Logistics in the Pacific War. Conformation of support to the force

Abstract

In the course of the 19th century, European logistics in war became institutionalized, achiev- ing that the campaign units received effective support when maneuvering towards their objectives. In opposition to this, 1879 ́s Chilean Army still did not have an organization that could support a force in campaign and before the surprise that represented the War of the Pacific, hastily instituted diverse services that supported it. Through this brief historiographic account we will seek to identify how the Institution- al Logistics began, observing the altruistic work of civilians and soldiers who achieved their development and effective support to the troops, of which there is a clear descriptive gap but not a historical emptiness, because the data exist and it is demonstrated through this chronicle, conceived for a better understanding of this period and the Chilean military history that has been interpreted through an analysis based on a current logistical knowledge, not to give a modern approach to a historical situation, but to provide a better understanding of it.