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97-630: At midday on June 11, 1879, an Argentine Army retinue led by Julio Roca , then Minister of War and the Navy , reached the confluence of the Neuquén and Limay Rivers during the Conquest of the Desert , a military campaign directed against the native population of Argentina. Roca ordered the natives serving among his men to cross the river, but they were unable to do it and almost drowned. He then offered

194-508: A 12 pages report qualified by Robin as the summum of bad faith. It claimed that no agreement had been signed, despite the agreement found by Robin in the Quai d'Orsay When Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin traveled to Chile in February 2004, he claimed that no cooperation between France and the military regimes had occurred. On 2 April 1982, Leopoldo Galtieri initiated

291-535: A U.S. Army division (+). Each Army Division has an area of responsibility over a specific region of the country; First Army Division covers the northeast of the country, Second Army Division covers the center and northwest of Argentina and Third Army Division covers the south and Patagonia . In addition to the three Army Divisions, the Rapid Deployment Force ( Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido , FDR) forms an additional fourth divisional-level formation, while

388-575: A bomb inside the Army's headquarters in Buenos Aires, injuring at least six soldiers. The Montoneros movement successfully utilized divers in underwater infiltrations and blew the pier where the Argentine destroyer ARA Santísima Trinidad was being built, on 22 August 1975. The ship was effectively immobilized for several years. French journalist Marie-Monique Robin has found in the archives of

485-489: A breakaway province. While Argentina was ruled by Juan Manuel Rosas (1829–1852), a common enemy of both Brazil and Paraguay, Brazil contributed to the improvement of the fortifications and development of the Paraguayan army, sending officials and technical help to Asunción . As no roads linked the inland province of Mato Grosso to Rio de Janeiro , Brazilian ships needed to travel through Paraguayan territory, going up

582-555: A drawn-out guerrilla resistance, a strategy that resulted in the further destruction of the Paraguayan military and the civilian population. Much of the civilian population died due to battle, hunger, and disease. The guerrilla war lasted for 14 months until president Francisco Solano López was killed in action by Brazilian forces in the Battle of Cerro Corá on 1 March 1870. Argentine and Brazilian troops occupied Paraguay until 1876. Since their independence from Portugal and Spain in

679-552: A heavy machine gun had downed the aircraft. In response, Ítalo Luder , President of the National Assembly who acted as interim President substituting himself to Isabel Perón who was ill for a short period, signed in February 1975 the secret presidential decree 261, which ordered the army to neutralize and/or annihilate the insurgency in Tucumán , the smallest province of Argentina. Operativo Independencia gave power to

776-720: A large portion of Mato Grosso remained under Paraguayan control. The Brazilians withdrew from the area in April 1868, moving their troops to the main theatre of operations, in the south of Paraguay. The invasion of Corrientes and Rio Grande do Sul was the second phase of the Paraguayan offensive. In order to support the Uruguayan Blancos, the Paraguayans had to travel across Argentine territory. In January 1865, Solano López asked Argentina's permission for an army of 20,000 men (led by general Wenceslao Robles ) to travel through

873-606: A less convenient time for ourselves". López then ordered the Paraguayan ship Tacuarí to pursue her and compel her return. On 12 November Tacuarí caught up with Marquês de Olinda in the vicinity of Concepción , fired across her bows, and ordered her to return to Asunción; when she arrived on the 13th, all on board were arrested. On the 12th Paraguay informed the Brazilian minister in Asunción that diplomatic relations had been broken off. The conflict between Brazil and Uruguay

970-541: A major reorganization of the Armed Forces' administrative and command structure. Two additional Army Corps, the First and Fourth, had already been dissolved in 1984 and 1991 respectively, with their dependent units reassigned to the remaining three Army Corps. As of 2011, army forces are geographically grouped into three Army Divisions ( Divisiones de Ejército ), each roughly equivalent in terms of nominal organization to

1067-541: A number of Radical -led uprisings. Meanwhile, the military in general and the Army, in particular, contributed to develop Argentina's unsettled southern frontier and its nascent industrial complex. The main foreign influence during this period was, by and large, the Prussian (and then German ) doctrine. Partly because of that, during both World Wars most of the officers supported the Germans, more or less openly, while

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1164-411: A persistent issue that had confused Spain and Portugal in the late 18th century. A few indigenous tribes populated the region between the two rivers, and these tribes would attack Brazilian and Paraguayan settlements that were local to them. There are several theories regarding the origins of the war. The traditional view emphasizes that the policies of Paraguayan president Francisco Solano López used

