Maria Angelica Torres

0902377

Section 1.
-What diversionary elements can you find in the War of the Pacific?

We can find several elements of the diversionary theory of war in the war of the pacific. The
series of events that preceded the War of the Pacific in Bolivia were overwhelming for the
war to break out, Relating this war to the text "Domestic Discontent and the external use of
force" It can be argued that the war was started because of internal problems in Bolivia, led
by Hilarion Daza due to the series of tragedies and events in his government, such as the
earthquake in Antofagasta, the tsunamis, the protests and the drought that caused serious
problems in agronomy and weakened agriculture. In addition to this, in Peru there were also
several elements of the theory, the leader Nicolás de Pierola prioritized his personal benefit
over Peruvian society. The war served as a means of distraction trying to cover the different
internal problems that the country was going through.

The Theory of the War of Distraction or also called Foreign Policy of Distraction is a theory
that has been used to explain an international conflict as a response by a government to
redirect attention to domestic problems and obtain some positive effects from them. Also the
theory says that domestic turmoil influences state leaders' decisions towards war, foreign
conflict is often initiated in an attempt to divert attention from domestic problems. All these
factors are present in the war for the Pacific.

The first important element of diversionary theory of war in the Pacific War is the economic
vote, which suggests that when the leader shows that the condition of the economy can be
translated into votes, he uses macroeconomic tools to distract public opinion in his favor, we
can see this reflected in Bolivia since the government of Hilarion Daza makes use of taxes in
relation to an external conflict to satisfy the capitalist elites of Bolivia to distract the attention
of public opinion and thus attract support for its actions that will Later determine the role of
Bolivia in the Pacific War .Increasing "latent" internal turmoil (as measured by economic
indicators) within a country increases the probability that a crisis involving that country will
end in war. This same situation happened in Peru, where it was going through an economic
crisis due to the territories (Arica and Tarapacá) exploited by Chileans.
The Principal-Agent Theory is another of the elements related to the theory and has to do
with the dilemma faced by the leader in his decision-making process when he is forced to
decide between the common welfare of society or to act maximizing his own welfare . This
allows us to understand a little the psychology of the leader to create distraction conflicts in
order to prolong his stay in power. This element can be seen reflected in the decisions of
Hilarión Daza, The internal social conflict of the country prompted President Daza to breach
the 1866 treaty with Chile (despite the fact that this treaty only benefits Chile), Bolivia was
not in a suitable position to go to war, but even so the The war served as a means of
distraction from the delicate situation the country was going through, including corruption,
protests, social movements and the dictatorial military regime of Daza. and also with the
leader Nicolás de Priolora who prioritized his personal benefit over Peruvian society. The war
served as a means of distraction trying to cover the different internal problems that the
country was going through.

In your opinion, which factor was more important in the origin of the Latin American
states, the army or the political parties?
México:
In Mexico, the most important factor for the creation of the State was the army since it was
the first to determine and guide the independence of Mexico. a well-established army had to
emerge that led to independence. For this, three different armies arose that adapted to the
demands of the war of independence. The Mexican Army is the result of the evolution of the
revolutionary forces that emerged from the Constitutionalist Army. the political parties were
not a preponderant actor since after independence several military dictatorships emerged.
Chile:In Chile, the most predominant factor for the creation of the State were the Political
parties.The conservative group maintained the line that characterized it during the 19th
century, that is, it represented a closed class, attached to the rural tradition, very attached to
the principles of Catholicism, which maintained a strong social and economic power. After
1891, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party tended to get closer and closer, due to
programmatic affinities in economic matters, both parties constituting the so-called Coalition.
The political parties were the most important factor since they represented the elite, and the
elite was the most important actor of the time. The parties did not allow other figures to
prevail, such as the army, who, although an important actor, was not the main actor. The elite
and the political parties had control of all sectors of the state.
Paraguay: The army was the most important actor for the creation of the State, since the
leaders of the army went against the Paraguayan State, because the government had not
recognized the victories of the battles of the war of independence and therefore the leaders
The army decided to create the main political parties which led to independence and the
formation of the State.