Armed Forces Day in Chile

Military parades, as we now know them, were born with the arrival of German instructors in Chile in 1895. They have preserved their initial characteristics, modified over time, with innovations typical of the progress of military science.

The antecedents go back to the tradition received from the Spanish Army of the Kingdom of Chile, which dictated that on each official holiday, the Royal standard was paraded through the main streets of the capital, surrounded by the Garrison Units.

The first ceremony in which the Chilean Army participated was held on the morning of September 19, 1810 in the Plaza de Armas in Santiago, on the occasion of the proclamation of the act of installation of the Government Junta.

In 1915, under the mandate of Ramón Barros Luco, September 19 was declared the day of "celebración de todas las glorias del Ejército". Since then, the military parade has been held regularly every year (except in 1973 and in 2020, when it was suspended).