Argentine victory
123-653: Royalists [REDACTED] Spanish Monarchy The Argentine War of Independence (Spanish: Guerra de Independencia de Argentina ) was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano , Juan José Castelli , Martin Miguel de Guemes and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown . On July 9, 1816, an assembly met in San Miguel de Tucumán , declaring independence with provisions for
246-679: A counter-revolution , and the Intendency of Paraguay , which did not recognize the outcome of events at the May Revolution. However, the improvised army gathered by Liniers at Cordoba deserted him before battle, so the former Viceroy attempted to flee to the Upper Peru , expecting to join the royalist army sent from the Viceroyalty of Peru to suffocate the revolution at Buenos Aires. Colonel Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo , who led
369-641: A national constitution . The territory of modern Argentina was part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , with its capital city in Buenos Aires , seat of government of the Spanish viceroy . Modern Uruguay , Paraguay and Bolivia were also part of the viceroyalty, and began their push for autonomy during the conflict, becoming independent states afterwards. The vast area of
492-487: A Regency Council of Spain and the Indies. As news of this arrived throughout Spanish America during the next three weeks to nine months—depending on time it took goods and people to travel from Spain—political fault lines appeared. Royal officials and Spanish Americans were split between those who supported the idea of maintaining the status quo—that is leaving all the government institutions and officers in place—regardless of
615-536: A caballo ): General Manuel Belgrano was appointed as the new commander of the Army of the North. Facing the overwhelming invasion of a royalist army led by General Pío de Tristán , Belgrano turned to scorched-earth tactics and ordered the evacuation of the people of Jujuy and Salta , and the burning of anything else left behind to prevent enemy forces from getting supplies or taking prisoners from those cities. This action
738-509: A central, imperial authority—and in some cases of even a local, viceregal authority (as in the cases of New Granada and Río de la Plata)—initiated a prolonged period of balkanization in many regions of Spanish America. It was not clear which political units should replace the empire, and there were - among the criollo elites at least - no new or old national identities to replace the traditional sense of being Spaniards. The original juntas of 1810 appealed first, to sense of being Spanish, which
861-523: A child musician (in occasions) serving among its ranks as a snare drummer, in memory of the young 12-year-old drummer Pedrito Rios from Concepcion del Uruguay, who died in action at the Battle of Tacuari in 1811, in which the band lends its name. The band today is led by its Director of Music, Captain Diego Cejas. Composed by Campos Pinto and Otantino Ambrosi, this is the official regimental march of
984-737: A congress and declared the country's independence from Peru. And in Peru, after Bolívar's forces left the country in 1827, Peruvian leaders undid many of his political reforms. There are two types of units: expeditionary units ( in Spanish: expedicionarios ) created in Spain and militias (in Spanish: militias ), units which already existed or were created during the conflict in America. The militias, which were composed wholly of militiamen who were residents or natives of Spanish America, were bolstered by
1107-645: A definitive attack. Buenos Aires was declared a rogue city by the Council of Regency, which appointed Montevideo as capital of the viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, and Francisco Javier de Elío the new viceroy. However, the May Revolution was not initially separatist. Patriots supported the legitimacy of the Juntas in the Americas, while royalists supported instead the Council of Regency; both acted on behalf of Ferdinand VII. All of them believed that, according to
1230-546: A local rivalry, located in the La Plata Basin , had naval communications allowing them to be more in contact with European ideas and economic advances than the inland populations living in provinces such as Tierra del Fuego and Chaco . Paraguay was isolated from all other regions. In the political structure most authoritative positions were filled by people designated by the Spanish monarchy, most of them Spanish people from Europe, also known as peninsulares , without
1353-564: A militia unit commanded by French and Beruti was at the Plaza de la Victoria for a demonstration asking for the dissolution of the Junta formed yesterday, Cisneros' resignation as its president and a formation of new Junta minus the former Viceroy. Then, the Cabildo was overrun and because the Cabildo hadn't met yet, the crowd began to stir. By 9:00 the Cabildo began its work and issued an order for
SECTION 10
#17327654145181476-475: A new viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros , and Liniers handed the government to him without resistance, despite the proposals of the military to reject him. The military conflict in Spain worsened by 1810. The city of Seville had been invaded by French armies, which were already dominating most of the Iberian Peninsula. The Junta of Seville was disestablished, and several members fled to Cádiz,
1599-615: A procurator, to ask for their support for the holding of an open cabildo session, and tell them to go to the Viceroy to approve the plan Sunday, May 20 Saavedra, as commander of the Patrician Corps, later attended the military officers meeting with the Viceroy at a fort, and together with the other officers, returned to the Pena residence that midnight for another meeting with the military officers. Monday, May 21 A riot led by
1722-523: A rebellion among troops that had been gathered for a large expeditionary force to be sent to the Americas. By March 7, the royal palace in Madrid was surrounded by soldiers under the command of General Francisco Ballesteros , and three days later on March 10, the besieged Ferdinand VII, now a virtual prisoner, agreed to restore the Constitution. Riego's revolt had two significant effects on the war in
1845-568: A representative government that would fully include the overseas possessions and was seen as an alternative to independence by many in New Spain (today Mexico ), Central America , the Caribbean , Venezuela, Quito ( Ecuador ), Peru , Upper Peru ( Bolivia ) and Chile . The provinces of New Granada had maintained independence from Spain since 1810, unlike neighboring Venezuela, where royalists and pro-independence forces had exchanged control of
