Luis Alberto Edwards Vives (25 November 1874 in Valparaíso – 3 April 1932 in Santiago) was a Chilean historian, nationalist politician and lawyer. He was a member of the influential Edwards family.
His most famous work (highly influenced by Oswald Spengler and the German Conservative Revolution) was La fronda aristocrática en Chile (1928). This analyzed the history of Chile in the 19th century as a conflict between the authoritarian state and the aristocracy.
Edwards was member of the National (Montt-Varist) Party, and its deputy from 1909 to 1912 representing Valparaíso and Casablanca. In 1915 he founded the Nationalist Party along with Francisco Antonio Encina and Guillermo Subercaseaux.
Edwards served as a Minister of Finance in the presidency of Emiliano Figueroa Larraín from November 1926 to February 1927. During the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, a proto-fascist president,Cristi, R. & Ruiz, C. (2016). El pensamiento conservador en Chile. Editorial Universitaria, p. 13. he headed several Ministries: Education from October 1930 to April 1931; Foreign Affairs in July 1931; and Justice in late 1931.
Biography Edwards was born in Valparaíso on 25 November 1874, the son of Alberto Edwards Argandoña and María Luisa Vives Pomar. He attended the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones and the Liceo de Valparaíso before studying law at the University of Chile. He qualified as a lawyer on 27 July 1896.
On 5 December 1909, he married Magdalena Vives Solar.
Writing and professional career Edwards developed an early interest in Chilean history and politics. In 1898, he published Reflexiones sobre los antecedentes y consecuencias de la revolución de 1891, a study of the background and consequences of the 1891 Chilean Civil War. In 1904, he published Bosquejo histórico de los partidos políticos de Chile, dealing with the historical development of Chilean political parties.
In 1898, Edwards founded the Revista de Valparaíso. He also contributed to the Chilean Society of History and Geography and its journal, where he published Apuntes para el estudio de la organización política de Chile. He wrote articles on economic affairs for El Mercurio under the initials "A.A." and was one of the proprietors of the illustrated monthly Pacífico Magazine.
His writings covered political and economic history as well as subjects including irrigation, the merchant marine, and the Chilean economy.
Edwards was involved in the organization of the colonial exhibition held as part of the celebrations of the Chilean Centennial in 1910. He also participated in work associated with the national census.
Political career A member of the National Party, Edwards was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Valparaíso and Casablanca for the 1909–1912 legislative term. He served as a substitute member of the Permanent Committee on Government and Colonization and the Permanent Committee on Finance.
During his parliamentary term, Edwards was involved in legislation reorganizing Chile's national statistical system. He was tasked by the Chamber of Deputies with presenting the proposal before the Senate, where it was approved unanimously. He also served on the Banking Legislation Committee and participated in preparatory work concerning monetary conversion.
Edwards subsequently held a number of senior administrative positions. He served as director-general of statistics from 1916 to 1927 and, in 1927, as head of the Department of Administrative Geography at the Ministry of the Interior.
He represented Chile at the Financial Congress held in Buenos Aires in 1916 and at a financial congress in Washington, D.C., in 1920.
On 20 November 1926, President Emiliano Figueroa appointed Edwards Minister of Finance. He remained in office until 9 February 1927.
In 1929, Edwards served as commissioner of the Chilean pavilion at the Ibero-American Exposition in Seville. The following year, he held positions within Chile's civil registration administration, serving as director and subsequently as conservator of the Civil Registry.
On 20 October 1930, Edwards was appointed Minister of Public Education, serving until 28 April 1931. During the political upheaval that followed the fall of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo in July 1931, he briefly served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commerce from 23 to 26 July. He also served as Minister of Justice in 1931.
Edwards was a member of the Chilean Society of History and Geography.
Death Edwards died in Santiago on 3 April 1932, aged 57.
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