating primary and secondary sources is followed with great attention to detail and willingness to 'let the facts speak for themselves' rather than to portray them as evidence of any preconceived theory or judgment. The nineteenth century few Chileans took interest in the Antarctic and unlike the Spanish, they rarely pondered the value of sending expeditions there.
