The Chaco War was the first modern conflict in South America. Over time,
it became the topic of many volumes published in both Bolivia and
Paraguay - first by veterans, such as the commanders-in-chief, and the
commanders of army corps', regiments or battalions, and by other ranks,
in the form of personal memoirs or wider histories, and using a wide
variety of sources. Subsequently, the conflict attracted attention of
many foreign writers, foremost from the United States of America and
Europe, who researched it with great interest. Hundreds of related
articles have also been published.
Nevertheless, The Chaco War, 1932-1935 is the first ever concise
history of this conflict, providing the reader with the full background
to this conflict, the military build-up of the Bolivian and Paraguayan
armed forces, a blow-by-blow account of Bolivian penetration of this
territory since the early 20th Century, precise details on troops
mobilized for the war by both sides, all of the battles fought between
the belligerents, and their casualties.
Two very different military concepts faced each other: the German
General Hans Kundt, a First World War veteran, hired by the Bolivian
Government, was a proponent of the typical Prussian tactics of front
attacks regardless of cost, but also of the strategy of taking and
controlling as much territory as possible without annihilating the
enemy.
The Paraguayan Lieutenant-Colonel José Felix Estigarribia (later
promoted to Colonel, and then General), took his specialization courses
in Chile and France, and was a proponent of tactics of using trench
warfare for defense, and flanking the enemy when in the offensive.
Eventually, Estigarribia's ideas proved their worth - partially because
his forces managed to capture huge stocks of Bolivian arms and
ammunition throughout the war.
This is also the first book to provide an exclusive collection of
photographs from the archives of the Institute of History and Military
Museum of Ministry of National Defence of Paraguay, and several private
archives in Paraguay and Bolivia.
Perfectly complementing the earlier volume The Chaco Air War of the
Latin America@War series, The Chaco War, 1932-1935 provides an
indispensable, single-point-source-of-reference for enthusiasts and
professionals alike.
