War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (Spanish: Guerra del Pacífico) was fought in western South America, between Chile and a united Bolivia and Peru, from 1879 through 1883.
The war began on February 14, 1879 when Chilean armed forces occupied the port city of Antofagasta, after a Bolivian threat to confiscate Chilean Antofagasta Nitrate Company’s property.
This “Saltpeter War” took place over five years in a variety of terrain, including the Atacama Desert and Peru’s deserts and mountainous regions.
Chile acquired the Peruvian territory of Tarapacá, the disputed Bolivian department of Littoral (cutting Bolivia off from the sea), as well as temporary control over the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica.
Courses of the War
Crisis
The crisis began in 1878 when the National Congress of Bolivia and a National Constituent Assembly determined an 1873 contract authorizing the Antofagasta Nitrate & Railway Company to extract saltpeter duty-free for 15 years to be moot because it had never been ratified by the Bolivian Congress, as required by the constitution.
Peruvian mediation
The crisis began in 1878 when the National Congress of Bolivia and a National Constituent Assembly determined an 1873 contract authorizing the Antofagasta Nitrate & Railway Company to extract saltpeter duty-free for 15 years to be moot because it had never been ratified by the Bolivian Congress, as required by the constitution.
Naval campaign
From the beginning naval superiority was critical. Bolivia had no navy, so on March 26 of 1879 Hilarión Daza formally offered letters of marque to any ships willing to fight for Bolivia.
Land campaign
The Campaign of Tarapaca began on November 2, 1879, when Chilean troops landed and attacked beach defenses in Pisagua, some 500 kilometers (310 mi) north of Antofagasta.
Lackawanna Conference
On October 22, 1880, delegates of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and the United States Minister Plenipotentiary in Chile held a 5-day conference aboard the USS Lackawanna in Arica. Chile had refused previous peace mediations from Ecuador (in May).
Campaign of Lima
After the campaign of Tacna and Arica, the southern departments of Peru were in Chilean hands, and the armies of Peru and Bolivia could no longer fight.
Campaign of the Breña or Sierra
After the confrontations in San Juan and Miraflores, Peruvian Colonel Andrés Avelino Caceres escaped to the central Andes to organize resistance. This would come to be known as the Campaign of the Breña or Sierra
Consequences
Bolivia
For Bolivians, the loss of the Littoral (the coast) remained a deeply emotional and practical issue, as was particularly evident during the 2003 natural gas riots.
Chile
As the victor and possessor of a new coastal territory, Chile benefited from the war by gaining a lucrative territory with significant mineral income.
Peru
According to Bruce W. Farcau, “in Peru, the wounds run less deep than in neighboring Bolivia”. After the War of the Pacific, Peru was left without saltpeter production, the Chilean controlled production decreased to 15%, and production controlled by British investors rose to 55%.
