1879 – 1884
A war among Chile, Peru, and Bolivia rooted in contested Atacama borders, nitrate wealth, rival commercial interests, treaty obligations, and a Bolivian tax dispute. Chile occupied the Bolivian port of Antofagasta before formal declarations of war, won command of the sea, invaded Peru, and occupied Lima. The settlements transferred nitrate-rich territory to Chile: Bolivia lost its sovereign Pacific coast and Peru ceded Tarapacá, while Tacna and Arica remained disputed for decades. The war’s occupation, guerrilla phase, and effects on Indigenous and civilian populations continued beyond the famous naval and set-piece battles.
Chapter-by-chapter narrative with maps, primary sources, and key events.
Explore battles on a live map with a timeline slider and territory overlays.
Deep-dive into every major engagement — commanders, casualties, significance.
Biographical flip cards with real portraits, facts, and full biography pages.
Trace each figure's full life journey — birth, education, battles, and death — on a live map.
Scroll-driven visualization of casualties — each dot a thousand lives.
Weapons, war machines, and the military innovations that defined how this conflict was fought.
Cause-and-effect chains tracing the war's long shadow on history.
A war among Chile, Peru, and Bolivia rooted in contested Atacama borders, nitrate wealth, rival commercial interests, treaty obligations, and a Bolivian tax dispute. Chile occupied the Bolivian port of Antofagasta before formal declarations of war, won command of the sea, invaded Peru, and occupied Lima. The settlements transferred nitrate-rich territory to Chile: Bolivia lost its sovereign Pacific coast and Peru ceded Tarapacá, while Tacna and Arica remained disputed for decades. The war’s occupation, guerrilla phase, and effects on Indigenous and civilian populations continued beyond the famous naval and set-piece battles.
The War of the Pacific was fought from 1879 to 1884.
The War of the Pacific was fought between Chile and Peru & Bolivia.
An estimated 70,000 people died in The War of the Pacific, including roughly 55,000 military and 15,000 civilian deaths. Figures are scholarly estimates and vary by source.
Major engagements included Battle of Chorrillos, Battle of Tacna (Alto de la Alianza), Battle of Miraflores, and Battle of Arica (Morro de Arica).