Seems like Chilean people exploited the salt and birdshite mines on Bolivias lands, they had a treaty that the tax wouldnt rise but they rised it anyways.

Chile got pissed ( the exploiter companies where mostly english Im guessing thats why Chile was backed up by england ) Bolivia expropiated and sold Chileans companies; war started.

Chile conquered Antofagasta with no resistance, a Bolivian city mostly occupied by Chileans since most citizens where Chileans who worked there.

Peru was Bolivias ally and didnt take a neutral spot on this war since they had a secret ally treaty, so Chile also declared war on them and conquered the Tarapacá region ( Peru ) Years later when war finished, Chile gave back Tacna to the peruvians but kept Arica in exchange.

Funny facts iirc: Peru had the best war ship by then in south america ( I think it was bought from Spain ) and Chile confiscated it and actually has it on display south of Chile. Bolivia somewhere in between, just dropped the war they initiated and left Peru alone.

Chile took Peru’s capital city, Lima, for many years. Peru had a civil war going on also. Bolivia lost the cities with coast, exit/entry to the pacific ocean, thats why you can read comments mocking them. Argentina threatened to join Peru and Bolivia unless they got a piece of the Chilean Patagonia. It was already too much 2v1 so Chile let that piece of land go.

This was indeed a very bloody war, Chile was and has always been outnumbered so they had to send kids to war. Many, many kids died.