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The Commander 's Chief Of The Chilean Army

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KEY LEADERS

2.1 Chile

2.1.1 General Manuel Baquedano Gonzalez

The Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army, Gen. Erasmo Escala, resigned his commission due to constant arguments with War Minister Rafael Sotomayor. The latter appointed General Manuel Baquedano Gonzalez, a Peru-Bolivian Confederacy war veteran, who had the sympathies and respect of the soldiers as his successor.

Baquedano was only 15 years old and still at school when the War against the Peru-Bolivian Confederacy began, but he left his studies to join the Army. He participated in the decisive Battle of Yungay in 1839. His actions motivated his promotion to Lieutenant on the field at the age of 16.

When the war ended, he returned to Chile to complete his formal military …show more content…

This maneuver is regarded as the first amphibious disembarkation in history.

Baquedano 's military strategy in this war consisted mainly in frontal attack to break the often over-extended enemy lines.

After the Battle of Tacna, his tactics were publically criticized: he chose to frontally attack with 16 battalions and 3 cavalry regiments, an allied force of nearly 10.000 infantry men equipped with thirty one cannons and machine guns. The Battle was a victory for Chile, but with overwhelming losses that could have been avoided if he listened to Minister Vergara’s suggestion of choosing an envelopment maneuver.

He was a man of stubborn and obstinate nature; he tolerated no argument once he had taken a decision. However, he personally directed battles resulting in decisive victories, and he remained treated as a hero until he died at the age of 74.

2.1.2 Colonel Pedro Lagos

Only an outstanding military mind could be in charge of this assault, so the Commander in Chief himself gave Colonel Pedro Lagos the responsibility for the operation. Lagos had begun his training in the Military Academy. During his first years, he proved to be a hard worker and a very good student. One of his superiors proposed that he would be promoted to second lieutenant, leading to the start of his military career in November 1850.

Defending national authority, he took part in the revolutions of 1851 and 1859. He also participated in the campaigns

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