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75-734: The San Martín Institute was founded on April 5, 1933 (the 115th anniversary of the Battle of Maipú ), by a member of the Military Officers' Association , Dr. José Pacífico Otero. The Battle of Maipú was a decisive milestone in the Chilean War of Independence and was, consequently, critical to the success of the Argentine War of Independence , as well. Dr. Otero directed the institute until his death in 1937, and his widow, Manuela Stegmann de Otero, created an endowment in 1941 for

150-574: A college major in Argentine higher education at the University of La Plata , and 1950 was declared the "Year of General San Martín, the Liberator." The following year saw the unveiling of a monument by local sculptor Ángel Ibarra García in a plaza facing the institute. The monument, known as The Eternal Grandfather , is the only one portraying San Martín in later life. Official support helped

225-622: A Spanish army to Santiago under General Mariano Osorio , which defeated San Martín at the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada . The drive for independence never diminished, however, and the following year San Martín launched a final offensive, which was to decide the outcome of the war. Despite being defeated at Cancha Rayada, the Patriot army regrouped again in less than two days, adding up to about 4,000 men, allowing San Martín to rebuild his units almost entirely. Hence, on April 2, after leaving

300-443: A breathing space. Abascal had no intention of honoring the treaty, and that very year sent a much more decisive force southwards, under the command of Mariano Osorio . The royalist force landed and moved to Chillán , demanding complete surrender. O'Higgins wanted to defend the city of Rancagua , while Carrera wanted to make the stand at the pass of Angostura, a more felicitous defensive position but also closer to Santiago. Because of

375-775: A direct link between the liberalism and federalism of the United States with the principles of the Chilean independence movement. Finally, he founded the Instituto Nacional de Chile and the National Library of Chile . Both of these prestigious institutions have survived to the present day. The triumph of rebellions—both in Chile and Argentina—disquieted the Viceroy of Peru , José Fernando de Abascal . As

450-514: A junta! We want a junta!"). Count Toro Zambrano, faced with this very public show of force, acceded to their demands by depositing his ceremonial baton on top of the main table and saying "Here is the baton, take it and rule." The Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile , also known as the First Junta , was organized with the same powers as a Royal Governor . Their first measure was to take

525-546: A legitimate Governor, Francisco Javier de Elío , had already been appointed by the Viceroy of Peru . Count Toro Zambrano was, by all standards, a very unorthodox selection. He was a very old man already (82 years old at the time) and moreover a "criollo" (someone born in the colonies) as opposed to a "peninsular" (someone born in Spain). Immediately after his appointment in July, the juntistas began to lobby him in order to obtain

600-529: A long-standing pillar of Spanish rule, was dissolved for its alleged "complicity" with the mutiny. The idea of full independence gained momentum for the first time. During this time, a well-connected young man and a veteran of the Peninsular War , José Miguel Carrera , returned to Chile from Spain. Quickly, he was involved with the intrigues of various Extremists who plotted to wrest power from Martínez de Rozas through armed means. After two coups, both in

675-405: A loyalty oath to Ferdinand VII as legitimate King. Count Toro Zambrano was elected President, and the rest of the positions were distributed equally among all parties, but the real power was left in the hands of the secretary, Juan Martínez de Rozas . The Junta then proceeded to take some concrete measures that had been long-held aspirations of the colonials: it created a militia for the defense of

750-598: A new governor before the invasion. After a brief interim regency by Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros , and according to the succession law in place at the time, the position was laid claim to and assumed by the most senior military commander, who happened to be Brigadier Francisco García Carrasco . García Carrasco took over the post of Governor of Chile in April and in August the news of the Napoleonic invasion of Spain and of

825-540: A pro-independence secret society). Carrera's influence begun to fade and ended finally when he was executed by firing squad in 1821. While San Martín and O'Higgins organized an army to recross the Andes and recapture Santiago, they charged the lawyer Manuel Rodríguez with the task of mounting a guerrilla campaign. The goals of the campaign were to keep the Spanish forces off balance, ridicule San Bruno, and generally bolster