1261-410: A regimental headquarters. 63 guerrillas, seven army troops and three policemen were killed. In addition 20 civilians were killed in the crossfire. Many of the civilian deaths occurred when the guerrillas and supporting militants burned 15 city buses near the arsenal to hamper military reinforcements. This development was to have far-reaching ramifications. On 30 December 1975, urban guerrillas exploded

1358-650: A request for the constitution of a Parliamentary Commission on the "role of France in the support of military regimes in Latin America from 1973 to 1984" before the Foreign Affairs Commission of the National Assembly, presided by Edouard Balladur . Apart from Le Monde , newspapers remained silent about this request. However, deputy Roland Blum , in charge of the commission, refused to hear Marie-Monique Robin, and published in December 2003

1455-401: A reward of 2,000 pesos to whoever could cross. English-born Ignacio Hamilton Fotheringham, the commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment, took up the challenge, joined by Sergeant Fábregas and an unknown soldier. The strong current knocked the three men out of their horses. Although Fotheringham was dragged 400 metres (1,300 ft) downstream by the cold water, he and his men were able to reach

1552-620: A term refused by jurists during the 1985 Trial of the Juntas . Batallón de Inteligencia 601 (the 601st Intelligence Battalion) became infamous during this period. It was a special military intelligence service set up in the late 1970s, active in the Dirty War and Operation Condor , and disbanded in 2000. Its personnel collected information on and infiltrated guerrilla groups and human rights organisations, and coordinated killings, kidnappings and other abuses. The unit also participated in

1649-423: A total of 350 to 700 troops. In 2006, a Rapid Deployment Force was created based on the 4th Paratrooper Brigade . In 2008, a Special Operations Forces Group was created comprising two Commando Companies, one Special Forces Company and one psychological operations company. Insignia for all ranks except volunteers is worn on shoulder boards. Ranks from colonel major onwards use red-trimmed shoulderboards and

1746-787: Is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina . Under the Argentine Constitution , the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Command authority is exercised through the Minister of Defense . The Army's official foundation date is May 29, 1810 (celebrated in Argentina as the Army Day ), four days after

1843-845: The Quai d'Orsay , the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, the original document proving that a 1959 agreement between Paris and Buenos Aires instaured a "permanent French military mission," formed of veterans who had fought in the Algerian War , and which was located in the offices of the chief of staff of the Argentine Army. She showed how Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 's government secretly collaborated with Jorge Rafael Videla's junta in Argentina and with Augusto Pinochet 's regime in Chile. Green deputies Noël Mamère , Martine Billard and Yves Cochet deposed on September 10, 2003,

1940-660: The 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands or Operation Rosario as a result of negotiations with the United Kingdom running long. The Argentine Army contributed forces to Operation Rosario and occupation that followed. Army forces also opposed the amphibious landing in San Carlos Water on 21 May, and fought the British at Goose Green , Mount Kent, and the battles around Port Stanley that lead to

2037-610: The Argentine Navy favored the British instead. In 1930, a small group of Army forces (not more than 600 troops) deposed President Hipólito Yrigoyen without much response from the rest of the Army and the Navy . This was the beginning of a long history of political intervention by the military. Another coup, in 1943, was responsible for bringing an obscure colonel into the political limelight: Juan Perón . Even though Perón had

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2134-606: The Brazilian ship Marquês de Olinda , on her routine voyage up the River Paraguay to the Brazilian Mato Grosso, and carrying the new governor of that province, docked at Asunción and took on coal. Completing the formalities, she continued on her journey. According to one source, López hesitated whether to break the peace for a whole day, saying "If we don't have a war now with Brazil, we shall have one at

2231-529: The Paraguay River to arrive at Cuiabá . However, Brazil had difficulty obtaining permission from the government in Asunción to freely use the Paraguay River for its shipping needs. Brazil had carried out three political and military interventions in the politically unstable Uruguay: On 19 April 1863, Uruguayan general Venancio Flores, who was then an officer in the Argentine army as well as

2328-677: The Spanish colonial administration in Buenos Aires was overthrown . The new national army was formed out of several pre-existing colonial militia units and locally manned regiments; most notably the Infantry Regiment "Patricios" , which to this date is still an active unit. Several armed expeditions were sent to the Upper Peru (now Bolivia ), Paraguay , Uruguay and Chile to fight Spanish forces and secure Argentina's newly gained independence . The most famous of these expeditions

2425-599: The Uruguayan War as a pretext to gain control of the Platine basin . That caused a response from the regional hegemons, Brazil and Argentina, both of which exercised influence over the much smaller republics of Uruguay and Paraguay. The war has also been attributed to the aftermath of colonialism in South America with border conflicts between the new states, the struggle for power among neighboring nations over

