The three countries (population 11 million) historically arrayed against Paraguay (population 450,000) were so superior in numbers that we can conclude that López never had a real chance of defeating the Alliance. Thus, victory in the historical simulation was based on the overall performance of each player when measured against that of their counterparts in the real war. In other words, the Allied player strive to bring Paraguay s defeat sooner and less costly than historically, primarily through strategic engagement; while his opponent tried to delay that decision beyond that date, mainly by limiting his initial strategic objectives, hoping, perhaps, for the announcement of some extra-continental support.