1968-466: A special forces company, the regimental band, and a services company. Its structure is as follows: The Tambor de Tacuari ( Tacuari Drummer ) Band of the Regiment of Patricians, established together with the Regiment in 1806, is the military band that serves as the regiment's musical support service, acting as one of Argentina's most celebrated military bands. It's the only band in the nation to have
2091-667: A strong commitment for South American problems or interests. This created a growing rivalry between the Criollos , white people born in Latin America, and the peninsulares , Spanish people who arrived from Europe (the term "Criollo" is usually translated to English as "Creole", despite being unrelated to most other Creole peoples ). Although they were all considered Spanish, and there were no legal distinctions between Criollos and Peninsulares, most Criollos thought that Peninsulares had undue influence in political matters. The ideas of
2214-734: Is an annual holiday in Argentina to commemorate the First National Government (and the creation of the Primera Junta ), one of the significant events in the history of Argentina . These and other events of the week leading to this day are referred to as the Semana de Mayo (May Week). Royalist (Spanish American Revolution) The royalists were the people of Hispanic America (mostly from native and indigenous peoples) and Europeans that fought to preserve
2337-584: Is known as the Jujuy Exodus . Turning against the Triumvirate orders, however, Belgrano decided to fight the royalists at Tucumán , obtaining a great victory and then decisively defeating the royalist army at the Battle of Salta , in northwestern Argentina, forcing the bulk of the royalist army to surrender their weapons. Tristán (a former fellow student with Belgrano at Salamanca University ) and his men were granted amnesty and released. Then again,
2460-605: Is the oldest and one of the most prestigious regiments of the Argentine Army. The title is often shortened to the Patricians' Regiment ( Regimiento de Patricios ). Since the 1990s the regiment has been designated as air assault infantry. It is also the custodian of the Buenos Aires Cabildo , the welcoming party for visiting foreign dignitaries to Argentina and the escort, and honor guard battalion for
2583-629: The American and French Revolutions , and the Age of Enlightenment , promoted desires of social change among the criollos. The full prohibition imposed by Spain to trade with other nations was also seen as damaging to the viceroyalty's economy. The population of Buenos Aires was highly militarized during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata , part of the Anglo-Spanish War . Buenos Aires
SECTION 20
#17327654145182706-536: The Army of the North to prepare a new invasion of the Upper Peru . However, he quickly resigned as he foresaw yet another defeat. Instead, he developed a new strategy to attack the Viceroyalty of Perú through the Captaincy of Chile , inspired on the writings of Sir Thomas Maitland , who was quoted as saying that the only way to defeat the Spanish at Quito and Lima was attacking Chile first. San Martín asked to become
2829-478: The Battle of Huaqui , whose forces dispersed and left the provinces. The resistance of patriot republiqueta guerrillas of Upper Peru, however, kept the royalists at bay, hampering any serious advance to the south: The other militia sent by Buenos Aires was commanded by Manuel Belgrano and made its way up the Paraná River towards the Intendency of Paraguay. A first battle was fought at Campichuelo , where
2952-546: The Buenos Aires City Police , as well as of Army Headquarters, as the guard of honour of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The modern regiment is organized as the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment "Patricians" , a single battalion infantry regiment as in the other units of the infantry (either line or light infantry) within the whole Army, with five combat companies (which also serve as ceremonial companies),
3075-552: The First Triumvirate . It ended in failure, and the mutinied squad was executed on December 11 the same year, on Bernardino Rivadavia's orders. The merger, as well as other reasons, caused many problems for the new 1st Infantry Regiment. Despite it all, it participated in all other military actions on behalf of the First Triumvirate. Examples of such battles were the Battle of Tucuman , the Battle of Salta ,
3198-491: The Legion Infernal (Infernal Legion) which demanded an Open Cabildo meeting and was interrupting the work of the Cabildo was quickly stopped by Col. Saavedra and he then called on the crowds gathered at the Plaza de la Victoria (today's Plaza de Mayo ) to leave at once. Tuesday, May 22 The Open Cabildo session with Col. Saavedra as one of the invited delegates convened that day. The Patricians Corps, together with
3321-574: The Mapuches . On April 4, Argentine Colonel Juan Gregorio de Las Heras had occupied Concepción , but the Royalists retreated to Talcahuano. In early 1818, Royalist reinforcements from the Viceroyalty of Peru arrived, commanded by general Mariano Osorio , and advanced towards the capital. San Martín then turned to scorched earth tactics and ordered the evacuation of Concepción, which he thought
3444-565: The Treaty of Córdoba , the highest Spanish official in Mexico approved the Plan of Iguala, and although the Spanish government never ratified this treaty, it did not have the resources to enforce its rejection. Ultimately, it was the royal army in Mexico that ultimately brought about that nation's independence. Central America gained its independence along with New Spain. The regional elites supported
3567-645: The further actions of the United Army into Peru were carried on under the authority of the Chilean government, not the United Provinces. However, defensive actions continued to be carried on in the northern frontier of the United Provinces until the 1825 Battle of Ayacucho , which ended the royalist threat from the Upper Peru. The Día de la Revolución de Mayo ( May Revolution Day) on May 25
3690-585: The restoration of Ferdinand VII in 1814, the royalists were split between Absolutists, those that supported his insistence to rule under traditional law, and liberals , who sought to reinstate the reforms enacted by the Cortes of Cádiz. The creation of juntas in Spanish America in 1810 was a direct reaction to developments in Spain during the previous two years. In 1808 Ferdinand VII had been convinced to abdicate by Napoleon in his favor, who granted
3813-412: The retroversion of the sovereignty to the people , in the absence of the rightful king sovereignty returned to the people, which would be capable to appoint their own leaders. They did not agree on who was that people, and which territorial extension had the sovereignty. Royalists thought that it applied to the people on European Spain, who had the right to rule over all the Spanish empire . The leaders of
