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Chile- and most of South America for that matter- was neutral during World War I. They did not join any side. Chile produced a lot of sodium nitrate, which is an important ingredient used to make ammunition, so they traded with both sides. However, due to the British naval blockade, it was generally not possible to trade with the Central Powers.

Before and during the war, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina all disliked each other (and to a certain extent, still do). There was an arms race, primarily regarding warships, as each country tried to build a larger navy to intimidate the other countries. When the war started, Chile had bought a couple dreadnought warships from the British- but the British needed more ships to fight the war, so they bought the ships back from Chile.

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7y ago

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