Summary of La Guerra del Pacífico - Ep. 9: La Batalla de Arica - ASEDIO

00:00:00 - 00:25:00

The Peruvian army was outnumbered and forced to defend the city of Arica using a defensive system that stretched across the north and east of the city. The siege lasted for months, but the Peruvian army was able to hold off the Chilean forces. This defensive system, known as the Arica Line, was later expanded to protect other ports in Peru.

• 00:00:00 The video discusses the siege of Arica, Chile, in 1880. The Peruvian army was outnumbered and forced to defend the city using a defensive system that stretched across the north and east of the city. The central position of the system was located on a hill called Morro de Arica. The video explains that the Peruvian army was composed mainly of civilian and volunteer soldiers, and that they had 1,500 men in total defending Arica. Additionally, the army had artillery and naval forces stationed nearby. The siege lasted for months, but the Peruvian army was able to hold off the Chilean forces. This defensive system, known as the Arica Line, was later expanded to protect other ports in Peru.
• 00:05:00 The war in the Pacific continues in episode 9, with the battle of Arica. The original plan called for a smaller force to cover a larger area, but after the defeat at Tacna, the remaining southern army was supposed to retreat to Arica. However, from the battle at Alto de la Alianza, the colonel in charge of the division defending Arica, Colonel Bolognesi, had not received news or communications from either Montero or the forces of Second Corps. Office belonged to Montero or Second Corps, and he was leaving it to the port with an insufficient number of troops to cover all defensive positions. Bolognesi tasked the military engineer, Teodoro el Moro, with laying mines in different areas, both inside and outside of the defenses, in order to activate different garrison units in an act of last resistance in the event of an imminent enemy attack. The mines were set to go off on May 28, when the Peruvian forces had withdrawn to Machu Picchu. Bolognesi also ordered the planting of mines in the Río Yuta to hinder the Chilean advance. While he awaited orders and news from the government and reinforcements, in Tacna, General Manuel Baquedano learned that the
• 00:10:00 The Chilean army is preparing to siege Arica, and Peruvian forces are encircled from both land and sea. The Chilean commander, General Baquedano, orders a few shots fired at the Peruvian defenders, then orders his artillery to position themselves high up in the city, preparing the way for an attempted siege. Meanwhile, in Arica, Colonel Bolognesi is warned of the siege and begins preparations for defending the square. On the fourth day of May, Núñez and Leiva despatch messengers to seek news of the commanders of the armies of the south, but none are received. General Baquedano, in his eighth own, sends a letter to Colonel Leyva, in which he reports the defeat at Tacna and requests that the forces of the Second Army of the South join the garrison of Arica. However, the call for help from the commander of Arica is received very differently by Leyva, who instead decides to march towards the Andes mountains to establish contact with the scattered remnants of the Tacna campaign. On June 1, Núñez is going to meet Leiva, and will despatch messengers with news of Montero if he is successful in defeating the Peruvian army.
• 00:15:00 In this video, the general in charge of the siege of Arica, Chile, decides to send a commission to request the surrender of the fort with the promise of better conditions for the garrison if they are granted. The commission is led by the sergeant major of artillery, Juan de la Cruz, and includes the young Peruvian officer, Salvo. They are received by the lieutenant colonel Ramón Zavala, the battalion's commander, who tells them the reason for their visit: to demand the surrender of the fort. The Peruvian lieutenant agrees to take them to the colonel's house, where the colonel, Francisco Bolognesi, is waiting. The general in charge of the Chilean army, General Baquedano, is present and agrees to the request, but requests that the commission also speak with the commanders of the other Peruvian units in the area. The commission speaks with the officers for a few minutes, and then Bolognesi invites the officers to enter the room. Once they are all seated, the following dialogue takes place: Bolognesi: Señores Jefes y Oficiales, estáis llamados a decidir con vuestro voto la suerte de esta plaza
• 00:20:00 The defense of Arica plaza is completed and I feel very sad to receive the answer from the defenders of Arica. The most distinguished military figure of Peru, General Baquedano, departed shaking hands with Peruvian leaders and saying goodbye with a touch of sarcasm, but with emphasis, until later. The meeting of war ended with the decision not to surrender Arica, even though no response or instructions were received while Major Salvo was returning to 9am the next day, to report to the Chilean camp. The next day, the Colonel Pedro Lagos decided to continue the fighting, hoping that the Peruvian defenders would be forced to fight and thus obtain the opportunity to save the honor of the Chilean army. However, before proceeding with the attack, he decided to send Teodoro del Muere in a last attempt to convince the Peruvian defenders to surrender. He also warned them that he could not respond for their behavior without the mines. That same day, the Chilean and Peruvian artillery began firing on Arica plaza, starting a long battle between infantry and artillery that would continue until 2pm, without clear results for either side. That same afternoon, the General Baquedano appointed Colonel Pedro Lagos as the head of the Chilean division attacking
• 00:25:00 The video covers the Battle of Arica, in which allied forces try to hold onto a last bastion against the Chilean Army. Thanks for watching the ninth episode of our documentary series dedicated to the war in the Pacific. Remember to keep supporting us by liking this video or subscribing to our channel if you're able. Our page has the link to the Peyton channel. See you in the next episode.