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900-464: A result, in 1813, he sent a military expedition by sea under the command of Antonio Pareja to deal with the situation in Chile, and sent another force by land to attack northern Argentina. The troops landed in Concepción , where they were received with applause. Pareja then attempted to take Santiago. This effort failed, as did a subsequent inconclusive assault led by Gabino Gaínza . However, this

975-524: A stunning blow to the remaining royalist forces in a successful attack on a complex of fortifications at Valdivia . Later Cochrane disembarked troops under commander William Miller at northern Chiloé Island in order to conquer the last Spanish stronghold in Chile, the Archipelago of Chiloé . This failed attempt ended in the minor but significant Battle of Agüi . Later on, Georges Beauchef headed from Valdivia an expedition to secure Osorno so that

1050-423: A supporter of the carlotist group, managed to magnify the political problems by taking arbitrary and harsh measures, such as the arrest and deportation to Lima without due process of well-known and socially prominent citizens under simple suspicions of having been sympathetic to the junta idea. Among those arrested were José Antonio de Rojas , Juan Antonio Ovalle and Bernardo de Vera y Pintado . Inspired by

1125-543: A traitor." Carrera also created patriotic emblems for the Patria Vieja such as the flag, shield, and insignia. Also during his government, the first Chilean newspaper, the La Aurora de Chile was published under the editorship of Friar Camilo Henríquez . It supported the independence movement. Additionally, Carrera was responsible for bringing the first American consul to Chile. This was important, as it established

1200-528: The Chilean War of Independence . The Patriot rebels led by Argentine general José de San Martín effectively destroyed the Spanish forces commanded by General Mariano Osorio , and completed the independence of the core area of Chile from Spanish domination. In 1817, the Argentine General José de San Martín led an army across the Andes and defeated the Spanish in the battle of Chacabuco and captured Santiago . The Spanish viceroyalty sent

1275-547: The Figueroa mutiny broke out. On April 1, Royalist colonel Tomás de Figueroa —considering the notion of elections to be too populist—led a revolt in Santiago. The revolt sputtered, and Figueroa was arrested and summarily executed. The mutiny was successful in that temporarily sabotaged the elections, which had to be delayed. Eventually, however, a National Congress was duly elected, and all 6 deputies from Santiago came from

1350-656: The May Revolution in Argentina, the autonomy movement had also propagated through the criollo elite. They resented the illegal arrests and, together with the news that Cádiz was all that was left of a free Spain, finally solidified in their opposition to the Governor. Brigadier García Carrasco was suspended from office and forced to resign on July 16, 1810, to be in turn replaced by the next most senior soldier, Mateo de Toro Zambrano Count of la Conquista , even though

1425-589: The Ochagavía camp to travel to the lower hills of Maipo , the Patriot army emerged organized in three infantry divisions with a total of 396 chiefs and approximately 5,000 lower-ranked officers and soldiers. The Royalist army meanwhile continued in its attempt to consolidate and defeat the Patriots, and after Cancha Rayada begun a persistent and extenuating persecution, which was resisted in every town and countryside, delaying its advance towards Santiago and giving

1500-542: The Spanish Empire —was under the administration of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán , an able, respected and well-liked Royal Governor . In May 1808 the overthrow of Charles and the start of the Peninsular War plunged the empire into a state of agitation. In the meantime, Chile was facing its own internal political problems. Governor Guzmán had suddenly died in February of that year and the crown had not been able to appoint

1575-609: The "Decreto de Libre Comercio". This allowed the country in the mid-19th century to exploit the opportunities that the California Gold Rush and the Australian gold rushes created for exporting wheat. In 1822 Bernardo O'Higgins government obtained a large loan in London to finance the independence struggle. The resulting Chilean independence debt took decades to regularize, ending the default in 1840s thanks to

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1650-416: The Andes , royalist forces led by Rafael Maroto were encountered on the plain of Chacabuco, to the north of Santiago. The resulting Battle of Chacabuco , on February 12, 1817, was a decisive victory for the independence forces. As a result, the patriots re-entered Santiago. San Martín was proclaimed Supreme Director, but he declined the offer and put O'Higgins in the post, where he would remain until 1823. On

