Aftermath

The War of the Pacific was a turning point in Bolivian history. Bolivian politicians were able to rally Bolivians by blaming the war on Chilean aggression. Many were convinced that Chile's victory would help Bolivia to overcome its backwardness because the defeat strengthened the national soul.

Two parties were created, the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador) and the Liberal. Despite some differences, both parties were primarily interested in political and economic modernization, and their ideological outlooks were similar. Civilian politicians reorganized, reequipped, and professionalized the discredited armed forces and tried to subject them to civilian control. The governments in power from 1880 to 1920--elected by a small, literate, and Spanish-speaking electorate--brought Bolivia its first relative political stability and prosperity.

When the war was finally over, Peru had suffered the worst of the three countries involved in the conflict.

Lima, the capital was occupied for two years by a foreign army and submitted to looting for several times. In the financial sector, many banks went bankrupt in the capital, Piura, Trujilo and Aerequipa. The government attempt to collect tax on the native Americans only provoked protests and riots. A major one took place in 1885 in the Ancash Department and only with the army's support the authorities subdued it.

Nevertheless, the conflict also had some impact on Peru's development. The railroads were slowly resumed. By 1895 the railroads brought some progress to the countryside and to the coastal area, unifying the country's economy and the introduction of electricity in Lima in 1886 allowed the industrial sector to grow slowly.

The war gave Chile control over nitrate exports, which would dominate the national economy until the 1920s.The income of the Chilean treasury nearly quadrupled in the decade after the war. Even more notable was the emergence of a class-conscious, nationalistic, ideological labor movement in the northern mining camps and elsewhere.

The War of the Pacific also bestowed on the Chilean armed forces enhanced respect, the prospect of steadily increasing force levels, and a long-term external mission guarding the borders with Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. From 1885 forth thep; armed forces were trained along Prussian lines. In subsequent years, better education produced not only a modern officer corps but also a military leadership capable of questioning civilian management of national development. After battling the Peruvians and Bolivians in the north, the military turned to engaging the Araucanians in the south.

The losses estimates during the war do not take into account the civilian casualties. While the Chileans suffered some 4,500 military deaths, the Peruvian had 9,000 killed and Bolivia counted up 1,000 dead.

Gallery

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