The Chaco War, 1932-1935 - Fighting in Green Hell

1-225670

Concise history of first modern conflict in South America, with the full background, the military mobilization and deployment of the Bolivian and Paraguayan armed forces, and all of the battles. Includes 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.

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 Jose 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.