The Rise Of Australasia-Chapter 1041 - 780: Exchange of Interests (Happy New Year!)

Chapter 1041: Chapter 780: Exchange of Interests (Happy New Year!)

The war eventually broke out.

For Bolivia and Paraguay, the petroleum in the Northern Chaco region was an absolutely indispensable resource.

Even if it meant paying a heavy price to the Powers, both nations were ready to spark this war, determined to use all their strength to defeat the enemy.

However, in terms of military strength, there was quite a significant disparity between Paraguay and Bolivia.

By the outbreak of the war, Paraguay’s regular army numbered only around 3,000 men, and their arsenal consisted mostly of common rifles, machine guns, and a small number of firearms.

Bolivia was different. With the hefty loans from ExxonMobil, the Bolivian government had enough funds to purchase a large quantity of new weapons from the European powers, including tanks and airplanes.

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This also included tanks, airplanes, and heavy machine guns from Australasia, which gave the Bolivian military a considerable lead in both numbers and equipment.

But this did not mean Bolivia could assume a complete advantage in the war. If one had a map, it would be clear that Bolivia and Paraguay were at entirely different distances from the war’s focal point, the Northern Chaco region.

Paraguay was only about 200 kilometers away from the Northern Chaco, facing little logistical pressure.

Bolivia, on the other hand, was different. The distance from Bolivia to the front line was a daunting more than 2000 kilometers. And this supply line of over 2000 kilometers could almost only be serviced by trucks.

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Although the Bolivians had purchased a large number of tanks, these were practically useless in the jungles and grasslands of the Chaco region.

It’s worth mentioning that the reason for the outbreak of war between the two countries was quite unique. Because Bolivia had bought a large number of airplanes, they started organizing large-scale patrols and reconnaissance operations along the border at the front line.

It wasn’t a big deal not to conduct reconnaissance, but once they did, they discovered a huge unoccupied lake.

One should know that because the Northern Chaco region was extremely hot and dry, water was very important for the border area and definitely a critical strategic resource in war.

Moreover, the lake was vast, significant for both the war effort and the subsequent strategic development of the Chaco region, making it an area that had to be taken.

The Bolivian Air Force quickly reported this major discovery to the government and soon received a response to occupy the lake.

But what the Air Force in the sky didn’t notice was a small outpost in the jungle near the lake, manned by about ten people.

By the time the Bolivian army discovered this small outpost, the Paraguayan army had also noticed the Bolivians.

Due to their numerical superiority, the Bolivians didn’t retreat but instead chose to attack.

And so, the Chaco War quickly erupted, sparking a full-scale war between the two nations.

It is worth mentioning that in the early stages of the war, due to their superior equipment and numbers, the Bolivian army achieved a comprehensive victory.

In just one week, the Bolivian army had successively captured Clares, Toledo, and Bock in the Northern Chaco region—three significant military strongholds.

The Bolivian army was equipped with highly advanced light and heavy weapons, and there were plenty of airplanes patrolling and scouting from above.

Paraguay was the complete opposite. Due to insufficient national strength and unpreparedness for war, the Paraguayan army not only had outdated equipment but also lacked heavy weapons.

Some Paraguayan soldiers didn’t even have firearms; their weapons were machetes, clubs, or even stones picked up from the roadside.

The progress of the war took the British by surprise; their supported Paraguay quickly fell into a disadvantageous position and was even at great risk of defeat by Bolivia.

The British, naturally, did not wish to see such an outcome. With their intervention, the international mediation conference between Paraguay and Bolivia officially began.

Since Bolivia, supported by France, had gained the upper hand, the British, to not be outdone in these negotiations, could only reluctantly invite Australasia to join the talks.

For this reason, Arthur easily achieved his purpose and joined the South American battle for petroleum.

On May 3, 1931, the mediation conference concerning Paraguay and Bolivia officially commenced.

Aside from Paraguay and Bolivia, those attending the conference included three major Powers with influence in South America.

The venue was set in Brazil, which had no involvement in the conflict, ostensibly maintaining impartiality towards both parties.

However, which of the attending Powers and the two countries did not have their own agendas? The mere existence of this peace negotiation was nothing more than one side seeking to buy time for itself, while the other believed victory was already in its grasp.

The peace conference began with the negotiations for mediation immediately hitting a stalemate. The Bolivian delegates directly proposed conditions that the British could never agree to, demanding all harbors along the Paraguay River and the occupation of the entire Chaco region.

This would not only deprive the British of the Chaco’s petroleum but would also cause their supported Paraguay to suffer heavily, possibly leading to its complete downfall.

The British naturally would not accept such demands; after all, there’s an etiquette to beating a dog—you must consider its master. With the British openly supporting Paraguay, Paraguay’s victory or defeat was directly linked to the British interests.