Piérola, Nicolás de [key], 1839–1913, president of Peru (1879–81, 1895–99). Minister of finance under José Balta, he was accused of misappropriating funds and was exiled. From Chile he invaded Peru and unsuccessfully attempted to stir up revolution. Later he was allowed to return (1879) to take part in the war against Chile (see Pacific, War of the). When Mariano I. Prado abandoned Peru, Piérola took over the government, but continued failure in the war caused his own flight. He did not succeed in another attempt to seize the government in 1885. After ousting Andrés A. Cáceres in 1894, he became president again and set about the reconstruction of devastated Peru by initiating fiscal, military, religious, and civil reforms.
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