Chapter 04 of 5
The War of the Pacific
Three nations go to war over the right to bird waste.
- Conflict Catalyst
The Ten-Cent Tax
In 1878, Bolivia ignored a treaty by taxing a Chilean nitrate company. This small fee on bird droppings ignited a continental powder keg.
- Geopolitics
The Secret Alliance
Peru and Bolivia signed a secret mutual defense pact in 1873. When Chile moved against Bolivia, Peru was dragged into the line of fire.
- Turning Point
Chile's Declaration
On April 5, 1879, Chile officially declared war on both Peru and Bolivia. The battle for the Atacama Desert had begun.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What was the most significant geographic outcome for Bolivia following the War of the Pacific?
🐧 The Guano Wars: A Kingdom for Bird Droppings
- 01White Gold: The Great DiscoveryHow bird droppings sparked a global agricultural revolution.
- 02The Guano Islands ActThe legal land grab that turned citizens into conquerors.
- 03Blood and Bone: The Labor CostThe brutal reality of the workers mining the Chincha Islands.
- 04The War of the PacificThree nations go to war over the right to bird waste.
- 05The Synthetic LegacyFrom bird poop to the Haber-Bosch process and modern law.