A secret defense pact between Bolivia and Peru that contributed directly to the outbreak of the War of the Pacific in 1879.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 6 February 1873
- Number of articles
- 11 central articles plus 1 secrecy article
- Peruvian signatory
- José de la Riva-Agüero y Looz Corswaren
- Bolivian signatory
- Juan de la Cruz Benavente
- Third party sought
- Argentina, whose inclusion ultimately failed
- Related conflict
- War of the Pacific, beginning 1879
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ongoing border disputes between Bolivia and Chile intensified regional tensions in South America, compounded by a global economic depression and Chile's expansionist ambitions over the mineral-rich Atacama Desert. Bolivia and Peru sought to protect their sovereignty and check Chilean power, creating conditions that made a formal mutual defense arrangement seem necessary.
On 6 February 1873, Bolivia and Peru signed the Treaty of Defensive Alliance in Lima. The pact, composed of eleven articles plus a secrecy clause, established a system of mutual defense guaranteeing the integrity, independence, and sovereignty of both nations. Peru also attempted, unsuccessfully, to bring Argentina into the alliance to further contain Chilean influence.
The treaty's existence became a major point of contention when Chile began its military occupation of Bolivia's Antofagasta in 1879, triggering the War of the Pacific. Concerned about a potential two-front war, Chile resolved its Patagonian border dispute with Argentina in 1881. Historians have since debated the treaty's secrecy, defensive intent, and role in provoking the broader conflict.
Political Outcome
A secret mutual defense alliance was established between Bolivia and Peru, contributing to the outbreak of the War of the Pacific in 1879.
Bolivia and Peru acted independently amid Chilean expansionist pressure in the Atacama region.
Bolivia and Peru were bound by a formal mutual defense pact aimed at containing Chilean territorial ambitions.