1725-679: The Burgos and Arequipa battalions - charged the Patriot line, forcing it to cede a little. However, San Martín sent three battalions to the sector – The 1st and 3rd infantry battalions plus the 7th Battalion of Los Andes -, and these assaulted and split the Burgos Battalion, while the Arequipa Battalion was completely disbanded. The rest of the Royalist units formed in squares endured up to ten cavalry melees, but retreated after

1800-465: The Crown and a faster pace of reforms stopping just short of full independence. Their leader was Juan Martínez de Rozas. The Royalists were against any reform at all and for the maintenance of the status quo. By March 1811, 36 representatives had already been elected in all major cities with the exception of Santiago and Valparaíso . The great political surprise up to that point had been the results from

1875-468: The Moderate camp. Nonetheless, the mutiny also encouraged a radicalization of political postures. Although Moderates—who continued advocating political control of the elites and greater autonomy without a complete rupture from Spain—gained the majority of seats, a vocal minority was formed by Extremist revolutionaries who now wanted complete and instant independence from Spain. The Real Audiencia of Chile ,

1950-512: The Patriots some time to reorganize and to plan the way to stop Osorio and to avoid his entrance into the capital city. Foreseeing this situation, General Bernardo O'Higgins employed some important measures which would serve the ultimate goal of defeating the Spanish, such as collecting the rifles and sabres given by Manuel Rodríguez to people after Cancha Rayada; speeding up the incoming supplies from Los Andes; acquiring or confiscating weapons held by individuals and merchants of Santiago to rearm

2025-478: The Spanish authorities with a local junta of notable citizens, which would conform a provisional government to rule in the absence of the king and an independent Spain (known as juntistas ). In 1809, Governor García Carrasco himself was implicated in a flagrant case of corruption (the Scorpion scandal ) that managed to destroy whatever remnants of moral authority he or his office had left. From that moment on

2100-490: The Spanish would not reoccupy Valdivia from the land. Beauchef inflicted a decisive defeat on the royalists at the Battle of El Toro . In any case, San Martín and O'Higgins were in agreement that the danger would not be passed until the Viceroyalty of Peru itself was independent from Spain. Thus, a fleet and army was prepared for an expedition to the country, and in 1820, San Martín and Cochrane set off for Peru. However,

2175-412: The advance of the royalists. However, his forces were surprised and very badly beaten at the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada on March 18, 1818. In the confusion, a false rumor spread that San Martin and O'Higgins had died, and a panic seized the patriot troops, many of whom agitated for a full retreat back across the Andes to Mendoza. In these critical circumstances, the erstwhile Manuel Rodríguez jumped to

2250-468: The audacious and daring character of Cochrane conflicted with the excessive prudence of San Martín. San Martín let escape a number of opportunities to land the decisive blow against the viceroy, and in the end it was Simón Bolívar who launched the final offensive after coming down from Colombia , Peruvian independence was secured after the Battle of Ayacucho on December 9, 1824, in which forces led by Antonio José de Sucre —a lieutenant of Bolívar—defeated

2325-494: The capture of King Ferdinand VII of Spain by Napoleonic forces in 1808. The First Government Junta of Chile was formed for that purpose. But then, it began to gradually radicalize, which caused a military struggle between Patriots , who were looking for a definitive separation from the Spanish Crown; and Royalists , who sought to maintain unity with her. Traditionally, Chilean historiography covers this period between

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2400-544: The centre and right wing withdrew to Lo Espejo. At this point Osorio deserted the field, leaving the Royalists under the command of Ordóñez. The latter gathered six companies of Primo de Rivera's division and the rest of the Royalist infantry and made a final stand on the farm, decimating the Coquimbo Battalion which recklessly made a frontal charge. Then, San Martín ordered Blanco Encalada and Borgoño to hammer

