Why did Paraguay fail to be an important country in South America during the 19th Century?

[Francisco Fernando]

Why didn't Paraguay prospered that much in the 19th century? Why didn't her economy rise as much as Gran Colombia, Brazil, or Argentina. The country could be successful because of its waterway linking Bolivia and Argentina. The country was the center of yerba mate and wood products. The population was extremely homogeneous as it was 95% mestizo. What could the Lopez family had done in order to have avoided the war in the first place. If the war was avoided, how likely would it be to be a regional power. There are successful landlocked countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. More importantly, could the country expand even with what it had in the 19th Century?

 

[Whiteshore]

Because Lopez was an incompetent a**hole who killed large swathes of his population?

 

[Clandango]

Switzerland spent centuries as a dirt poor confederation of many tongues and de religious denominations whose prime export were mercenaries. Not like in Hesse either where the rulers basically enslaved his men to rent out to other countries, but with the Swiss it was genuinely one of the better sources of income. As for Austria? It had centuries of ruling over wealthy lands in Italy, Czechia, and the Low Countries to acquire the trappings of a grand state, then got assured neutrality like the Swiss did (though in the case of the Swiss, the treaty was because Europan powers felt threatened by them. And of course in both cases they were entirely occupied or swallowed up by their neighbors before reaching their more successful times as neutral states. Besides, the Swiss didn't really need a coastline. They could ship things along rivers or roads to the wealthy cities all around the alps. Paraguay... Well, kinda wilderness back then. Maybe if they find a while to get loads more immigrants they can try rushing inland to settle more land. Doesn't seem the highest quality.

 

[Lecen]

Paraguay had a small population, spread afar through the country, which was mostly depopulated. The towns were small villages at best. The only large town was the capital, Asunción, whose streets were made of dirt. To make it worse, the three dictators who ruled the country until 1970 closed the economy to foreign trade and even when they opened, they were arbitrary. There are well known case of French immigrants who were turned into virtual slaves by the Paraguayan government, and of foreign investors who had their properties confiscated for ridiculous motives. Why anyone sane would invest money on a country such as that? It becomes worse when you remember that Solano Lopez went to war against Brazil, when Paraguayan troops were armed mostly with 18th century cannons and outdated handguns, as well as with bamboo spears, while Brazilians were the only in South American who could build ironclads, had rifled arms and a large population.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

Wars have consequences!

 

[Jonatan15]

Because Paraguay Engaged Brazil and Argentina simultaneously Of course if Mr. Lopez tried to do it in other way or Strengthen the army a bit more it could be a little bit diferent.

 

[Gukpard]

Why didn't Paraguay prospered that much in the 19th century? Why didn't her economy rise as much as Gran Colombia, Brazil, or Argentina. The country could be successful because of its waterway linking Bolivia and Argentina. The country was the center of yerba mate and wood products. The population was extremely homogeneous as it was 95% mestizo. What could the Lopez family had done in order to have avoided the war in the first place. If the war was avoided, how likely would it be to be a regional power. There are successful landlocked countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. More importantly, could the country expand even with what it had in the 19th Century?

Well, because...

Because Lopez was an incompetent a**hole who killed large swathes of his population?

Paraguay had a small population, spread afar through the country, which was mostly depopulated. The towns were small villages at best. The only large town was the capital, Asunción, whose streets were made of dirt. To make it worse, the three dictators who ruled the country until 1970 closed the economy to foreign trade and even when they opened, they were arbitrary. There are well known case of French immigrants who were turned into virtual slaves by the Paraguayan government, and of foreign investors who had their properties confiscated for ridiculous motives. Why anyone sane would invest money on a country such as that? It becomes worse when you remember that Solano Lopez went to war against Brazil, when Paraguayan troops were armed mostly with 18th century cannons and outdated handguns, as well as with bamboo spears, while Brazilians were the only in South American who could build ironclads, had rifled arms and a large population.

Because Paraguay Engaged Brazil and Argentina simultaneously Of course if Mr. Lopez tried to do it in other way or Strengthen the army a bit more it could be a little bit diferent.

