1879: imágenes de guerra

En contra de lo acostumbrado y de quienes suelen glorificar la guerra o permanecen atrapados en la era de la creación mítica de la Historia --héroes de una causa injusta y falsos argumentos para la gresión artera (Bolivia no declaró la guerra a Chile ni la ocupación de Perú fue algo inevitable) y para que no se continúe haciendo del despojo y la guerra de saqueo una fingida epopeya-- he colectado algunas de las imágenes de guerra frecuentes en la red, sin las acostumbradas leyendas ni pies de fotos para permitir que los protagonistas hablen.

Bandera del departamento boliviano Litoral

Compañía de Artillería de Marina y Compañía del Batallón Nº 3 de Línea, Ejército de Chile, formados en columnas en la Plaza Colón de Antofagasta, tras el desembarco en territorio de Bolivia. Sin una declaración de guerra formal de parte del gobierno de Chile, la invasión dio inicio el 14 de febrero de 1879.



Regimiento Santiago N° 5 de Línea del Ejército de Chile, en el campamento de Antofagasta, 1879.





Personal chileno de sanidad militar en el campamento de Antofagasta, 1879.

Eduardo Abaroa con parte de los 135 civiles que hicieron frente a la invasión del Ejército de Chile en el puente Topáter (23 de marzo, 1879)



Batalla de Miraflores, soldados peruanos.



Caricatura estadunidense sobre la Guerra del Pacífico: "Un chico muy travieso"



Batalla de Chorrillos

 


Batalla de Chorrillos

Tacna, 1926. Siguiendo la estrategia utilizada en los territorios conquistados a Bolivia, las tropas de ocupación de Chile intentaron"chilenizar" las provincias ocupadas de Perú para reclamar después soberanía y anexión. Aquí, casa de civiles peruanos señaladas con una cruz negra a pesar de izar la bandera chilena. 

Diario de Chile.



Regimiento de infantería del Ejército de Chile, formado en Lurín, sur de Lima (enero de 1881)

 

Guerra en el desierto

Chorrillos bombardeada, enero de 1881, tras la entrada del Ejército de Chile a Lima. "The effects of the war"



Ingreso de las tropas de Chile a la ciudad de Lima, enero de 1881. La liberación de 600 a 800 esclavos chinos coolies fue parte del ambiente de confusión y violencia en que las tropas de ocupación llevaron a cabo el saqueo de la ciudad, sus monumentos y su Biblioteca Nacional, dentro de la estrategia por buscar alguna forma de legitimidad haciéndose dueño de la memoria del otro y escribir la Historia hacia atrás. 

 



Wikipedia:

Map showing changes of territory due to the war

The War of the Pacific (Spanish: Guerra del Pacífico) took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the Chincha Islands War, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the Bolivian province of Antofagasta. Chilean enterprises, which largely exploited the area, saw their interests at stake when Peru nationalized all nitrate mines in Tarapaca, and Bolivia imposed a 10-cent tax on the Antofagasta Nitrate & Railway Company. The foundations of the conflict were laid in a dispute between Chile and Bolivia over part of the Atacama Desert.

