Chile previously had some contracts with Bolivia to have the

right to obtain nitrates from Bolivia’s Atacama province. At this time nitrates had replaced guano as the highest demanded product of the time. The Bolivians felt that Chilean companies were exploiting their right to acquire nitrates from the desert; therefore in February of 1879 the Bolivian president of the time, Hilarion Daza, revoked the contracts they had with Chile. Chile viewed this act as an insult of and responded by occupying the Bolivian port of Antofagasta, the Chilean colonel and his 500 men met no resistence by Bolivian military and secured his position at that port. The official Chilean declaration of war on Bolivia came shortly after seizing Antofogasta. Peru became involved in the conflic

t because Chile asked Peru to declare neutrality, which Peru could not do because they had signed an alliance treaty with Bolivia in 1873. After refusing to declare neutrality, Chiles only choice was to declare war on Peru as well, which came on April 2nd of 1879. Thus began the War of the Pacific.

By the end of 1879 Chile already gained the territories of Atacama and the Peruvian province of Tarapaca. Furthermore Peru suffered a major loss when it lost its best iron clad warship, the Huascar. With the loss of the Huascar, Chile had an open route on the sea to land in any part of the coast and seize lands by sea. Peruvian President Mariano Ignacio Prado fled the country in December 1879 with the excuse that he was going to get loans for arms in Europe. The United States attempted to have a mediation between Peru and Chile in 1880, but nothing came of it seeing as neither side would give up the fight. Chile continued with its war against Peru and gained the territories of Tacna and Arica. They also took advantage of their complete control of the seas and employed and invasi

Some topics in this essay:
Pacific Chile, Encalada Cochrane, Lima January, Antofagasta Bolivia, Antofagasta Chilean, Chile Peru, Peruvian Navy, Tacna Arica, War Pacific, Peru Chile, declare neutrality, declaration war, war peru, war pacific, ten cents, ten cents war, cents war, peace treaty, gained territories,