2475-458: The city donate a prime, 290 m (3,100 ft²) lot in the city's Palermo section for its construction, and in 1944, President Edelmiro Farrell designated it a national institute under the aegis of the Ministry of War; its first proceedings as a national institute were convened on June 27, 1945. The new headquarters was inaugurated on August 11, 1946, and during the presidency of Juan Perón ,

2550-515: The combined Chilean and Argentine force to launch a series of attacks against Spanish positions along South America's Pacific coast, culminating in the liberation of large parts of Peru from Spanish rule. The historic victory is marked yearly every 5 April with a joint civil-military parade in Maipú, where the battle occurred (this day is Armor Day for the Chilean Army ). A living history event at

2625-699: The conformation of a Supreme Central Junta to govern the Empire in the absence of a legitimate king reached the country. In the meantime, Charlotte Joaquina , sister of Ferdinand and wife of the King of Portugal , who was living in Brazil , also made attempts to obtain the administration of the Spanish dominions in Latin America . Since her father and brother were being held prisoners in France, she regarded herself as

2700-466: The degree of political autonomy that they sought. The Moderates, under the leadership of José Miguel Infante , were a majority, and wanted a very slow pace of reforms since they were afraid that once the King was back in power he would think that they were seeking independence and would roll-back all changes. The Extremists were the second most important group and they advocated a larger degree of freedom from

2775-467: The depleted royalists retreated to Concepcion, never again to launch a major offensive against Santiago. Independence was all but secured, and worries about internal divisions were allayed when O'Higgins saluted San Martín as savior of the country, a moment which came to be known as the Embrace of Maipú . To further secure Chilean independence, San Martín launched a series of actions against armed bands in

2850-490: The disagreements and resulting lack of coordination, the independence forces were divided, and O'Higgins was obliged to meet the royalists at Rancagua without reinforcements. The resulting battle, the Disaster of Rancagua , on October 1 and 2 of 1814, was fought fiercely, but ended in stunning defeat for the independence forces of which only 500 of the original 5,000 survived. A little while later, Osorio entered Santiago and put

2925-494: The end of 1811, the ambitious Carrera managed to take power, inaugurating a dictatorship. Prominent members of the government were Carrera's brothers Juan José and Luis , as well as Bernardo O'Higgins . Meanwhile, a provisional Constitution of 1812 was promulgated with a marked liberal character. An example of this is the stipulation that "no order that emanates from outside the territory of Chile will have any effect, and anyone who tries to enforce such an order will be treated as

3000-600: The end of the 1820s, when the last royalists forces were defeated in the Chiloé Archipelago in 1826 and in Araucanía in 1827. A declaration of independence was officially issued by Chile on February 12, 1818 and formally recognized by Spain in 1844, when full diplomatic relations were established. At the start of 1808, the Captaincy General of Chile —one of the smallest and poorest colonies in

3075-546: The enemy's cavalry and securing the Patriot right flank. During the fray, suddenly the Patriot reserve emerged from behind Las Heras and Alvarado's lines and engaged Morla and Ordóñez divisions. Right after, the Cazadores squadrons led by Col. Ramón Freire dispersed the Spanish cavalry on the eastern flank. On this charge died Chilean Colonel Santiago Bueras . On the centre, both infantries attacked each other with intensity. Ordóñez division, reinforced with another two units –

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3150-618: The establishment of the First Government Junta of Chile (September 18, 1810) and the resignation of Bernardo O'Higgins as Supreme Director of Chile (January 28, 1823). It is also subdivided into three stages: the Patria Vieja (1810–1814), Reconquista (1814–1817) and the Patria Nueva (1817–1823). Although the war itself began in 1812, the year in which the first hostile actions took place, and lasted until

3225-527: The extreme right and the Cazadores of the Dictatorial Army were arranged on the left flank. The artillery was divided into two brigades under Blanco Encalada and Borgoño, and protected by the infantry on the wings. Osorio arranged his army on a triangular ridge at north of Lo Espejo. Primo de Rivera's division was formed on the left wing, while the Dragones de la Frontera Regiment was deployed over