2522-714: The War of the Triple Alliance ( Spanish : Guerra de la Triple Alianza , Portuguese : Guerra da Tríplice Aliança ), was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina , the Empire of Brazil , and Uruguay . It was the deadliest and bloodiest inter-state war in Latin American history. Paraguay sustained large casualties, but even

2619-525: The "Dirty War", which involved hijacking a civilian airliner, taking over the provincial airport, attacking the 29th Infantry Regiment (which had retired to barracks in Formosa province ) and capturing its cache of arms, and finally escaping by air. Once the operation was over, they escaped towards a remote area in Santa Fe province . The aircraft, a Boeing 737 , eventually landed on a crop field not far from

2716-658: The 19th, 20th and 29th Mountain Infantry Regiments and commanded by Brigadier-General Acdel Vilas received the order to move to Famailla in the foothills of the Monteros mountains on 8 February 1975. While fighting the guerrillas in the jungle, Vilas concentrated on uprooting the ERP support network in the towns, using tactics later adopted nationwide, as well as a civic action campaign. By July 1975, anti-guerrilla commandos were mounting search-and-destroy missions in

2813-470: The 3rd Infantry Brigade was converted into a motorized training formation, which was ultimately dissolved in 2003. Depending on its type, each brigade includes two to five Cavalry or Infantry Regiments, one or two Artillery Groups, a scout cavalry squadron, one battalion or company-sized engineer unit, one intelligence company, one communications company, one command company and a battalion-sized logistical support unit. The terms "regiment" and "group", found in

2910-540: The Armed Forces to "execute all military operations necessary for the effects of neutralizing or annihilating the action of subversive elements acting in the Province of Tucumán." Santucho had declared a 620-mile (1,000 km) "liberated zone" in Tucuman and demanded Soviet-backed protection for its borders as well as proper treatment of captured guerrillas as POWs. The Argentine Army Fifth Brigade, then consisting of

3007-639: The Blanco Party, rejected the Brazilian demands, presented his own demands, and asked Paraguay for help. To settle the growing crisis, Solano López offered himself as a mediator of the Uruguayan crisis, as he was a political and diplomatic ally of the Uruguayan Blancos , but the offer was turned down by Brazil. Brazilian soldiers on the northern borders of Uruguay started to provide help to Flores' troops and harassed Uruguayan officers, while

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3104-578: The Buenos Aires Military Garrison operates independently from any division-sized command. There are also several separate groups, including an anti-aircraft group and the Argentine Army Aviation group. Each division has varying numbers of brigades of armor, mechanized forces and infantry. As of 2011, the Argentine Army has eleven brigades: Note: The 7th Infantry Brigade was dissolved in early 1985, while

3201-411: The Desert"): the campaign to occupy Patagonia and root out the natives, who conducted looting raids throughout the country. Between 1880 and 1930, the Army sought to become a professional force without active involvement in politics, even though many a political figure -President Julio Argentino Roca , for example- benefitted from a past military career. The Army prevented the fall of the government in

3298-484: The General Reynaldo Bignone , who began the process of return to democracy in 1983. Since the return to civilian rule in 1983, the Argentine military have been reduced both in number and budget and, by law, cannot intervene anymore in internal civil conflicts. They became more professional, especially after conscription was abolished. In 1998, Argentina was granted Major non-NATO ally status by

3395-468: The General Staff (known also by their Roman numerals) are: There are also a number of Commands and Directorates responsible for development and implementation of policies within the Army regarding technological and operational areas. They also handle administrative affairs. As of 2020, these include the following: In the 1960s, the Army was reorganised into five Army Corps. This structure replaced

3492-549: The Imperial Fleet pressed hard on Montevideo. During the months of June–August 1864 a Cooperation Treaty was signed between Brazil and Argentina at Buenos Aires , for mutual assistance in the Plate Basin Crisis. Brazilian minister Saraiva sent an ultimatum to the Uruguayan government on 4 August 1864: either comply with the Brazilian demands, or the Brazilian army would retaliate. The Paraguayan government

3589-638: The June 20, 1973 Ezeiza massacre , left and right-wing Peronism broke apart, and the Triple A a far-right terrorist group founded by José López Rega , the right-hand man of Juan Peron and, later, Isabel Perón , started a campaign of terror and death against any perceived political rivals. Isabel Perón herself was ousted during the March 1976 coup by a military junta . The new military government, self-named Proceso de Reorganización Nacional , initially tried to end

3686-479: The Paraguayan navy and prevented the Paraguayans from permanently occupying Argentine territory. For all practical purposes, this battle decided the outcome of the war in favor of the Triple Alliance; from that point onward, it controlled the waters of the Río de la Plata basin up to the entrance to Paraguay. A separate Paraguayan division of 3,200 men that continued towards Uruguay under the command of Pedro Duarte , who

