The Prussian-style tradition that you speak of is tied exclusively to the Chilean Armed Forces. While this would not be obvious to those who perhaps encountered a Chilean soldier on leave in Santiago or a Chilean soldier serving in a peacekeeping role in Haiti, it certainly becomes obvious when you see the dress uniforms or the famous military parade that takes place in Santiago on September 19 every year. Photographs like this one or this one might make any Western reader take a step back and wonder what the hell is going on.

The direct reason for this Prussian influence on the Chilean Armed Forces is the aftermath of the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). Although the war was an outstanding victory for the Chilean Army and Navy, there were still questions about the military performance in the conflict and the future threats that might arise. The War of the Pacific took Chile completely by surprise and it was far from prepared to fight an international war. At this time, the Chilean Army was modelled after French models, with tactics, strategic thinking, weapons, and uniforms drawn entirely from French influence. With the potential that Peru or any other South American nation might want to attack Chile, president Domingo Santa María chose to initiate a military reform starting in 1885. The nation who would serve as a model for the Chilean forces fell upon the now unified Imperial Germany whose victories in three separate wars stood out to Chilean observers.

The Prussian influence on the Chilean Armed Forces reached a height between 1891 (after the Chilean Civil War) and 1906. It was during this period that Prussian officers like Emil Körner became Inspector General of the Chilean Army. Körner and his fellow Prussian officers, including a Swedish officer by the name of Wilhelm Ekdahl (who wrote a multi-volume work about the history of the War of the Pacific, completely in Spanish), set out to completely modernize the Chilean Armed Forces, carrying through a major overhaul in weaponry, uniforms, tactics, strategy, and much more. Since this became the basis of the modern Chilean Army of the 20th century, this would therefore become the traditional aesthetics of it. This in turn also influences other aspects of Chilean society, like the Chilean national police force which hasty formation in 1927 meant that they had to use pre-existing military uniforms. This would help to explain why Chilean police officers today still wear Prussian-inspired army officer caps.