3300-551: The first anniversary of the Battle of Chacabuco, O'Higgins formally declared independence. During the preceding time, Joaquín de la Pezuela was installed as a new viceroy in Peru. He resolved to recall his son-in-law, Mariano Osorio , sending him south with another expeditionary force. The troops disembarked at Concepcion, and recruited a number of Amerindians to join their ranks. Meanwhile, Bernardo O'Higgins moved north to somehow stop

3375-606: The formation of a junta. In August the Royal Appeals Court ( Spanish : Real Audiencia ) took a public loyalty oath to the Regency Council in front of a massive audience, which put added pressure on the Governor to define himself. After vacillating for some time over which party to follow, Toro Zambrano finally agreed to hold an open Cabildo (city hall) meeting in Santiago to discuss the issue. The date

3450-510: The heiress of her captured family. Allegedly among her plan was to send armies to occupy Buenos Aires and northern Argentina and to style herself as Queen of La Plata . Brigadier García Carrasco was a man of crude and authoritarian manners, who managed in a very short time to alienate the criollo elites under his command. Already in Chile, as in most of Latin America, there had been some independence agitation but minimal and concentrated in

3525-565: The infamous Vicente San Bruno . The patriots found in Santiago—among whom were members of the First Junta —were exiled to the Juan Fernández Islands . Far from pacifying the patriots, these actions served to incite them, and soon even the most moderate concluded that anything short of independence was intolerable. A large group of patriots (among them Carrera and O'Higgins) decided to flee to Mendoza , an Andean province of

3600-497: The institute earned prominence through his policy of underscoring the historical and cultural importance of San Martín, who had died in exile and dependent on the kindness of a French admirer, in 1850. Perón had his remains returned in 1947 to Argentina, where they were laid to rest in a cenotaph inside the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral . That year, the history of San Martín was first offered as

3675-575: The institute open its first overseas affiliate, in San Salvador in 1957, and this was followed by ones in Santiago (1960), Montevideo (1962), Cuzco and Madrid (1964), Rome , Brussels and Paris (1969), Los Angeles and New York (1972), as well as numerous others (including one in Boulogne-Sur-Mer , where he died in 1850). The institute coordinates its many overseas affiliates. The Ministry of Defense transferred control over

3750-780: The institute to the Secretariat of Culture during Raúl Alfonsín 's presidency, and in 1993, the Argentine Commission on Military History was created as its dependency. The commission hosts classes and seminars regarding both General San Martín and early Argentine military history in all continents. The institute originally vetted all local literature dealing with the hero of Argentine Independence, as well as any paintings or sculptures depicting him. Directed since 1992 by retired General Diego A. Soria, its role has more recently been an advisory one, and besides its academic activities, much of its endeavour has centered on reviewing

3825-448: The kingdom, decreed freedom of trade with all nations that were allied to Spain or neutrals, a unique tariff of 134% for all imports (with the exception of printing presses, books and guns which were liberated from all taxes) and in order to increase its representativity, ordered the convocatory of a National Congress. Immediately, political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite, with news of the political turbulence and wars of Europe all

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3900-724: The last Sunday of April ends a month of national festivities in honor of the victory. O'Higgins and San Martín embraced after the battle, an event commemorated as the "Abrazo de Maipú" (Hug of Maipú) in Argentina and Chile. An Antarctic refuge is named after the embrace. Commander : General José de San Martín Officers : Officers : Total : 5,000 men with 12 guns 33°30′4″S 70°46′19″W  /  33.50111°S 70.77194°W  / -33.50111; -70.77194 Chilean War of Independence Patriots : Mapuche allies: Royalists : Mapuche allies: The Chilean War of Independence ( Spanish : Guerra de la Independencia de Chile , 'War of Independence of Chile')

3975-400: The lead, haranguing and rallying the soldiers with the cry " There's still a country, citizens! " He named himself Supreme Director, a position which he would occupy for exactly 30 hours, which was the time the living, but wounded, O'Higgins took to return to Santiago and reclaim command. Then, on April 5, 1818, San Martín inflicted a decisive defeat on Osorio the Battle of Maipú , after which

