Bolivian War (PJW)

The Bolivian War was a conflict that lasted from 1976 to 1982. It is the fifth conflict to involve nuclear weapons, and is officially credited with the breaking of the taboo against nuclear weapons.

In 1969, United States President Richard Nixon sponsored a coup in Chile, overthrowing the democratically elected left-wing government and replacing it with a right-wing dictatorship. In response, communist movements grew across South America, and in 1971 veteran revolutionaries led by Ernesto "Che" Guevara led the overthrow of the Bolivian military junta and established the Democratic Republic of Bolivia. Heavily supported by the new Boda government in China, Bolivia built up its military and planned on spreading the revolution to the rest of the continent.

In 1976, Bolivia demanded Chile return Bolivia's Pacific coastline. When Chile refused, war was declared. What was assumed to be a typical brush fire proxy conflict turned into something more terrible when nuclear devices - given by China to Bolivia - were detonated in the Chilean capital at Santiago and three more cities. This drew widespread condemnation, and resulted in America defended its ally by destroying La Paz with a nuclear missile and occupying the shattered Bolivia.

America's usage of a nuclear missile was a result of following the example set during the First Korean Crisis as well as a show of force after the Soviets destroyed Kabul prior to their invasion of Afghanistan. The launching of an ICBM - as opposed to a bomb being dropped from an airplane four years ago - was believed to been done to showcase the quick advancement of American technology and that it wasn't far behind the Soviets.

American troops occupied the rebuilding Chile and Bolivia for six years until their withdrawal following the 1981 presidential election. Fighting and instability would return to the two nations as democratic, fascist, and communist movements all sought to claim power.