Argentine War of Independence - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-483: The 1st Regiment on November 11, 1811 and was replaced by Manuel Belgrano. At the same day, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments merged to become the 1st Infantry Regiment "Patricios" with Belgrano as the commander of the new regiment. On December 6, 1811 a mutiny led by a squad of the Patricians Regiment mutinied against their new commander, for the preservation of the regiment's privileges, now removed by
4059-532: The 3rd Battalion was dissolved, leaving the corps with the 1st and 2nd Battalions in its rosters. It was due to a reorganization of Buenos Aires' urban military units. Under the new regulations, all the military units assigned within Buenos Aires (including the Patricians Corps) would be composed of nine companies in every battalion, including grenadier companies. The regimental command, as well as
4182-636: The Americas. In the months following the establishment of the Regency, it became clear that Spain was not lost, and furthermore the government was effectively reconstituting itself. The Regency successfully convened the Cortes Generales , the traditional parliament of the Spanish Monarchy, which in this case included representatives from the Americas. The Regency and Cortes began issuing orders to, and appointing, royal officials throughout
4305-417: The Americas. First, in military matters, the large numbers of reinforcements, that were especially needed to retake New Granada and defend the Viceroyalty of Peru, would never arrive. Furthermore, as the royalist situation became more desperate in region after region, the army experienced wholesale defections of units to the patriot side. Second, in political matters, the reinstitution of a liberal regime changed
4428-495: The Cabildo on his way amid cannon salutes and bells, happy on his now concurrent posts as Patrician Corps Commander and as the new Junta President as well. 4 days after its formation, the new Primera Junta , led by Saavedra as its President, formally announced, through a May 29, 1810 proclamation, that the Buenos Aires Militia Battalions of Infantry are now the very first line infantry regiments, with
4551-777: The Castas Militia Battalion. They were to serve with a new regiment (the 3rd Inf. Regiment), while some servicemen from this battalion were to serve as part of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. On behalf of the First Junta and later of the Junta Grande , the Patricians Regiments went to the former viceregal provinces to formally ask for their inclusion into the new First Junta (and later the Great Junta) and to send their delegates, as well as for
4674-589: The City Government of Buenos Aires . Since 22 September 2010, the Regiment's headquarters building has been a National Historical Monument following a declaration by the Argentine government on the occasion of the country's bicentennial year. The regiment was formed as the Legión Patricia ("Patricians' Legion) from inhabitants of Buenos Aires in 1806 to fight against the British invasions of
4797-486: The Constitution and other changes had been made by a Cortes assembled in his absence and without his consent. He also declared all of the juntas and constitutions written in Spanish America invalid and restored the former law codes and political institutions. This, in effect, constituted a definitive break with two groups that could have been allies of Ferdinand VII: the autonomous governments, which had not yet declared formal independence, and Spanish liberals who had created
4920-755: The Governor of the Province of Cuyo , where he prepared the Chile campaign. Installed in the city of Mendoza , San Martín reorganized the Granaderos cavalry unit into the Army of the Andes , which he created out of patriots from both the United Provinces and exiles from Chile. In early 1817, San Martín led the crossing of the Andes into Chile, obtaining a decisive victory at the battle of Chacabuco on February 17, 1817, and took Santiago de Chile , where he refused
5043-696: The II), with a total of 1,356 soldiers. Regimental command Battalion composition In all: 69 Officers, 70 Sergeants, 20 Drummers, 179 Corporals, and 1,059 enlisted soldiers, for a total of 1,395 Patrician Legionnaires . During the second British invasion of the River Plate, Saavedra was deployed to Colonia del Sacramento with a contingent of troops, but after the British captured Montevideo he returned to Buenos Aires in February 1807. On 7 June 1807, during
Argentine War of Independence - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-582: The Junta to be replaced by an executive Triumvirate in September 1811. This new government decided to promote a new campaign to the Upper Peru with a reorganized Army of the North and appointed José de San Martín , a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars who had recently arrived from Spain, as lieutenant colonel. San Martín was ordered to create the professional and disciplined cavalry unit known as Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers ( Spanish : Granaderos
5289-506: The May Revolution thought that it applied to all the capitals of Spanish kingdoms. José Gervasio Artigas would lead later a third perspective: the retroversion applied to all regions, which should remain united under a confederative system. The three groups battled one another, but the disputes about the national organization of Argentina (either centralist or confederal) continued in Argentine Civil War , for many years after
5412-583: The Northern Army, in replacement of José Rondeau, but the officiality did not recognize this and remained loyal to Rondeau: The unsuccessful outcome of the third Upper Peru campaign would spread rumors in Europe that the May Revolution was over. Furthermore, King Ferdinand VII was restored to the Spanish throne on 1813, so an urgent decision was needed regarding the political status of the United Provinces. On July 9, 1816, an assembly of representatives of
5535-424: The Patrician Regiments during the Army of the North's first battles. By September, the 1st Coy., 1st Infantry Regt. and 1st Coy., 2nd Infantry Regt. joined and participated in the Paraguay campaign on behalf of their regiments. March the next year saw representatives of the 1st and 2nd Infantry join the Liberation of Uruguay campaign as part of the Vanguard Division. Saavedra soon resigned as unit commander of
5658-425: The Patricians. Led by captain Diego Basavilbaso, two companies of the Patricians Corps joined the pacification forces of Vicente Nieto and Colonel Jose de Cordoba in Upper Peru that October, ending the revolutions on October 31 that year with Chuquisaca (today's Sucre in Bolivia ) reoccupied by the royalist forces. The May Revolution 's main protagonists, Saavedra and the Patricians Corps would be successful during
