Battle of Angamos
The Battle of Angamos, fought on October 8, 1879, was a pivotal naval confrontation in the War of the Pacific, a conflict primarily between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. This battle marked the final major naval engagement of the war, resulting in a decisive victory for Chile. The conflict arose from territorial disputes over valuable nitrate-rich regions, particularly in northern Chile, which were critical to the economies of all three nations involved. The war was ignited when Bolivia repudiated a tax exemption treaty with Chile, prompting Chile to occupy the Bolivian port of Antofagasta, leading to a declaration of war by Bolivia and an alliance with Peru. Following earlier defeats of the Peruvian navy, the Chilean fleet’s victory at Angamos significantly shifted the momentum of the war in Chile's favor. In the aftermath, Chile went on to annex key territories, while Bolivia ultimately faced the loss of its coastline, becoming a landlocked country. The conflict persisted until Peru was compelled to cede its nitrate territories to Chile in the Treaty of Ancon in 1883, formally concluding the war. The Battle of Angamos remains a significant event in the historical narrative of South American geopolitics and territorial disputes.
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Battle of Angamos
War of the Pacific: Battle of Angamos
The Battle of Angamos on October 8, 1879, was the last major naval engagement fought between Chile and Peru during the War of the Pacific (1879–83). It was a victory for the Chileans and the tide of war turned solidly in Chile's favor, although hostilities would last for several more years until the Peruvians finally capitulated.
Modern-day northern Chile is rich in nitrates, and in the late 19th century the region was highly coveted by the nations of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. In an 1874 treaty Bolivia had promised to exempt Chilean nitrate companies from taxation within its possessions in that area for 25 years. However, in 1878 Bolivia decided to repudiate the treaty, which led to a Chilean invasion and occupation of the port of Antofagasta in Bolivian territory in February 1879. Bolivia promptly declared war and was joined by Peru pursuant to a secret treaty of alliance. The Chileans then moved against the Peruvian city of Iquique, crushing the Peruvian navy off the city's shores on May 21 and then capturing the city itself. This was followed by several months of naval encounters, which ended on October 8, 1879, when the Chilean fleet once again defeated the Peruvians, this time off the Angamos Peninsula (also known as Point Angamos). Afterward, Chilean forces completed their annexation of the territories of Arica, Tacna, and Tarapaca, thus consolidating their conquest of all of the Bolivian and Peruvian nitrate-producing regions.
Bolivia abandoned the war and resigned itself to becoming a landlocked nation, although a peace treaty was not formally signed until 1884. The Peruvians continued to fight, but the superior Chilean army took their capital of Lima in 1881 and members of the Peruvian government were forced to flee. After several years in hiding, they finally agreed to cede the nitrate territories to Chile in the Treaty of Ancon of October 20, 1883, thereby ending the war.