3783-405: The Paraguayans could rely on their militia which consisted of all able-bodied men which, as the war continued, began to include increasingly younger and older men. At the beginning of the war, the military forces of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay were far smaller than Paraguay's. Argentina had approximately 8,500 regular troops and a naval squadron of four steamers and one schooner. Uruguay entered

3880-465: The Paraguayans had left once again. Colonel Carlos de Morais Camisão assumed command of the column in January 1867—now with only 1,680 men—and decided to invade Paraguayan territory, which he penetrated as far as Laguna where Paraguayan cavalry forced the expedition to retreat. Despite the efforts of Camisão's troops and the resistance in the region, which succeeded in liberating Corumbá in June 1867,

3977-462: The Paraguayans. The baron of Porto Alegre set out for Uruguaiana, a small town in the province's west, where the Paraguayan army was besieged by a combined force of Brazilian, Argentine and Uruguayan units. Porto Alegre assumed command of the Brazilian army in Uruguaiana on 21 August 1865. On 18 September, the Paraguayan garrison surrendered without further bloodshed. In subsequent months,

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4074-513: The Portuguese and Spanish areas of South America in lines that mostly corresponded to present-day boundaries. Neither Portugal nor Spain was satisfied with the results, and new treaties were signed in the following decades that either established new territorial lines or repealed them. The final accord signed by both powers, the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz , reaffirmed the validity of the previous Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777), which had derived from

4171-477: The United States. The modern Argentine Army is fully committed to international peacekeeping under United Nations mandates, humanitarian aid and emergencies relief. In 2010, the Army incorporated Chinese Norinco armored wheeled APCs to deploy with its peacekeeping forces. In 2016 President Mauricio Macri modified a decree made by the 1984 government of Raúl Alfonsín which had removed much of

4268-432: The act, freeing itself for the future of every responsibility that may arise from the present declaration. The Brazilian government, probably believing that the Paraguayan threat would be only diplomatic, answered on 1 September, stating that "they will never abandon the duty of protecting the lives and interests of Brazilian subjects." But in its answer, two days later, the Paraguayan government insisted that "if Brazil takes

4365-418: The approximate numbers are disputed. Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. The war began in late 1864, as a result of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the Uruguayan War . Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance." After Paraguay was defeated in conventional warfare , it conducted

4462-517: The army, to the extent that there was armed fighting between contending military units during the early 1960s. The military government ruled Argentina between 1966 and 1973. During that decade the saw the rise of several terrorist groups including Montoneros and the ERP . During Héctor Cámpora 's first months of government, a rather moderate and left-wing Peronist, approximatively 600 social conflicts, strikes and factory occupations took place. Following

4559-430: The cabinet was blamed. The newly promoted Viscount of Tamandaré and Mena Barreto (now Baron of São Gabriel) had supported the peace accord. Tamandaré changed his mind soon afterward and played along with the allegations. A member of the opposition party, José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco , was used as a scapegoat by the emperor and the government and was recalled in disgrace to the imperial capital. The accusation that

4656-471: The ceasefire of 14 June followed by the surrender of the Argentine troops. The Argentine Army suffered 194 men killed and 1,308 wounded and lost much equipment. The war left the army weakened in equipment, personal, moral and supremacy in the region. The Dirty War events, coupled with the defeat in the Falklands War , precipitated the fall of the military junta that ruled the country, then enters

4753-471: The city of Rafaela. In the aftermath, twelve soldiers and two policemen were killed and several wounded. The sophistication of the operation, and the getaway cars and safehouses they used to escape from the crash-landing site, suggest several hundred guerrillas and their supporters were involved. The Argentine security forces admitted to 43 army troops killed in action in Tucuman, although this figure does not take into account police and Gendarmerie troops, and

4850-586: The city, Robles advanced southwards along the eastern bank. Along with Robles' troops, a force of 12,000 soldiers under colonel Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia crossed the Argentine border south of Encarnación in May 1865, driving for Rio Grande do Sul. They traveled down the Uruguay River and took the town of São Borja on 12 June. Uruguaiana , to the south, was taken on 6 August with little resistance. By invading Corrientes, Solano López had hoped to gain

4947-435: The convention had failed to meet Brazilian interests proved to be unfounded. Not only had Paranhos managed to settle all Brazilian claims, but by preventing the death of thousands, he gained a willing and grateful Uruguayan ally instead of a dubious and resentful one, which provided Brazil with an important base of operations during the acute clash with Paraguay that shortly ensued. According to some historians, Paraguay began