5781-421: The Patricios Legion were located in the Division of Right (red flag), while the 3rd Battalion was in the Reserve Division (Tricolor). The Legion, together with the other urban military battalions deployed, won that battle. Shortly after its successful baptism of fire of 1807, Saavedra and the patricians made an important new service to the public. On January 1, 1809, the Cabildo of Buenos Aires, with support from
5904-429: The Patriots claimed victory. However, they were completely overwhelmed at the subsequent battles of Paraguarí and Tacuarí . Thus, this campaign ended in failure as well from a military point of view; however, some months later, inspired on the Argentine example, Paraguay broke its links with the Spanish crown by declaring itself an independent nation: The undesired outcomes of the Paraguay and Upper Peru campaigns led
6027-422: The Provinces (including three Upper Peru departments but excluding representatives from Santa Fe , Entre Ríos , Corrientes and the Banda Oriental , united into the Federal League ) met at the Congress of Tucumán and declared the Independence of the United Provinces in South America from the Spanish Crown, with provisions for a national Constitution. In 1814, General José de San Martín had taken command of
6150-454: The River Plate . Among some of its first members, it included a woman, the Alférez (approximately, second lieutenant ) Manuela Pedraza , one of the heroes of the Defense of Buenos Aires in 1806. The regiment, therefore, existed prior to Argentine independence. Their first commander was Cornelio Saavedra . The regiment also fought in May Revolution , Cisplatine War , Platine War , Paraguayan War , Dirty War , and Falklands War . Although
6273-443: The Spanish king Ferdinand VII was captured, his sister Carlota Joaquina sought to rule in the Americas as regent, but nothing came out of it because of the lack of support from both the Spanish Americans and the British. Javier de Elío created a Junta in Montevideo and Martín de Álzaga sought to make a similar move by organizing a mutiny in Buenos Aires, but the local military forces intervened and thwarted it. Spain appointed
SECTION 50
#17327654145186396-411: The Spanish military units, tried to replace the viceroy Liniers with a Government Junta headed by Martin de Álzaga and create the "American Spain", before the occupation of Europe by the advancing Napoleonic armies. This was known as the Mutiny of Álzaga . Cornelio Saavedra, with the legion under his command and the native personnel from the other battalions of militias managed to abort the move and ensure
6519-416: The Triumvirate with a new unipersonal Executive office, the Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , and elected Gervasio Antonio de Posadas for that role. One of the first actions of Posadas was to create a naval fleet from scratch, which was to be financed by Juan Larrea , and appointed William Brown as lieutenant colonel and chief commander of it, on March 1, 1814. Against all
6642-454: The Upper Peru. Santiago de Liniers came out of his retirement in Córdoba and organized an army to capture Buenos Aires, Montevideo had naval supremacy over the city, and Vicente Nieto organized the actions at the Upper Peru. Nieto proposed to José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa , viceroy of the Viceroyalty of Peru at the North, to annex the Upper Peru to it. He thought that the revolution could be easily contained in Buenos Aires, before launching
6765-432: The Upper Peru. The royalist generals Vicente Nieto , Francisco de Paula Sanz and José de Córdoba y Rojas were captured and executed. Castelli then proposed to the Buenos Aires Junta to cross the Desaguadero River , taking the offensive into the Viceroyalty of Peru domains, but his proposal was rejected. His army and Goyeneche's stationed near the frontier, while negotiating. Goyeneche advanced and defeated Castelli at
6888-428: The Upper Peru: After securing the loyalty of the northwestern Provinces to the May Revolution through elections of representatives to the Junta in Buenos Aires, Castelli sent General Antonio González Balcarce into the Upper Peru, but he was defeated at the battle of Cotagaita . Castelli then sent him reinforcements, leading to the first patriotic victory at the battle of Suipacha , which gave Buenos Aires control over
7011-455: The Viceroyal government. He and Juan Jose Castelli suggested having an open cabildo for this purpose, as against Martin Rodriguez's plan of revolutionary action against the Viceroy. Saturday, May 19 Saavedra then joined the meetings at the Pena residence, together with other military leaders. The meetings decided that he and Manuel Belgrano meet with the senior mayor of Buenos Aires, Juan Jose de Lezica, and Castelli meet with Julian de Levya,
7134-509: The authority of the viceroy, obtaining as a result of these developments the dissolution of the Spanish rebel units prompting the viceroy to reinstate full control over the military. It also cleared the way for the natives who sought independence. Four companies were also found involved, the 3rd Battalion, Patricians Legion under Jose Domingo de Urien, and some officers of the other two battalions, such as Antonio José del Texo (a captain of one Battalion), Pedro Blanco and José Tomás Boys. Texo Urien
7257-407: The battalion staff composition, were then composed of the following in accordance with the new regulations: The Patricians Corps continued to have battalion numbers in their names and its honorific name in practice, while the other military corps had their honorifics abolished. Earlier in the year, the Chuquisaca Revolution in May and the La Paz revolution in July saw the second combat action of
7380-414: The battle of San Pedro in the Banda Oriental , the Spanish forces from Buenos Aires led by Francisco Javier Elio, including several companies of the Patricians Legion, were preparing to storm Colonia del Sacramento. The British, under Lt. Col. Denis Pack, attacked and defeated them. The whole unit had its baptism of fire on 4 July 1807 when the British attacked Buenos Aires . The 1st and 2nd Battalions of
7503-421: The battles at Vilcapugio, Ayohuma, and the Battle of Sipe-Sipe, all led by their commander, Col. Belgrano. In 1812, he even presided over the creation of the Flag of Argentina in the presence of the Patricians Regiment of Foot in Rosario on February 20. Afterwards, it was placed in active service in Buenos Aires months after its Uruguayan deployment. The regiment fought in the Argentina-Brazil War in 1827 and
SECTION 60
