Original Beagle Crisis era 1970s Chilean Army Beret.
Made by "Caffi Hnos,” showing slight wear but in overall excellent condition. Tag size 55cm
The Chilean-Argentine Beagle conflict of 1978 centered around a disagreement over the ownership of Picton, Lennox, and Nueva islands, as well as the extent of their maritime jurisdiction. These islands hold significant strategic value, as they are located near the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego and at the eastern end of the Beagle Channel - one of only three southern hemisphere waterways connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Despite an international ruling in favor of Chile, the Argentine junta refused to comply and instead resorted to military escalation in an attempt to redraw the boundary according to their own claims.
The Beagle conflict, which started in 1904 with Argentina's first official claims to the islands, has played a significant role in Chile's support for the United Kingdom during the Falklands War in 1982. These islands have been under Chilean control since the colonization of southern Patagonia and the Pacification of Araucanía, despite Argentina's attempts to claim them through the Conquest of the Desert. The conflict has undergone various stages, from Chilean claims to disputed islands, to direct negotiations, submission to an international tribunal, and ultimately a settlement. The conflict was successfully resolved thanks to papal mediation. Since 1984, Argentina has officially acknowledged the islands as part of Chilean territory. This treaty not only settled the main dispute, but also addressed significant related matters such as navigation rights, sovereignty over other islands in the Fuegian Archipelago, the boundary of the Straits of Magellan, and maritime borders extending to Cape Horn and beyond.