Well, they answered it for me

 

[Thanksforallthefish]

Most of the countries in South America started with several disvantages, mostly the legacy of poor colonial managment. But the key disavantage for Paraguay was leadership. Lopez led the country to national suicide, and those who followed him did not any better. And being landlocked is a major disavantage when you have troubles with the country that has the only major waterway to the rest of the world, Argentina. (the Pilcomayo river is not particulary navigable in its upper courses, and the land was inhabited by hostile natives). By the reasons mentioned above, there was no foreign interest in Paraguay; compare to Argentina that was embroiled in a *pointless* civil conflict and yet attracted the attention of European interests (not necessarily a good attention, but...). So trade comes slowly to Paraguay as it is, and it becomes worse with the closed, sometimes incoherent policies of dictators like López. The best way for Paraguay to succeed is to have a good leadership and good relations with their neighbors, slowly improve their local production and industry, and avoid any wars.

This might have interesting butterflies in South America, now that I think about it. For starters, without a major war where they were used as cannon fodder, Afro-Argentines would have a larger population and perhaps be more visible culturally. Also there's a good chance that relations between Argentina and Brazil would be tenser than OTL, and Paraguay could be a major flashpoint. And I'll have to consult a history book to see the millions of butterflies that this could generate on the Argentine civil wars; for starters, a more outward focused Paraguay might chose to help caudillos and provincial armies in Argentina in key battles (much like Brazil and Uruguay intervened in many battles) so the nation building in Argentina would be a lot different.

 

[Lecen]

Something else that should be pointed is that large regions of the country were owned by the Lopez family. They treated the government as their private business, awarding each other huge tracts of lands. You can't expect a country whose government is so corrupt to prosper.

Moreover, much has been said about the populational decline of the Paraguayan people and it's always understood wrong. The allied troops didn't advance killing innocent civilians. There was no genocide or holocaust. The allied armies only reached towns in 1869, more than four years after the war started and what they found were countless bodies and starved civilians roaming the countryside.

What happened? Well, Solano Lopez had the brilliant idea of ordering civilians of leaving their lands and towns, to prevent anyone from falling into allied hands. What happened when you have tens of thousands leaving their lands? People starve, because there is no one in the fields producing food. It gets worse when you find out that whoever remained behind, or was too weak to withdraw, was killed by Lopez's soldiers.

When the Brazilians found the Paraguayan civilians in 1869, they were horrified. When they captured the first Paraguayan town on January 1, 1869, which was the capital, it has been emptied, except for a few foreigners who remained behind. The Brazilians kept marching north, where they finally reached other Paraguayan towns. During the journey, they met with masses of living skeletons, mostly women and children, roaming the countryside. The Brazilians fed the civilians they found and sent them to Asunción, but there was a moment in which so many were in need, that both civilians and Brazilian soldiers starved. There wasn't food for everyone.

 

[Gukpard]

Something else that should be pointed is that large regions of the country were owned by the Lopez family. They treated the government as their private business, awarding each other huge tracts of lands. You can't expect a country whose government is so corrupt to prosper.

Moreover, much has been said about the populational decline of the Paraguayan people and it's always understood wrong. The allied troops didn't advance killing innocent civilians. There was no genocide or holocaust. The allied armies only reached towns in 1869, more than four years after the war started and what they found were countless bodies and starved civilians roaming the countryside.

What happened? Well, Solano Lopez had the brilliant idea of ordering civilians of leaving their lands and towns, to prevent anyone from falling into allied hands. What happened when you have tens of thousands leaving their lands? People starve, because there is no one in the fields producing food. It gets worse when you find out that whoever remained behind, or was too weak to withdraw, was killed by Lopez's soldiers.

When the Brazilians found the Paraguayan civilians in 1869, they were horrified. When they captured the first Paraguayan town on January 1, 1869, which was the capital, it has been emptied, except for a few foreigners who remained behind. The Brazilians kept marching north, where they finally reached other Paraguayan towns. During the journey, they met with masses of living skeletons, mostly women and children, roaming the countryside. The Brazilians fed the civilians they found and sent them to Asunción, but there was a moment in which so many were in need, that both civilians and Brazilian soldiers starved. There wasn't food for everyone.