#17327654145187626-409: The command of the troops entirely to San Martín in a meeting on the plains of Maipú. Then, on April 5, 1818, San Martín inflicted a decisive defeat on Osorio in the Battle of Maipú , after which the depleted royalists retreated to Concepcion, never again to launch a major offensive against Santiago. The Chile campaign is generally considered to be the conclusion of the Argentine War of Independence, as
7749-460: The control of the royalist armies on the path to full independence. The governments of these regions, which had their origins in the juntas of 1810—and even moderates there who had entertained a reconciliation with the crown—now saw the need to separate from Spain, if they were to protect the reforms they had enacted. Spanish liberals finally had success in forcing Ferdinand VII to restore the Constitution on January 1, 1820, when Rafael Riego headed
7872-432: The convening of an open cabildo to discuss the fate of the local government. The military gave their support to the request, forcing Cisneros to accept. The discussion ruled the removal of viceroy Cisneros and his replacement with a government junta , but the cabildo attempted to keep Cisneros in power by appointing him president of such junta. Further demonstrations ensued, and the Junta was forced to resign immediately. It
7995-476: The criollos during the conflict, and the Regiment of Patricians became a highly influential force in local politics, even after the end of the British threat. The transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil generated military concern. It was feared that the British would launch a third attack, this time allied with Portugal. However, no military conflict took place, as when the Peninsular War started Britain and Portugal became allies of Spain against France. When
8118-445: The days leading up to May 25, 1810, open cabildo of Buenos Aires, which resulted to the Viceroy's forced resignation and the birth of the Primera Junta . This is the reason why the Patricians Regiment is often called The Sword of May . Monday, May 14-Thursday, May 17 Upon hearing the news that by January, the Junta of Seville had fallen, Saavedra decided to let everyone take advantage of Napoleon's Peninsular Campaign to act against
8241-413: The deposed king and did not formally declare independence. Juntas were successfully established in Venezuela , Río de la Plata and New Granada , and there were unsuccessful movements to do so in other regions. A few juntas initially chose to recognize the Regency, nevertheless the creation of juntas challenged the authority of all sitting royal officials and the right of the government in Spain to rule in
8364-410: The developments in Spain, and those who thought that the time had come to establish local rule, initially through the creation of juntas, in order to preserve the independence of Spanish America from the French or from a rump government in Spain that could no longer legitimately claim to rule a vast empire. It is important to note that, at first, the juntas claimed to carry out their actions in the name of
8487-408: The dispersal of the crowd. The Patrician Corps led by Saavedra was there, together with the other military units whose commanders came to the Cabildo to ask for their compliance. But they didn't comply. Saavedra and some unit commanders were outside the Cabildo, and the commanders who were there told the Cabildo that the order could not be executed and obeyed. While this was happening the Patrician Corps
8610-431: The empire. Those who supported the new government came to be called "royalists." Those that supported the idea of maintaining independent juntas called themselves "patriots," and a few among them were proponents of declaring full, formal independence from Spain. As the Cortes instituted liberal reforms and worked on drafting a constitution, a new division appeared among royalists. Conservatives (often called " absolutists " in
8733-422: The end of the war of independence. The Primera Junta sent military campaigns to the viceroyalty, in order to secure support to the new authorities and retain the authority held as the capital of the viceroyalty. The victories and defeats of the military conflict delimited the areas of influence of the new United Provinces of the Río de la Plata . With the non-aggression pact arranged with Paraguay early on, most of
8856-491: The expeditionary units. For example, Pablo Morillo , commander in chief in Venezuela and New Granada, reported that he only had 2,000 European soldiers, in other words, only half of the soldiers of his expeditionary force were European. It is estimated that in the Battle of Maipú only a quarter of the royalist forces were European soldiers, in the Battle of Carabobo about a fifth, and in the Battle of Ayacucho less than 1%
8979-400: The historiography) did not want to see any innovations in government, while liberals supported them. These differences would become more acute after the restoration of Ferdinand VII, because the king opted to support the conservative position. Regional rivalry also played an important role in the internecine wars that broke out in Spanish America as a result of the juntas. The disappearance of
9102-479: The initial conflict took place in the north, in Upper Peru , and in the east, in the Banda Oriental . In the second half of the decade, with the capture of Montevideo and the stalemate in Upper Peru, the conflict moved to the west, to Chile. The first two military campaigns ordered by the revolutionary Junta in Buenos Aires were launched against Cordoba , where former Viceroy Santiago de Liniers organized
9225-493: The insurgents with the promise that they could participate in the restored representative government. The Spanish Constitution, it turned out, served as the basis for independence in New Spain and Central America, since in the two regions it was a coalition of conservative and liberal royalist leaders who led the establishment of new states. The restoration of the Spanish Constitution and representative government
9348-833: The integrity of the Spanish monarchy during the Spanish American wars of independence . In the early years of the conflict, when King Ferdinand VII was captive in France, royalists supported the authority in the Americas of the Supreme Central Junta of Spain and the Indies and the Cortes of Cádiz that ruled in the King's name during the Peninsular War . During the Trienio Liberal in 1820, after
9471-656: The juntas, and the many constitutions and new legal codes—had been done in his name. Once in Spain Ferdinand VII realized that he had significant support from conservatives in the general population and the hierarchy of the Spanish Catholic Church , and so on May 4, he repudiated the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and ordered the arrest of liberal leaders who had created it on May 10. Ferdinand justified his actions by stating that