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5044-599: The early 19th century, the Empire of Brazil and the Spanish-American countries of South America were troubled by territorial disputes . Each nation in this region had boundary conflicts with multiple neighbors. Most had overlapping claims to the same territories, due to unresolved questions which stemmed from their former metropoles . Signed by Portugal and Spain in 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas proved ineffective in

5141-482: The exact boundaries of her own viceroyalties , captaincies general , audiencias and provinces." Once separated the three countries quarreled over lands that were mostly uncharted or unknown. They were either sparsely populated or settled by indigenous tribes that answered to no parties. In the case of Paraguay and Brazil, the problem was to define whether the Apa or Branco rivers should represent their actual boundary,

5238-492: The first half of the nineteenth century, the Argentine Army became fractionalized under the leadership of the so-called caudillos ("leaders" or "warlords"), provincial leaders who waged a war against the centralist Buenos Aires administration. However, the Army was briefly re-unified during the war with the Brazilian Empire (1824–1827). It was only with the establishment of a constitution (which explicitly forbade

5335-478: The following centuries, as both colonial powers expanded their frontiers in South America and elsewhere. The outdated boundary lines did not represent the actual occupation of lands by the Portuguese and Spanish. By the early 1700s, the Treaty of Tordesillas was deemed not useful, and it was clear to both parties that a newer treaty had to be drawn based on feasible boundaries. In 1750, the Treaty of Madrid separated

5432-545: The fort and withdrew up the river towards Corumbá on board the gunship Anhambaí . After occupying the fort, the Paraguayans advanced further north, taking the cities of Albuquerque, Tage and Corumbá in January 1865. Solano López then sent a detachment to attack the military frontier post of Dourados . On 29 December 1864, this detachment, led by Martín Urbieta, encountered tough resistance from Antônio João Ribeiro and his 16 men, who were all eventually killed. The Paraguayans continued to Nioaque and Miranda , defeating

5529-404: The guerrilla's campaigns, but the nation rapidly descended into a state of civil unrest. Terrorist organisations and guerilla movements were often met with a mixture of state terror and general paranoia. The civilian population was now caught in a police state between a paranoid and brutal military dictatorship and violent dissident communist guerrillas. The PRN called this period the " Dirty War " —

5626-582: The induction of new volunteer service personnel of both genders. The Army is headed by a Chief of General Staff directly appointed by the President. The current Chief of the General Staff (since September 2008) is General Luis Alberto Pozzi. The General Staff of the Army ( Estado Mayor General del Ejército ) includes the Chief of Staff, a Deputy Chief of the General Staff and the heads of the General Staff's six departments ( Jefaturas ). The current departments of

5723-631: The initiative during the first phase of the war, launching the Mato Grosso Campaign by invading the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso on 14 December 1864, followed by an invasion of the Rio Grande do Sul province in the south in early 1865 and the Argentine Corrientes Province . Two separate Paraguayan forces invaded Mato Grosso simultaneously. An expedition of 3,248 troops, commanded by Vicente Barrios ,

5820-512: The invasion of the Corrientes Province by Paraguay on 13 April 1865, a great uproar stirred in Buenos Aires as the public learned of Paraguay's declaration of war. President Bartolomé Mitre made a famous speech to the crowds on 4 May 1865: ...My fellow countrymen, I promise you: in three days we shall be at the barracks. In three weeks, at the frontiers. And in three months in Asunción! The same day, Argentina declared war on Paraguay; however, on 1 May 1865, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay had signed

5917-542: The leader of the Colorado Party of Uruguay, invaded his country, starting the Cruzada Libertadora with the open support of Argentina, which supplied the rebels with arms, ammunition and 2,000 men. Flores wanted to overthrow the Blanco Party government of president Bernardo Berro , which was allied with Paraguay. Paraguayan president López sent a note to the Argentine government on 6 September 1863, asking for an explanation, but Buenos Aires denied any involvement in Uruguay. From that moment, mandatory military service

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6014-424: The lower end of the Paraguay River. However, recent studies suggest many problems. Although the Paraguayan army had between 70,000 and 100,000 men at the beginning of the conflict, they were badly equipped. Most infantry armaments consisted of inaccurate smooth-bore muskets and carbines , slow to reload and short-ranged. The artillery was similarly poor. Military officers had no training or experience, and there

6111-481: The measures protested against in the note of August 30th, 1864, Paraguay will be under the painful necessity of making its protest effective." On 12 October, despite the Paraguayan notes and ultimatums, Brazilian troops under the command of general João Propício Mena Barreto  [ pt ] invaded Uruguay. This was not the start of the Paraguayan war, however, for Paraguay continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Brazil for another month. On 11 November

