Nicolás de Piérola
Supreme Chief and President of Peru
"Lima will be defended to the last."
Biography
A fiery civilian caudillo, Nicolás de Piérola seized power in Peru in the chaos of 1879 amid the disasters of the war, proclaiming himself Supreme Chief. It fell to him to organise the desperate last defence of Lima, throwing together an army of clerks, students, and conscripts to hold the lines at Chorrillos and Miraflores against Baquedano's veterans. The improvised defence was crushed and Lima fell in January 1881, after which Piérola's authority collapsed and he left the country, his rule discredited by defeat. Yet he remained a towering figure in Peruvian politics and returned to win the presidency again in 1895, this time presiding over a period of reform and reconstruction. He is remembered as one of the most charismatic and divisive figures of 19th-century Peru.
Did you know?
Known as 'the Caliph' to admirers and enemies alike, he seized power twice in Peru — once in the ruin of the war, and again by leading an armed march on Lima in 1895.
Key Battles
Battle of Chorrillos
Chile victoryJanuary 13, 1881 · 11,000 total casualties
Chorrillos broke the main Peruvian defence of Lima; the destruction and looting that followed left lasting bitterness. Only the Miraflores lines now stood between Chile and the capital.
Battle of Miraflores
Chile victoryJanuary 15, 1881 · 6,000 total casualties
The fall of Lima was the climax of the war, but not its end: rather than surrender, Peruvian patriots under Cáceres carried on a two-year guerrilla resistance in the mountains against the Chilean occupation.
Life Journey
Timeline
January 5, 1839
🌅 Birth
Born in Arequipa
January 1881
⚔️ Battle
Fails to hold Lima at Miraflores
June 23, 1913
✝️ Death
Dies in Lima, twice a president