4050-401: The many historical novels written about the enigmatic San Martín in recent decades. 34°34′50″S 58°24′05″W  /  34.58056°S 58.40139°W  / -34.58056; -58.40139 Battle of Maip%C3%BA The Battle of Maipú ( Spanish : Batalla de Maipú ) was fought near Santiago, Chile on 5 April 1818, between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during

4125-402: The morale of the patriots. Through his subsequent daring exploits, Rodríguez became a romantic hero of the revolution. In one of his more celebrated actions, he disguised himself as a beggar and succeeded in obtaining alms from Governor Marcó del Pont himself, who by that time had put a price on Rodríguez's head. The liberating Army of the Andes was prepared by 1817. After a difficult crossing

4200-466: The mountains, consisting of assorted outlaws, royalists, and Indians who had taken advantage of the chaos of military expeditions and forced recruitments to pillage and sack the countryside. This time of irregular warfare was later called the Guerra a muerte ( Total war ) for its merciless tactics, as neither the guerillas nor the government soldiers took prisoners. Only after the band of Vicente Benavides

4275-462: The newly independent Argentina . At the time, the governor of this province was José de San Martín , a leader of the Argentine independence movement who would become regarded as the " Simón Bolívar " of the southern part of Spanish South America . Upon the arrival of the exiles, San Martín immediately began to favor O'Higgins (probably because of their shared membership in the Logia Lautaro ,

4350-417: The other center of power, Concepción , in which Royalists had defeated the supporters of Juan Martínez de Rozas . In the rest of Chile, the results were more or less equally divided: twelve pro-Rozas delegates, fourteen anti-Rozas and three Royalists. So, the Santiago elections were the key to Rozas' desire to remain in power. This election was supposed to take place on April 10, but before they could be called

4425-451: The port of Callao in Peru the city of Valdivia was particularly badly hit by the decline of the trade with Peru. The fortune of this city would not shift until the arrival of German settlers in the late 1840s. Much of the war effort was financed with silver from Agua Amarga , a mining area south of Vallenar discovered in 1811. Chile adopted a free trade policy already in 1811 with

4500-439: The position with their cannons. Pushed by the Patriot infantry, Ordóñez' men garrisoned on the houses of Lo Espejo were forced to surrender, while the militias brought by O'Higgins captured the dispersed soldiers. The battle left about 1,500 Spaniards dead and 2,289 captured; the patriots suffered 800 killed and 1,000 wounded. The victory had large consequences; it brought to an end to major Spanish operations in Chile, and allowed

4575-526: The pressure for his removal began to build. In June 1810 news arrived from Buenos Aires that Napoleon Bonaparte's forces had conquered Andalusia and laid siege to Cádiz , the last redoubt against the French on Spanish soil. Moreover, the Supreme Central Junta , which had governed the Empire for the past two years, had abolished itself in favor of a Regency Council. García Carrasco, who was

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4650-486: The purpose of building a new headquarters. Plans were then drawn up for the reproduction of San Martín's erstwhile home in Le Grand-Bourg , France . The military leader had been exiled from Argentina as a result of political intrigue in 1824, and this austere, French provincial home was his residence between 1834 and 1848. The project met with official approval, and the mayor of Buenos Aires, Basilio Pertiné , had

4725-494: The rebellion of the Patria Vieja to an end. The viceroy Abascal confirmed Mariano Osorio as governor of Chile, although a later disagreement between the two would result in Osorio's removal and the installation of Francisco Casimiro Marcó del Pont as governor in 1815. In any case, the Spanish believed that it was necessary to teach the revolutionaries a good lesson and embarked on a campaign of fierce political persecution, led by

4800-623: The road to Valparaíso . Morla's Division was set on the western half of the triangular plateau, and the right flank was formed by the Ordóñez Division. The battle began when the Patriot artillery opened fire about 11:30 AM, being immediately contested by its Royalist counterpart, although inflicting no casualties upon each other. After a half-hour of useless shelling, San Martín ordered Las Heras and Alvarado to move forward. The infantry advanced in columns without retaliating fire, until Las Heras threw his troops against Primo de Rivera with