Bolivia (Audiencia de los Charcas), 1601

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. Peru attempted to mediate, but when Bolivia announced that a state of war existed, the situation deteriorated. Bolivia called on Peru to activate their mutual defense pact, whereas Chile demanded that Peru immediately declare its neutrality. On April 5, after Peru resisted both demands, Chile declared war on both nations. The following day, Peru responded by acknowledging the casus foederis.
This "Saltpeter War" took place over five years in a variety of terrain, including the Atacama Desert and Peru's deserts and mountainous regions. The war's first battle was the Battle of Topáter. For most of the first year the focus was on the naval campaign, as Chile struggled to establish a sea-based resupply corridor for its forces in the world's driest desert. The Peruvian Navy met initial success, but the Chilean Navy prevailed. Afterwards, Chile's land campaign bested the badly equipped Bolivian and Peruvian armies, leading to Bolivia's complete defeat and withdrawal in the Battle of Tacna on May 26, 1880, and the defeat of the Peruvian army after the Battle of Arica on June 7. The land campaign climaxed in 1881, with the Chilean occupation of Lima. The conflict then became a guerrilla war engaging Peruvian army remnants and irregulars. This Campaign of the Breña was fairly successful as a resistance movement, but did not change the war's outcome. After Peru's defeat in the Battle of Huamachuco, Chile and Peru signed the Treaty of Ancón on October 20, 1883. Bolivia signed a truce with Chile in 1884.
Chile acquired the Peruvian territory of Tarapacá, the disputed Bolivian department of Litoral (cutting Bolivia off from the sea), as well as temporary control over the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica. In 1904, Chile and Bolivia signed the "Treaty of Peace and Friendship" establishing definite boundaries. The situation between Chile and Peru worsened when the 1893 plebiscite to determine the fate of the provinces of Arica and Tacna was not held. Colonization and violent Chileanization of the territories resulted in a break of relations in 1911. The 1929 Tacna–Arica compromise gave Arica to Chile and Tacna to Peru, but did not resolve the antipathy. Later political problems among these neighbors often referred back to this conflict.

Atacama disputes


South America (1879): Bolivia, Chile, and Peru held territorial disputes with their neighbors, except among each other. Bolivia and Chile resolved their territorial disputes in 1866. Peru and Chile did not hold a border


The War of the Pacific (Spanish: Guerra del Pacífico) took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the Chincha Islands War, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the Bolivian province of Antofagasta. Chilean enterprises, which largely exploited the area, saw their interests at stake when Peru nationalized all nitrate mines in Tarapaca, and Bolivia imposed a 10-cent tax on the Antofagasta Nitrate & Railway Company. The foundations of the conflict were laid in a dispute between Chile and Bolivia over part of the Atacama Desert.
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. Peru attempted to mediate, but when Bolivia announced that a state of war existed, the situation deteriorated. Bolivia called on Peru to activate their mutual defense pact, whereas Chile demanded that Peru immediately declare its neutrality. On April 5, after Peru resisted both demands, Chile declared war on both nations. The following day, Peru responded by acknowledging the casus foederis.
This "Saltpeter War" took place over five years in a variety of terrain, including the Atacama Desert and Peru's deserts and mountainous regions. The war's first battle was the Battle of Topáter. For most of the first year the focus was on the naval campaign, as Chile struggled to establish a sea-based resupply corridor for its forces in the world's driest desert. The Peruvian Navy met initial success, but the Chilean Navy prevailed. Afterwards, Chile's land campaign bested the badly equipped Bolivian and Peruvian armies, leading to Bolivia's complete defeat and withdrawal in the Battle of Tacna on May 26, 1880, and the defeat of the Peruvian army after the Battle of Arica on June 7. The land campaign climaxed in 1881, with the Chilean occupation of Lima. The conflict then became a guerrilla war engaging Peruvian army remnants and irregulars. This Campaign of the Breña was fairly successful as a resistance movement, but did not change the war's outcome. After Peru's defeat in the Battle of Huamachuco, Chile and Peru signed the Treaty of Ancón on October 20, 1883. Bolivia signed a truce with Chile in 1884.
Chile acquired the Peruvian territory of Tarapacá, the disputed Bolivian department of Litoral (cutting Bolivia off from the sea), as well as temporary control over the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica. In 1904, Chile and Bolivia signed the "Treaty of Peace and Friendship" establishing definite boundaries. The situation between Chile and Peru worsened when the 1893 plebiscite to determine the fate of the provinces of Arica and Tacna was not held. Colonization and violent Chileanization of the territories resulted in a break of relations in 1911. The 1929 Tacna–Arica compromise gave Arica to Chile and Tacna to Peru, but did not resolve the antipathy. Later political problems among these neighbors often referred back to this conflict.