9594-500: The last portion of Spain still resisting. They established a Council of Regency, prelude to the Cortes of Cadiz , with political tendencies closer to Liberalism and Popular sovereignty than the former Junta of Seville. This began the May Revolution in Buenos Aires, as soon as the news was known. Several citizens thought that Cisneros, appointed by the disestablished Junta, did not have the right to rule anymore, and requested
9717-485: The latter was elevated to a viceroyalty in 1776. The creation of juntas in Río de la Plata allowed Peru to regain formal control of Upper Peru for the duration of the wars. The restoration of Ferdinand VII signified an important change, since most of the political and legal changes done on both sides of the Atlantic—the myriad of juntas, the Cortes in Spain, and several of the congresses in the Americas that evolved out of
9840-496: The liberation for the former viceregal towns and cities. By June 8, they were part of the newly formed Army of the North commanded by Colonel Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo and Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Gonzales Balcarces as part of the Upper Peru campaign . The first companies of both regiments were included, and by November 3, these companies joined the newly formed 6th Infantry Regiment together with troops and officers from Tucuman and Santiago del Estero. The two companies represented
9963-533: The local society. Liberals on both sides of the Atlantic, nevertheless, continued to conspire to bring back a constitutional monarchy, ultimately succeeding in 1820. The most dramatic example of transAtlantic collaboration is perhaps Francisco Javier Mina 's expedition to Texas and northern Mexico in 1816 and 1817. Spanish Americans in royalist areas who were committed to independence had already joined guerrilla movements. Ferdinand's actions did set areas outside of
10086-514: The odds, on 14 May 1814 the improvised patriot navy engaged the Spanish fleet and defeated it three days later. This action secured the port of Buenos Aires and allowed the fall of Montevideo, which could not stand the siege any more, on 20 June 1814. The fall of Montevideo eliminated the royalist menace from the Banda Oriental and meant the actual end of the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Soon afterwards, William Brown
10209-467: The offer of the governorship of Chile in favour of Bernardo O'Higgins (who became supreme director) because he did not wish to be diverted from his main objective, the capture of Lima . O'Higgins installed a new independent government . In December 1817, a popular referendum was set up to decide about the Independence of Chile. However, Royalist resistance persisted in southern Chile, allied with
10332-542: The other military units, were on alert and were garrisoned to prepare for any major commotion outside the Cabildo. This did not happen since the session went on peacefully. Wednesday, May 23 Two days of sessions by the Open Cabildo finally resulted in the vote and resolution formally calling the Viceroy to conclude his duties. Just like the day earlier, the Patricians Corps was represented by Saavedra in
10455-620: The other service and arms regiments soon to be raised. As a result, the Argentine Army was born, with the first units being that of the Patricians' Legion, by now the "Patricians" 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments coming from the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Patricians Corps. The order of June 8, 1810 (also by the First Junta) formally permitted racial integration into the new force of the mulattooes (blacks, pardos and natives) of
10578-602: The past century as part of the Bourbon Reforms to reinforce Spanish America's defenses against the increasing encroachment of other European powers, such as during the Seven Years' War . Overall, Europeans formed only about a tenth of the royalist armies in Spanish America, and only about half of the expeditionary units. Since each European soldier casualty was substituted by a Spanish American soldier, over time, there were more and more Spanish American soldiers in
10701-473: The patriot army was defeated into the Upper Peru at the battles of Vilcapugio and Ayohuma and retreated to Jujuy: In early 1812, the truce between Buenos Aires and Montevideo was over, and Manuel de Sarratea led an army to the Banda Oriental, but he was soon replaced by José Rondeau , who initiated a second siege of Montevideo . Although royalist Gaspar de Vigodet sought to break the siege, he
10824-464: The patriot army, captured Liniers and the other leaders of the Cordoba counter-revolution on 6 August 1810, but, instead of executing them as he was instructed, he sent them back to Buenos Aires as prisoners. As a result, Ocampo was demoted and Juan José Castelli was appointed as the political head of the army. On 26 August, Castelli executed the Cordoba prisoners and led the Army of the North towards
10947-494: The patriot side and not the royalists. The collapse of the constitutional regime in Spain in 1823 had other implications for the war in South America. Royalist officers, split between liberals and conservatives, fought an internecine war among themselves. General Pedro Antonio Olañeta, commander in Upper Peru, rebelled against the liberal viceroy of Peru, José de la Serna , in 1823. This conflict provided an opportunity for
11070-462: The patriots in large numbers as the royal army's situation became dire. During the end of 1820 in Venezuela, after Bolívar and Pablo Morillo concluded a cease-fire, many units crossed lines knowing that Spanish control of the region would not last. The situation repeated itself in Peru from 1822 to 1825 as republican forces slowly advanced there. Unlike in Mexico, however, the top military and political leadership in these parts of South America came from
11193-693: The patron of the unit and on 9 November the regimental colors were consecrated with full ceremonial at the Cathedral of Buenos Aires along with that of the Arribeños Corps. The unit was then called the Buenos Aires Patrician Volunteer Urban Legion , with the status of a full Tercio or Colonial Regiment of Militia. The Patricios Legion was made up of three battalions and the regimental HQ, with 23 companies of 50 men each (8 battalions I and III and seven in
11316-615: The population of Buenos Aires muster at the Fort on 15 September 1806. More than 4,000 men appeared, who had to be enrolled in other military units. It was the largest and most powerful unit recruited for the Defense of Buenos Aires and, like other urban military units formed, was granted the privilege of electing its officers. The first election was held at the Consulate of Buenos Aires on November 8, 1806. Lieutenant Colonel Cornelio Saavedra