4875-545: The royalist army for good. In Chilean historiography , the Patria Nueva generally ends in 1823, with the resignation of O'Higgins. However, the last Spanish territory in Chile, the archipelago of Chiloé , was not conquered until 1826, during the government of Ramón Freire , O'Higgins' successor. The independence wars in Chile (1810–1818) and Peru (1809–1824) had a negative impact on the Chilean wheat industry . Trade

4950-441: The south of Santiago, where San Martín and Osorio prepared for battle. At nightfall on 4 April the Royalist army settled at Lo Espejo, about seven kilometres from the Patriot forces. At dawn the next day, San Martín occupied the lower hills over the southern edge which runs from west to east, with Las Heras ’ division to the right, Alvarado's division on the left and Quintana's division right behind them. The grenadiers were set on

5025-425: The support of Blanco Encalada's artillery, while Alvarado did the same against Ordóñez being covered by Borgoño's batteries. The grenadiers under Zapiola were assailed by part of the Royalist cavalry, but managed to counterattack and chase the attackers to a little slope where they were decimated by a dense infantry and artillery fire. Obliged to retreat, Zapiola was reinforced and attacked again, successfully dispersing

5100-522: The troops; gathering up combatants from the population coming up from the south and organizing a training camp at Ochagavía. Meanwhile, Gen. Osorio, after passing through San Fernando by the end of March, realized that he had not defeated the Patriot army conclusively at Cancha Rayada, and moreover, that the latter was fit to fight and to win. Facing this fact, another encounter between the Patriots and Royalist army near Santiago became inevitable. Both armies established their headquarters near each other in

5175-471: The very ineffectual Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios back in 1781. The majority of the people were fervent royalists but were divided into two groups: those who favored the status quo and the divine right of Ferdinand VII (known as absolutists ) and those who wanted to proclaim Charlotte Joaquina as Queen (known as carlotists ). A third group was composed of those who proposed the replacement of

5250-676: The while coming in. It was eventually decided that elections for the National Congress, to be composed of 42 representatives, would be held in 1811. Three political factions started to coalesce: the Extremists ( Spanish : exaltados ), the Moderates ( Spanish : moderados ) and the Royalists ( Spanish : realistas ). These groups were all decidedly against independence from Spain and differentiated themselves only in

5325-411: Was a military and political event that allowed the emancipation of Chile from the Spanish Monarchy , ending the colonial period and initiating the formation of an independent republic. It developed in the context of the Spanish American Wars of independence , a military and political process that began after the formation of self-government juntas in the Spanish-American colonies, in response to

5400-413: Was disrupted and armies in Chile pillaged the countryside. The Guerra a muerte phase was particularly destructive and ended only to see a period of outlaw banditry (e.g. Pincheira brothers ) occur until the late 1820s. Trade with Peru did not fully recover after the independence struggles. Being isolated from Central Chile by hostile Mapuche-controlled territory and dependent upon seaborne trade with

5475-510: Was liquidated in 1822 was the region around Concepcion finally pacified. As San Martín worked to establish internal stability, O'Higgins also looked to defend the country against further external threats by the Spanish and continue to roll back imperial control. He developed the Chilean navy as a line of defense against seaborne attacks, placing the Scotsman Lord Cochrane in the post of admiral. In 1820, Cochrane administered

5550-564: Was not due to the military performance of Carrera, whose incompetence led to the rise of the moderate O'Higgins, who eventually took supreme control of the pro-independence forces. Harassed on all sides, Carrera resigned, in what is commonly taken to mark the beginning of the period of the Reconquista . After the attempt by Gaínza, the two sides had signed the Treaty of Lircay on May 14, nominally bringing peace but effectively only providing

5625-535: Was set for September 18, 1810 at 11 am. From the very beginning, the juntistas took the political initiative. As soon as the Cabildo was called, they were able to place their members in the committee charged with sending the invitations, thus manipulating the attendance lists to their own advantage. At the September 18 session, they grabbed center stage with shouts of "¡Junta queremos! ¡junta queremos!" ("We want

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