This week in diplomatic and military history: April 27

Anastasia Bradatan | Apr 27, 2015

May 1st marks the beginning of “[one of the worst] military defeats ever inflicted on a modern nation state” (The Economist). One historian puts the number of dead as a result of the war to 60% of the general population and 90% among those in combat. In other words, an entire nation was almost wiped off the map. The nation, Paraguay, is too often overlooked in the news because of the lack of political and economic weight it carries. This day provides great benefit in understanding Paraguayan nationalism and foreign relations.

Paraguay, a lower-middle income country looked upon as a political “lightweight” in the region, has a heavy history. Although hard to believe now, Paraguay was once a country to be reckoned with. During the mid-1800s, the country’s president,  Carlos Antonio Lopez, industrialized and modernized his country’s transportation system. He began building his military capital for protection against regional neighbors, Brazil and Argentina.  His son, Fransisco Solano Lopez, came to power in 1862 thanks to his father’s military initiatives, and he embarked on what would be the longest war in Latin American history: The War of the Triple Alliance.

The origins of the conflict stem from post-colonialist border disputes between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, as well as Fransisco Lopez’s military assertiveness and the conflicting commercial and navigation rights of the Rio Paraguay that separates Brazil and Paraguay. Although highly contested, some historians believe that British economic interests played a significant role because of its support for the Triple Alliance. The ongoing tension between Paraguay and its neighbors was exacerbated with Uruguay’s civil war during the 1860s. Brazil, concerned about its economic interests there, threatened to intervene. Fransisco Solano Lopez, worried about having Brazil so close to his territory, threatened to take military action if Brazil were to invade Uruguay. Pedro the Second, the Brazilian emperor, proceeded anyway, and, in response, Paraguay declared war and attacked the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso. His actions were futile; Brazil won against him in Uruguay. Lopez, realizing he lost, was ready to sign a peace treaty; however, in order to declare peace, he was asked by Brazil and Argentina to accept all the conditions of the humiliating Treaty of the Triple Alliance Agreement. He turned his back on their treaty, and Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay proceeded by forging their military partnership, marking the beginning of the Great Paraguayan War.

On this day in history, May 1, 1865, the Treaty of the Triple Alliance Agreement was signed. The significance of this treaty comes from its binding, harsh conditions that led to the destruction of Paraguay during the war and long after. Among the harshest conditions was article six, essentially stating that all three countries could not stop fighting until Fransisco Solano Lopez died. There was also article fourteen, which stipulated that Paraguay would be responsible for the entire cost of the war. This left Paraguay, which up until the war had had no external debt, hugely indebted to the Triple Alliance countries. Article seventeen, stating that the three countries could take any measures to ensure that Paraguay follows the treaty, left Paraguay in the hands of the Triple Alliance. Furthermore, article seven of the treaty pitted Paraguayans against Paraguayans, stating that allies were able to recruit Paraguayans willing to overthrow the government. Many exiles joined the Paraguayan Legion against Lopez’s rule, creating a division that would exist long after between Lopiztas and antilopiztas.

The effects of the treaty, as much as the war overall, are still visible to this day. Brazil and Argentina annexed nearly 50,000 miles of Paraguayan land, and Paraguay’s production of its biggest cash crop, yerba mate, dropped almost to the point of non-existence. Paraguay lost much of the industrialization it had developed under Carlos Antonio Lopez.

The memory of the war continues to survive in the national memory. The Lopez Palace, where the president lives, holds a painting of Fransisco Solano Lopez. In Paraguay’s foreign relations, the scars of the war are still seen. With the suspension of Paraguay’s Mercorsur membership in 2012, the Paraguayan government directly accused the countries that were once part of the Triple Alliance, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, of using the same language they used during the war of 1862. As Paraguay’s president at the time, President Franco, stated, “This is a poor but dignified country. It’s poor as a consequence of an unjust war.”

Works Cited

D’Angelo, Guillermo. “The War That Changed South America Forever.” Argentina Independent. Web.

“How Terrible Little Known Conflict Continues to Shape and Blight Nation.” The Economist. Web.