When Bolivian and Paraguayan leaders entered into war over the contested Chaco Boreal in 1932, they unleashed powerful, violent forces that would dramatically alter history. Understanding the Chaco War as the most pivotal event in Bolivia’s modern history, this article seeks to clarify the modernisation programme that had been underway in Bolivia during the 1920s. Reforms marked the decade and intersected with and accentuated a tense political environment. The political dynamic of the years prior to the outbreak of war showed how fragile the Bolivian system was and how the global economy further eroded the government’s manoeuvrability to avoid war.

当玻利维亚和巴拉圭领导人在1932年对有争议的查科·北方公司（Chaco Boreal）进行战争时，他们释放了强大的暴力力量，这将大大改变历史。本文将Chaco战争理解为玻利维亚现代历史上最关键的事件，旨在阐明1920年代在玻利维亚进行的现代化计划。改革标志着十年，与紧张的政治环境相交并突显出来。战争爆发前几年的政治形势表明，玻利维亚体系多么脆弱，全球经济如何进一步侵蚀了政府避免战争的可操作性。