Editing Bolivia (section)

=== Early 20th century ===

{{Main|History of Bolivia (1920–1964)}}
[[File:Map Bolivia territorial loss-en.svg|thumb|left|Bolivia's territorial losses (1867–1938)]]
During the early 20th century, [[tin]] replaced silver as the country's most important source of wealth. A succession of governments controlled by the economic and social elite followed [[laissez-faire]] capitalist policies through the first 30 years of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rabanus |first= David |url=http://www.bolivien-liest.de/en/country_en.html |title=Background note: Bolivia |publisher=Bolivien-liest.de |access-date=14 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825224419/http://www.bolivien-liest.de/en/country_en.html |archive-date=25 August 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Living conditions of the native people, who constitute most of the population, remained deplorable. With work opportunities limited to primitive conditions in the mines and in large estates having nearly feudal status, they had no access to education, economic opportunity, and [[Participation (decision making)|political participation]]. Bolivia's defeat by Paraguay in the [[Chaco War]] (1932–1935), where Bolivia lost a great part of the [[Gran Chaco]] region in dispute, marked a turning-point.<ref>{{cite book |last=Osborne |first= Harold |title=Bolivia: A Land Divided |publisher=London: Royal Institute of International Affairs |year=1954}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=History World |title=History of Bolivia |publisher=National Grid for Learning |year=2004 |url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac11 |access-date=12 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821200723/http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac11 |archive-date=21 August 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Forero |first=Juan |title=History Helps Explain Bolivia's New Boldness |work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/weekinreview/07forero.html |date=7 May 2006 |access-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416175436/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/weekinreview/07forero.html |archive-date=16 April 2009 |url-status=live}} [http://www.geography.wisc.edu/archiveNews/2006/pdf/NYT-History%20Geography%20Bolivia.pdf (PDF)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324233328/http://www.geography.wisc.edu/archiveNews/2006/pdf/NYT-History%20Geography%20Bolivia.pdf |date=24 March 2009}}, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Department of Geography</ref>

On 7 April 1943, Bolivia entered [[World War II]], joining part of the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]], which caused president [[Enrique Peñaranda]] to declare war on the [[Axis powers]] of [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], [[Fascist Italy (1922-1943)|Italy]] and [[Empire of Japan|Japan]].

In 1945, Bolivia became a founding member of the United Nations.

The [[Revolutionary Nationalist Movement]] (MNR), the most historic political party, emerged as a broad-based party. Denied its victory in the 1951 presidential elections, the MNR led a successful revolution in 1952. Under President [[Víctor Paz Estenssoro]], the MNR, having strong popular pressure, introduced [[universal suffrage]] into his political platform and carried out a sweeping land-reform promoting rural education and nationalization of the country's largest tin mines.