6208-449: The military's autonomy. A major problem of today's Army is that most of its combat units are understrength in manpower due to budgetary limitations; the current Table of Organization and Equipment being established at a time during which the Army could rely on larger budgets and conscripted troops. Current plans call for the expansion of all combat units until all combat units are again full-strength, as soon as budget constraints allow for

6305-510: The monument. The original bronze plaques were stolen, and the pyramid has been repeatedly vandalized with graffiti . Along with the Neuquén River bridge, the monument was depicted in the first test card of LU84 Canal 7, a local television channel, in 1965. Despite remaining little-known among the general public in Neuquén, the monument is considered to be a symbol of the neighborhood of Sapere by its inhabitants. Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( Spanish : Ejército Argentino, EA )

6402-427: The mountains (including reinforcements in the form of the elite Montoneros 65-strong "Compañía de Monte" ( Jungle Company ) and the ERP's "Decididos de Córdoba" Urban Company), which the Argentine Army managed to defeat, but at a cost. On 5 January 1975, an Army DHC-6 transport plane was downed near the Monteros mountains, apparently shot down by the Guerrillas. All thirteen on board were killed. The military believe

6499-443: The mountains. Army special forces discovered Santucho's base camp in August, then raided the ERP urban headquarters in September. Most of the Compañia de Monte's general staff was killed in October and was dispersed by the end of the year. The leadership of the rural guerrilla force was mostly eradicated and many of the ERP guerrillas and civilian sympathizers in Tucumán were either killed or forcefully disappeared. Efforts to restrain

6596-871: The official designations of cavalry, infantry and artillery units, are used due to historical reasons. During the Argentine War of Independence , the Argentine Army fielded traditional regiment-sized units. 'Regiments' are more accurately described as battalions; similar-sized units that do not belong to the above-mentioned services are referred to as "battalions". In addition to their service, Regiments and Groups are also specialized according to their area of operations (Mountain Infantry, Jungle Infantry, Mountain Cavalry), their equipment (Tank Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Mechanized Infantry) or their special training (Paratroopers, Commandos, Air Assault, Mountain Cazadores or Jungle Cazadores ). Regiments are made up by four maneuver sub-units (companies in infantry regiments and squadrons in cavalry regiments) and one command and support sub-unit for

6693-451: The old structure based on divisions following the French model. There was a further reorganisation in 1991, when brigades were assigned to six new divisions, two stationed at Santa Cruz and Mendoza. Until late 2010, the First, Second and Third Army Divisions were designated as the Second, Third and Fifth Army Corps ( Cuerpos de Ejército ) respectively, without any intermediate division-level commands. These redesignations took place as part of

6790-433: The older Treaty of Madrid . The territorial disputes became worse when the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata collapsed in the early 1810s, leading to the rise of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia , and Uruguay. Historian Pelham Horton Box wrote: "Imperial Spain bequeathed to the emancipated Spanish-American nations not only her own frontier disputes with Portuguese Brazil but problems which had not disturbed her, relating to

6887-443: The other bank of the river, on the eastern edge of present-day Neuquén. The place of the crossing was declared a historic site on December 28, 1943. The pyramid, an obelisk about 10 metres (33 ft) in height and made of brick and cement, was inaugurated on a hill overlooking the bridges spanning the river between Neuquén and the neighboring city of Cipolletti on February 3, 1947. A sidewalk and cement benches were built around

6984-501: The province of Corrientes. Argentine president Bartolomé Mitre refused Paraguay's request and a similar one from Brazil. After this refusal, the Paraguayan Congress gathered at an emergency meeting on 5 March 1865. After several days of discussions, on 23 March Congress decided to declare war on Argentina for its policies, hostile to Paraguay and favourable to Brazil, and then they conferred to Francisco Solano López

7081-416: The provinces from maintaining military forces of their own) and a national government recognized by all the provinces that the Army became a single force, absorbing the older provincial militias. The Army went on to fight the War of the Triple Alliance in the 1860s together with Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay. After that war, the Army became involved in Argentina's Conquista del Desierto ("Conquest of

7178-518: The rank of Field Marshal of the Republic of Paraguay. The declaration of war was sent on 29 March 1865 to Buenos Aires. On 13 April 1865, a Paraguayan squadron sailed down the Paraná River and attacked two Argentine ships in the port of Corrientes . Immediately general Robles' troops took the city with 3,000 men, and a cavalry force of 800 arrived the same day. Leaving a force of 1,500 men in

7275-422: The rule of Solano Lopez's predecessor and father, Carlos Antonio López . In the time since Brazil and Argentina had become independent, their struggle for hegemony in the Río de la Plata region had profoundly marked the diplomatic and political relations among the countries of the region. Brazil was the first country to recognize the independence of Paraguay, in 1844. At this time Argentina still considered it