11439-405: The presence of "veteran units" (or "disciplined militia") composed of Peninsular and Spanish American veterans of Spain's wars in Europe and around the globe. The veteran units were expected to form a core of experienced soldiers in the local defenses, whose expertise would be invaluable to the regular militiamen who often lacked sustained military experience, if any. The veteran units were created in
11562-524: The provinces over the question of whether some provinces were to be subordinate to others in the manner that they had been under the crown. This phenomenon was particularly evident in New Granada and Río de la Plata. This rivalry also leads some regions to adopt the opposing political cause from their rivals. Peru seems to have remained strongly royalist in large part because of its rivalry with Río de la Plata, to which it had lost control of Upper Peru when
11685-455: The regiment was part of the Argentine land forces that fought in the historic Battle of Vuelta de Obligado . Today, the 1st Infantry Regiment, while also serving as an air assault infantry regiment and is the Army's senior-most regiment of line infantry, serves primarily in the public duties role, as ceremonial guards of the Cabildo of Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires City Hall , co-shared with
11808-552: The region several times. To pacify Venezuela and to retake New Granada, Spain organized in 1815 the largest armed force it ever sent to the New World, consisting of 10,500 troops and nearly sixty ships. (See, Spanish reconquest of New Granada ). Although this force was crucial in retaking a solidly pro-independence region like New Granada, its soldiers were eventually spread out throughout Venezuela, New Granada, Quito, and Peru and were lost to tropical diseases, diluting their impact on
11931-412: The republican forces under the command of Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre to advance, culminating in the Battle of Ayacucho on December 9, 1824. The royal army of Upper Peru surrendered after Olañeta was killed on April 2, 1825. Former royalists, however, played an important part in the creation of Peru and Bolivia. In Bolivia, royalists, like Casimiro Olañeta , nephew of General Olañeta, gathered in
12054-408: The session. The Corps stood on alert all day to avoid riots and mass actions and to ensure a peaceful outcome of the session. Thursday, May 24 The cabildo, now with the session done, formally announced the formation of a Junta with now ex-Viceroy Cisneros as president and Saavedra and Castelli as two of the four members (The two were Criollos while Spaniards occupied the other two). When news of it
12177-610: The terms of the Plan of Iguala and orchestrated the union of Central America with the Mexican Empire in 1821. Two years later following Iturbide's downfall, the region, except Chiapas, peacefully seceded from Mexico in July 1823, establishing the Federal Republic of Central America . The new state existed for seventeen years, centrifugal forces pulling the individual provinces apart by 1840. In South America independence
12300-450: The terms under which the Spanish government sought to engage the insurgents. The new government naively assumed that the insurgents were fighting for Spanish liberalism and that the Spanish Constitution could still be the basis of reconciliation between the two sides. The government implemented the Constitution and held elections in the overseas provinces, just as in Spain. It also ordered military commanders to begin armistice negotiations with
12423-565: The territory and slow communications led most populated areas to become isolated from each other. The wealthiest regions of the viceroyalty were in Upper Peru (modern-day Bolivia). Salta and Córdoba had closer ties with Upper Peru than with Buenos Aires. Similarly, Mendoza in the west had closer ties with the Captaincy General of Chile , although the Andes mountain range was a natural barrier. Buenos Aires and Montevideo , who had
12546-463: The throne to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte . The Supreme Central Junta had led a resistance to Joseph's government and the French occupation of Spain, but suffered a series of reverses resulting in the loss of the northern half of the country. On February 1, 1810, French troops took Seville and gained control of most of Andalusia . The Supreme Junta retreated to Cádiz and dissolved itself in favor of
12669-450: The two sides to ally. This alliance coalesced towards the end of 1820 behind Agustín de Iturbide , a colonel in the royal army, who at the time was assigned to destroy the guerrilla forces led by Vicente Guerrero . Instead, Iturbide entered into negotiations, which resulted in the Plan of Iguala , which would establish New Spain as an independent kingdom , with Ferdinand VII as its king. With
12792-459: The war. More importantly, the majority of the royalist forces were composed, not of soldiers sent from the peninsula, but of Spanish Americans. Other Spanish Americans were moderates who decided to wait and see what would come out of the restoration of normalcy. In fact, in areas of New Spain, Central America, and Quito, governors found it expedient to leave the elected constitutional ayuntamientos in place for several years to prevent conflict with
12915-557: The west bank of the Paraná river and the Triumvirate awarded San Martín the rank of general. The Granaderos unit was instrumental in the Revolution of October 8, 1812 which deposed the government and installed a new Triumvirate , considered to be more committed to the cause of Independence. In fact, this second Triumvirate convened a national assembly which was meant to declare Independence. The Assembly, however, first decided replace
13038-439: The word "Patrician" is usually employed as a synonym for aristocrat , in the naming of the Regiment it meant "the sons of the homeland " ( Spanish " Patria " meaning "homeland"). Indeed, the original members of the Regiment were not aristocrats but Criollos , who were much farther down in the social hierarchy of the time. Prior to the arrival of British troops, Viceroy Santiago de Liniers decided that volunteers are drawn from
13161-478: Was European. The American militias reflected the racial makeup of the local population. For example, in 1820 the royalist army in Venezuela had 843 white ( español ), 5,378 Casta , and 980 Native soldiers. The last royalist armed group in what is today Argentina and Chile, the Pincheira brothers , was an outlaw gang made of European Spanish, American Spanish, Mestizos, and local indigenous peoples. This group
13284-518: Was awarded the rank of admiral, and Carlos María de Alvear , who was put in charge of the siege of Montevideo just a few days before the surrender of the city, succeeded his uncle Gervasio Posadas as the Supreme Director of the United Provinces, on January 11, 1815. Alvear, however, was resisted by the troops, so he was quickly replaced, on April 21, by Ignacio Álvarez Thomas through a mutiny. Álvarez Thomas then appointed Alvear as general of
