Between 1879 and 1883, a large-scale war broke out between Chile, Peru and Bolivia in South America. The war was fought over resources, but the three countries were chasing not oil, but saltpeter. So this war is also known as the "Saltpeter War".
In the mid-19th century, with the opening of the Second Industrial Revolution, saltpeter became popular as an agricultural fertilizer and raw material for heavy industry. At the same time, saltpeter sources were discovered in the deserts of Atacama, South America, and the inherent territorial disputes between the three countries intertwined, eventually triggering the saltpeter war.
Although it is the Three Kingdoms War, the process of this war is really lackluster, and the only bright spot is probably the Chinese workers who have crossed the ocean.
Before the war, the Chilean army numbered only 2,500, and the combined Peruvian and Bolivian forces had 11,000 men. Although all countries mobilized urgently after the war, the number of troops participating in the war was at most tens of thousands, and some of them were only armed with wooden sticks.
Just from the size of the army, we can imagine the general scene of this war, that is, the partial south of the United States, so that they can fight fiercely. If placed in Eurasia, these armies would have been wiped out before they could even get out of the gate.
This is not a brag, there were many chinese laborers in Peru at that time, and these Chinese workers suffered from oppression in Peru. When the Chilean army invaded Peru, these Chinese workers rose up one after another and fought alongside the Chilean army.
A Chinese named Qin Ding Qin Dana led 1500 Chinese workers to join the Chilean army to form the "Vulcan Battalion".
In January 1881, during the Battle of San Juan and the Battle of Mirafleros, the Vulcan Battalion fought bravely and was praised by the Chileans as the "Spartacus of the East".
Shocked, not shocked, the Chinese known as the sick man of East Asia arrived in South America, and this knot instantly became Spartacus. Is the Chinese workers too strong, or the local army too dish?
In short, Bolivia and Peru eventually lost the war despite their population and army outnumbering Chile. As a result, Chile became the world's largest exporter of saltpeter, entering the so-called "fertilizer era" and accelerating the pace of modernization.