7372-538: The rural guerrilla activity to Tucumán, however, remained unsuccessful despite the use of 24 recently arrived US-made Bell UH-1H Huey troop-transport helicopters. In early October, the 5th Brigade suffered a major blow at the hands of the Montoneros, when more than one hundred, and possibly several hundred Montoneros and supporters were involved in the Operation Primicia , the most elaborate operation of

7469-429: The secret Treaty of the Triple Alliance in Buenos Aires. They named Bartolomé Mitre, president of Argentina, as supreme commander of the allied forces. The signatories of the treaty were Rufino de Elizalde (Argentina), Otaviano de Almeida (Brazil) and Carlos de Castro (Uruguay). On 11 June 1865, at the naval Battle of Riachuelo , the Brazilian fleet commanded by admiral Francisco Manoel Barroso da Silva destroyed

7566-565: The soldiers who died defending their barracks in Formosa province on 5 October 1975. By December 1975, the Argentine military could, with some justification claim that it was winning the 'Dirty War', but it was dismayed to find no evidence of overall victory. On 23 December 1975, several hundred ERP fighters with the help of hundreds of underground supporters, staged an all-out battle with the 601st Arsenal Battalion nine miles (14 km) from Buenos Aires and occupied four local police stations and

7663-777: The strategic Río de la Plata region, Brazilian and Argentine meddling in internal Uruguayan politics (which had already caused the Platine War ), Solano López's efforts to help his allies in Uruguay (which had been defeated by the Brazilians), and his presumed expansionist ambitions. A strong military was developed because Paraguay's larger neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, had territorial claims against it and wanted to dominate it politically, much as both had already done in Uruguay. Paraguay had recurring boundary disputes and tariff issues with Argentina and Brazil for many years during

7760-414: The suns denoting rank are gold-braid; the suns on other officers' shoulder boards are metallic. Generals also wear golden wreath leaves on their coat lapels. The rank insignia for volunteers 1st class, 2nd class and commissioned 2nd class is worn on the sleeves. Collar versions of the ranks are used in combat uniforms. The highest army rank in use is lieutenant-general. A higher army rank, captain-general,

7857-626: The support of the military during his two consecutive terms of office (1946–1952 and 1952–1955), his increasingly repressive government alienated many officers, which finally led to a military uprising which overthrew him in September 1955. Between 1955 and 1973 the Army and the rest of the military became vigilant over the possible re-emergence of Peronism in the political arena, which led to two new coups against elected Presidents in 1962 (deposing Arturo Frondizi ) and 1966 (ousting Arturo Illia ). Political infighting eroded discipline and cohesion within

7954-434: The support of the powerful Argentine caudillo Justo José de Urquiza , governor of the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos, who was known to be the chief federalist hostile to Mitre and the central government in Buenos Aires. However, Urquiza gave his full support to an Argentine offensive. The forces advanced approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) south before ultimately ending the offensive in failure. Following

8051-574: The training of Nicaraguan Contras with US assistance, including from John Negroponte . Meanwhile, the Guevarist People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), led by Roberto Santucho and inspired by Che Guevara 's foco theory , began a rural insurgency in the province of Tucumán , in the mountainous northwest of Argentina. It started the campaign with no more than 100 men and women of the Marxist ERP guerrilla force and ended with about 300 in

8148-430: The troops of José Dias da Silva. The city of Coxim was taken in April 1865. The second Paraguayan column, formed from some of the 4,650 men led by Francisco Isidoro Resquín at Concepción, penetrated into Mato Grosso with 1,500 troops. Despite these victories, the Paraguayan forces did not continue to Cuiabá, the capital of the province, where Augusto Leverger had fortified the camp of Melgaço . Their main objective

8245-534: The war with fewer than 2,000 men and no navy. Many of Brazil's 16,000 troops were located in its southern garrisons. The Brazilian advantage, though, was in its navy, comprising 45 ships with 239 cannons and about 4,000 well-trained crew. A great part of the squadron was already in the Rio de la Plata basin, where it had acted under the Marquis of Tamandaré in the intervention against Aguirre's government. Brazil, however,

8342-402: The war with over 60,000 trained men—38,000 of whom were already under arms—400 cannons, a naval squadron of 23 steamboats and five river-navigating ships (among them, the gunboat Tacuarí ). Communication in the Río de la Plata basin was maintained solely by river, as very few roads existed. Whoever controlled the rivers would win the war, so Paraguay had built fortifications on the banks of

