Territorial disputes, postcolonial borders, and competition for resources such as saltpeter drove the War of the Pacific. Peru and Bolivia’s secret alliance widened Chile’s disputes into a three-state conflict without deterring war. Chile’s victory enlarged its territory and ended Bolivia’s direct access to the Pacific coast. Rival claims persisted, and Tacna and Arica remained contested until a 1929 compromise divided them between Peru and Chile. The naval war belonged to a larger struggle over state formation, revenue, and control of the Pacific littoral.
Chapter · 45:00-48:34
Alliance, resources, and territory behind the War of the Pacific
The conflict grew from Chilean disputes with Peru and Bolivia, a secret Peru-Bolivia alliance, and competition over nitrate-rich territories whose settlement left Bolivia landlocked.