Bartolomé Guillermo Blanche Espejo (June 6, 1879 – June 10, 1970) was a Chilean military officer and provisional president of Chile in 1932.
He also served as a minister of state, holding the portfolios of Public Education and Defense during the first administration of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
Biography Blanche studied at the secondary school in his native city of La Serena.
In 1895, he entered the Military Academy in Santiago as a cadet. He graduated as a cavalry second lieutenant and was assigned to the Escort Squadron.
Military career As a lieutenant, he served at the Military Academy and the Cavalry Application School. Between 1904 and 1905, he was sent by the Chilean Army to Germany to take an equestrian instructor course at the Cavalry School in Hanover, where he graduated first in his class.
Upon returning to Chile, by then holding the rank of captain, he served with the 1st Cavalry Regiment Granaderos. In 1912, he attended the War Academy and, after graduating with the rank of major, was appointed head of the expedition tasked with exploring the Taitao Peninsula. He was subsequently assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment Cazadores.
As a lieutenant colonel, Blanche commanded the 4th Cavalry Regiment Coraceros and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment Cazadores. He was later transferred to the Undersecretariat of War, where he became its head.
Political career In 1925, while holding the rank of colonel, Blanche was appointed military attaché at the Chilean embassy in France, and was subsequently appointed director-general of the police. After being promoted to brigadier general, he was appointed Minister of War, a position he held until 1930.
In 1932, Blanche was appointed commissioner-general of prices and later served as Minister of the Interior in the provisional government of Carlos Dávila. Following Dávila's resignation, Blanche assumed office as provisional president of the Republic on 13 September of that year. However, a civilist uprising by the military garrisons of Antofagasta and Concepción forced him to resign and hand over power to the president of the Supreme Court of Chile, Abraham Oyanedel.
Blanche died at the Military Hospital in Santiago at 11:30 a.m. on 10 June 1970. His remains were buried in La Serena.
References
Further reading Remembranzas del General Bartolome Blanche Espejo. . (2008)
External links Official biography