The Chaco War

Reviews / Votes

The bloody 1932-35 Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay fundamentally shaped South America in a way that still produces loud echoes today. Yet for English-language readers it remains an obscure conflict bracketed uncomfortably between the First and Second World Wars. This intriguing compilation helps clear a bit of the fog from this particular struggle. More importantly, it offers a series of provocative approaches to understanding the Chaco War's broader effects on 20th-century nationalism, on the indigenous population of the region, and on the international dimension, especially as regards the politics of petroleum. All of these are very modern issues deserving of more attention from scholars. Kudos to Chesterton for getting this very interesting ball rolling. * Thomas Whigham, University of Georgia, USA * This book deeply transforms and enriches our understanding of a hitherto poorly researched Latin American war. In a truly transnational and interdisciplinary perspective, the book reveals how discourses of modernity and nationalism, as well as the perception of space and environmental adaptation, influenced the conduct and consequences of the war. By addressing problems of ethnicity, class and culture, it also brings to the surface the experiences of soldiers, indigenous peoples and women. * Barbara Potthast, University of Cologne, Germany * The Chaco War is a well-rounded contribution that will be of interest to scholars of Latin American history, political science, culture, and literature. Bolivian and Paraguayan specialists will find it especially fascinating, but it will be useful to students of modern Latin America, nationalism, warfare, frontiers, and indigenous history as well. * Middle Atlantic Review of Latin American Studies *