Historedia
AmericasEvent

War of the Pacific: Chilean victories at San Juan, Chorrillos and Miraflores and the occupation of Lima

When
1881–1883
Where
Chorrillos; Miraflores; Lima
Episodes
3

In January 1881, Chilean forces defeated Peruvian defenders at San Juan and Chorrillos, then at Miraflores, leading to the occupation of Lima. This campaign marked a decisive land victory in the War of the Pacific, culminating in the capture of the Peruvian capital.

Episodes

  1. 13 January 1881 · ChorrillosBattle of San Juan and Chorrillos

    Chilean forces defeated Peruvian defenders in the first major battle of the Lima campaign on 13 January 1881.

  2. 15 January 1881 · MirafloresBattle of Miraflores

    Chilean forces defeated Peruvian defenders in the second main battle of the Lima campaign on 15 January 1881.

  3. 17 January 1881 – 23 October 1883 · LimaOccupation of Lima

    Chilean forces occupied Lima from 17 January 1881, establishing military control over the Peruvian capital.

Background and detail

Background. The War of the Pacific involved Chile against a Bolivian-Peruvian alliance. By January 1881, Chile controlled the sea and southern provinces. The Lima campaign began with Chilean forces advancing toward the capital, setting the stage for battles at Chorrillos and Miraflores.

Campaign. Chilean divisions advanced from Lurín to Chorrillos, reaching attack positions by morning. The Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos occurred on 13 January 1881. Subsequently, the Battle of Miraflores took place on 15 January, leading to Lima's surrender and occupation.

Occupation. Following the battles, Chilean troops occupied Chorrillos and Barranco on 13 January, and Miraflores on 16 January. Lima was held from 17 January 1881. The occupation lasted until October 1883, with military governance established by Chilean commanders.

People involved

Sources

  1. Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
  2. Battle of Miraflores Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21
  3. Occupation of Lima Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
  4. War of the Pacific Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-07

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.