Naval Campaign of the War of the Pacific (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Atacama Desert was a rough terrain to conquer and occupy for long. It was nearly waterless and had few roads and railroads. From the beginning of the war it became clear that, to seize or defend the local nitrate resources in a difficult desert terrain, control of the sea would be the deciding factor. In 1879 Bolivia didn't possess any ships, but on March 26, 1879 Daza formally offered letters of marque to any ships willing to go to combat for Bolivia. 3] Bolivia hadn't signed the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law but the USA, England and France stood by the treaty and refused to accept the legality of Bolivia's act.