8439-681: Was awarded twice in the nineteenth century: to José de San Martín and to Bernardino Rivadavia . As a promotion to this rank is not foreseen, no insignia for the rank currently exists. The rank of coronel mayor ( senior colonel ) is an honorary distinction for colonels occupying general's positions (such as brigade commander), but who are not senior enough to be promoted. Paraguayan War Allied victory Paraguay permanently lost its claims to lands amounting to almost 40% of its prewar claimed territories. The Paraguayan War ( Spanish : Guerra del Paraguay , Portuguese : Guerra do Paraguai , Guarani : Paraguái Ñorairõ ), also known as

8536-574: Was formed from the National Guard of Rio Grande do Sul. Ultimately, a total of about 146,000 Brazilians fought in the war from 1864 to 1870, consisting of the 10,025 army soldiers stationed in Uruguayan territory in 1864, 2,047 that were in the province of Mato Grosso, 55,985 Fatherland Volunteers , 60,009 National Guardsmen, 8,570 ex-slaves who had been freed to be sent to war, and 9,177 navy personnel. Another 18,000 National Guard troops stayed behind to defend Brazilian territory. Paraguay took

8633-537: Was informed of all this and sent to Brazil a message, which stated in part: The government of the Republic of Paraguay will consider any occupation of the Oriental territory [i.e. Uruguay] as an attempt against the equilibrium of the states of the Platine Region which interests the Republic of Paraguay as a guarantee for its security, peace, and prosperity; and that it protests in the most solemn manner against

8730-554: Was introduced in Paraguay; in February 1864, an additional 64,000 men were drafted into the army. One year after the beginning of the Cruzada Libertadora , in April 1864, Brazilian minister José Antônio Saraiva arrived in Uruguayan waters with the Imperial Fleet, to demand payment for damages caused to Rio Grande do Sul farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. Uruguayan president Atanasio Aguirre , from

8827-648: Was no command system, as all decisions were made personally by López. Food, ammunition, and armaments were scarce, with logistics and hospital care deficient or nonexistent. The nation of about 450,000 people could not stand against the Triple Alliance of 11 million people. The Paraguayan army during peacetime prior to the war was made up of eight infantry battalions of 800 men each but had only been able to muster 4,084 Infantrymen with five cavalry regiments, nominally 2,500 (2,522 in reality) and two artillery regiments, with 907 men. By March 1865, six new infantry battalions and eight cavalry regiments had been formed. In addition,

8924-408: Was settled in February 1865. News of the war's end was brought by Pereira Pinto and met with joy in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian emperor Pedro II found himself waylaid by a crowd of thousands in the streets amid acclamations. However, public opinion quickly changed for the worse when newspapers began running stories painting the convention of 20 February as harmful to Brazilian interests, for which

9021-627: Was the capture of the gold and diamond mines, disrupting the flow of these materials into Brazil until 1869. Brazil sent an expedition to fight the invaders in Mato Grosso. A column of 2,780 men led by Manuel Pedro Drago left Uberaba in Minas Gerais in April 1865 and arrived at Coxim in December, after a difficult march of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) through four provinces. However, Paraguay had already abandoned Coxim by December. Drago arrived at Miranda in September 1866, and

9118-537: Was the one led by General José de San Martín , who led a 5000-man army across the Andes Mountains to expel the Spaniards from Chile and later from Perú. While the other expeditions failed in their goal of bringing all the dependencies of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata under the new government in Buenos Aires, they prevented the Spaniards from crushing the rebellion. During the civil wars of

9215-529: Was then defeated by Allied troops under Venancio Flores in the bloody Battle of Yatay , on the banks of the Uruguay River, near Paso de los Libres . While Solano López ordered the retreat of the forces that had occupied Corrientes, the Paraguayan troops that invaded São Borja advanced, taking Itaqui and Uruguaiana. The situation in Rio Grande do Sul was chaotic, and the local Brazilian military commanders were incapable of mounting effective resistance to

9312-540: Was transported by a naval squadron under the command of frigate captain Pedro Ignacio Meza up the Paraguay River to the town of Concepción . There they attacked the Nova Coimbra fort on 27 December 1864. The Brazilian garrison of 154 men resisted for three days, under the command of Hermenegildo Portocarrero (later Baron of Fort Coimbra). When their munitions were exhausted, the defenders abandoned

9409-478: Was unprepared to fight a war. Its army was disorganized. The troops it used in Uruguay were mostly armed contingents of gauchos and the National Guard. While some Brazilian accounts of the war described their infantry as volunteers ( Voluntários da Pátria ), other Argentine revisionist and Paraguayan accounts disparaged the Brazilian infantry as mainly recruited from slaves and the landless (largely black) underclass, who were promised free land for enlisting. The cavalry

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