13407-414: Was captured in 1806, and then liberated by Santiago de Liniers with forces from Montevideo. Fearing a counter-attack, all the population of Buenos Aires capable of bearing arms was arranged in military bodies, including slaves. A new British attack in 1807 captured Montevideo, but was defeated in Buenos Aires, and forced to leave the viceroyalty. The viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte was successfully deposed by
13530-479: Was defeated at the Battle of Cerrito . The Spanish navy then sought to evade the land blockade by raiding nearby populations on the west bank of the Uruguay river. On 31 January 1813, Spanish troops from Montevideo landed near the town of San Lorenzo , Santa Fe Province, but it was absolutely defeated by the Granaderos unit led by San Martín on February 3. The Battle of San Lorenzo ended further Spanish raids on
13653-458: Was disbanded in its aftermath, being replaced by the militia battalions of Buenos Aires, in a time of great troubles due to nationwide civil war. It was only in 1830 when Juan Manuel de Rosas honored the service of these battalions with the Patricians honorific, and the regiment was reinstated, just in time for Rosas's Desert Campaign in 1833, and moved on to Martin Garcia island in 1838. In 1846,
13776-502: Was dismissed and sued for trying to kill Saavedra. On January 13 the same year, as the Legion began to recover, it became the Patricians Corps by Royal orders via the Junta of Seville, and several of its officers received royal promotions. Several of the NCO's were commissioned into Sublieutenants. As a result, on September 11, 1809, by order of the new Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros ,
13899-620: Was elected as head of the Corps or Legion and commander of the 1st Battalion, Esteban Romero was elected commander of the Second Battalion, and José Domingo Urien the Third Battalion commander. Manuel Belgrano was elected Sergeant Major (later replaced by Juan José Viamonte) and among other officers commissioned were Feliciano Chiclana, Vicente López y Planes, and Eustace Perdriel Gregorio Díaz Vélez. St. Martin of Tours became
14022-456: Was enthusiastically welcomed in New Spain and Central America. Elections were held, local governments formed and deputies sent to the Cortes. Among liberals, however, there was fear that the new regime would not last, and among conservatives and the Church, that the new liberal government would expand its reforms and anti-clerical legislation. This climate of instability created the conditions for
14145-406: Was guarding the Cabildo and the surrounding streets, on orders from Eustoquio Diaz Velez, together with soldiers from the other militia battalions. When the crowd went inside again, they were told to write to the Cabildo what they have been rallying for. Minutes after that a document with 411 signatures (still conserved) was delivered to the Cabildo, with illegible signatures made. (The full document
14268-543: Was impossible to defend. On 18 February 1818, the first anniversary of the battle of Chacabuco, Chile declared its independence from the Spanish Crown. On March 18, 1818, Osorio led a surprise attack on the joint Argentine-Chilean army , which had to retreat to Santiago, with heavy losses. In fact, among the confusion, Supreme Director O'Higgins was thought to be killed, and panic seized the patriot camp. Crippled after his defeat at Cancha Rayada, O'Higgins delegated
14391-507: Was juxtaposed against the French threat; second, to a general American identity, which was juxtaposed against the Peninsula which was lost to the French; and third, to a sense of belonging to the local province, the patria in Spanish. More often than not, juntas sought to maintain a province's independence from the capital of the former viceroyalty or captaincy general, as much as from the Peninsula itself. Armed conflicts broke out between
14514-510: Was known, everyone was shocked and as a result, Domingo French, the city mail carrier, and treasury employee Antonio Beruti led a mob that made its way to the Cabildo for Cisneros's new job was against the Cabildo's will of his full resignation. Col. Martin Rodriguez, who was there at the Cabildo told everyone inside that a revolt among the soldiery of the city was possible enough if some of them still had loyalties to Cisneros. The Patrician Corps
14637-421: Was made by a Patricians Corps officer, Sublieutenant Nicolas Pombo de Otero.) The contents of the letter include: Later, despite the rain, the Cabildo went to the balcony to ask for everyone's vote for the request to be ratified by all. Then, due to the heavy rain, the crowd thinned up, but several of them heard the request read aloud, and then approved it. Saavedra then spoke to everyone on what happened, and left
14760-573: Was originally based near Chillán in Chile but moved later across the Andes to Patagonia thanks to its alliance with indigenous tribes. In the interior of Patagonia, far from the de facto territory of Chile and the United Provinces, the Pincheira brothers established a permanent encampment with thousands of settlers. Commanders Strongholds Commanders Fortification Regiment of Patricians The 1st Infantry Regiment "Los Patricios" ( Regimiento de Infantería 1 "Los Patricios" )
14883-410: Was replaced by a new one, the Primera Junta . Buenos Aires requested the other cities in the viceroyalty to acknowledge the new Junta and send deputies. The precise purpose of these deputies, join the Junta or create a congress, was unclear at the time and generated political disputes later. The Junta was initially resisted by all the main locations around Buenos Aires: Córdoba, Montevideo, Paraguay and
15006-647: Was spurred by the pro-independence fighters that had held out for the past half decade. José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar inadvertently led a continental-wide pincer movement from southern and northern South America that liberated most of the Spanish American nations on that continent and secured the independence of the Southern Cone had more or less experienced since 1810. In South America, royalist soldiers, officers (such as Andrés de Santa Cruz ), and whole units also began to desert or defect to
15129-537: Was there at the plaza that day, ready for any commotion but this did not happen. Saavedra and Castelli led a delegation that night to the Cisneros residence to report on what happened, as well as to recommend their (and Cisneros's) resignation from the new Junta being formed. Friday, May 25 Despite the rains, the proudest moment of the Patrician Regiment came that day. That morning a big crowd plus
#517482