Do not forget how Lopez tried to delay the brazilian army by sending child soldiers as cannon fodder against their troops, according to the documentary "A guerra do paraguay, a nossa grande guerra" he came to the point of giving fake beards for those children for them look old enought for the brazilians to engage it

 

[Lecen]

I personally believe that when a dictator sends children to wage war to maintain his power there is nothing heroic in it, it's simply sad and outrageous.

Few people know this, but Solano Lopez executed his two brothers and his sisters' husbands. He also tortured his sisters and his own mother. You can't admire someone like him, it's impossible. He actually ordered his mother be executed, but lucky for her, it was on the very day that Brazilian cavalrymen attacked his camp and killed him.

 

[Gukpard]

I personally believe that when a dictator sends children to wage war to maintain his power there is nothing heroic in it, it's simply sad and outrageous.

This is the consensus by any rational human being

I was just telling you one of the (many) war crimes that Solano did

 

[Saci]

Lopez could have ended the war just after the paraguayan troops left brazilian territory. Pedro II considered to be a matter of honor to evict the paraguayans from brazilian soil before allowing peace discussions but after the brazilian made them retreat back, the government was open to negotiations - a fact noted by Solano's brother, who advised him to end the war. He was executed.

 

[Lecen]

This is the consensus by any rational human being

I was just telling you one of the (many) war crimes that Solano did

Sorry, I wasn't implying that you were supporting Lopez. Not at all. I was just commenting on what you mentioned, regarding the conscription of children to fight in a lost war.

 

[Lecen]

Lopez could have ended the war just after the paraguayan troops left brazilian territory. Pedro II considered to be a matter of honor to evict the paraguayans from brazilian soil before allowing peace discussions but after the brazilian made them retreat back, the government was open to negotiations - a fact noted by Solano's brother, who advised him to end the war. He was executed.

You're mistaken. Pedro II made a point of honor ending the war only after Solano Lopez had been removed from power. If Lopez really cared about his people and his country, all he had to do was to renounce and depart.

 

[Lampiao]

Why is it always about one crazy dictator? Paraguay simply couldn't be a rich country, with of without Lopez. If big countries like Brazil and Argentina simply lacked the human and natural resources to become industrial societies during the 19th century why would the landlocked, sparcely populated, isolated buffer state between them would be magically a regional power?

 

[Francisco Fernando]

Could European immigrants and people from neighboring countries filled the void for the emptiness of Paraguayan society. The country could've been rebuilt quick with immigrants. There's evidence of German immigrants from Brazil crossing into Misiones. I think that Lopez did some good things, such as removing the power of the Spanish elites by forcing them to mix with the native population.

 

[Francisco Fernando]

Why is it always about one crazy dictator? Paraguay simply couldn't be a rich country, with of without Lopez. If big countries like Brazil and Argentina simply lacked the human and natural resources to become industrial societies during the 19th century why would the landlocked, sparcely populated, isolated buffer state between them would be magically a regional power?

Brazil and Argentina had natural resources and were rich in farmland. Paraguay has a strong river route like Austria. Paraguay is a gateway for goods transported from Chaco and Mato Grosso to Rio de la Plata. Paraguay is the center of trade routes.

 

[unprincipled peter]

Could European immigrants and people from neighboring countries filled the void for the emptiness of Paraguayan society. The country could've been rebuilt quick with immigrants. There's evidence of German immigrants from Brazil crossing into Misiones. I think that Lopez did some good things, such as removing the power of the Spanish elites by forcing them to mix with the native population.

I believe that was Francia who forced the inter-marriage, and destroyed the colonial power base.

 

[unprincipled peter]

Brazil and Argentina had natural resources and were rich in farmland. Paraguay has a strong river route like Austria. Paraguay is a gateway for goods transported from Chaco and Mato Grosso to Rio de la Plata. Paraguay is the center of trade routes.

Chaco and Mato Grosso were even more isolated and under developed than Paraguay in 19th century. hard to capitalize on trade transport that didn't exist.