The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler

by Thomas Hager

Peru, home of almost all the easy wealth, the gold and silver of the Incas, had as a result received most of the attention from Spain. The Spanish conquistadores had turned it into a vassal nation, raped it, and looted its riches. It became even after independence a nation of a few very rich families ruling many extremely poor citizens. Chile, by comparison, had many fewer Indians, far less natural wealth, and a heavier influence of settlement by German and British immigrants. The Peruvian tradition was one of aristocratic control, slave labor, and resource exploitation. The Chilean tradition was relatively progressive, nationalistic, enterprising, and aggressive. The Chilean government was stable. Chileans were compared by some historians to the American pioneers.