However, this was a good thing for Chile, as their goal was only to defend and they had no intention of counterattacking.
For the Chilean side, their most important task was to hold their territory before British support arrived and to protect the British mining interests in Chile.
But for Argentina, a stalemate in the war was the last thing they wanted to see.
Once the war entered the attrition phase, it would not only consume a large amount of Argentina's domestic resources, but most importantly, it would waste Argentina's time.
If the battle couldn't be resolved quickly, would the Americans send troops to help Argentina?
Perhaps they would if the opponent were Italy. But the opponent was the British Empire, the world's first superpower, and even the German Empire wouldn't offend them easily, let alone the United States, which was generally despised by Europeans as nouveau riche.
Frankly speaking, the war had already become too much for both of the two major South American nations to handle. If it weren't for the strong conviction on both sides to win, they might have already reached the stage of seeking peace.
In order to win the war, Argentina spared no expense and purchased a large number of heavy machine guns and firearms from the United States in an effort to break through Chile's defenses as quickly as possible.
On July 29, 1913, as July was drawing to a close, the third offensive and defensive battle between Argentina and Chile officially began.
This time Argentina went all out, sending an additional 10,000 reserve troops to the frontlines, as well as providing a large number of machine guns, artillery, and weaponry ammunition, along with medical supplies.
Currently, Argentina's equipment on the frontline had surpassed Chile's, which showed just how huge the price Argentina had paid for the war.
These weapons, equipment, and strategic supplies alone put the Argentinian government deep in debt.
It had been half a month since the last telegram from the British Empire was sent to Arthur.
During this half-month, the Four Great Powers of the Allies had initially negotiated the number of troops they would send.
According to the agreement among the Allies, the proportions of troops to be sent by the Four Great Powers were: 20,000 from Britain, 25,000 from France, 30,000 from Russia, and 16,000 from Australasia.
The total personnel of the Four Great Powers exceeded 90,000, and with the powerful navy providing escort, as well as the remaining tens of thousands of Chilean troops, there was no doubt that they could resolve the small South American war.
Aside from ending the South American war and protecting Britain's interests in South America, this war also served as an important means for the Four Great Powers of the Allies to showcase their respective military strengths.
Therefore, according to their respective agreements, the expeditionary forces of the four countries would send their elite troops, and the combat capabilities of the expeditionary forces must be guaranteed.
While Arthur was not sure about other countries, the troops Australasia planned to send were the Fourth Regular Division, which had undergone long-term training.
The Regular Division was the military unit with the most luxurious weapons and the most outstanding training in Australasia, apart from the Guard Division.
Although the Fourth Division was the last to be established, it had been training for several years.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, it was necessary for the soldiers of the Fourth Division to gain some experience and witness some bloodshed.
After all, an elite force can only be formed after experiencing numerous battles, both large and small.
A force based solely on training cannot grow into an elite army. Only soldiers who have seen blood and been on the battlefield can become excellent elite soldiers.