Revolutions in Argentina and Peru Jose de San Martin Revolutions in Argentina and Peru
Upper Peru, Argentina and Chile Argentina - British captured Buenos Aires in 1806 - Creole/Royalist response was the creation of an Argentinian junta - there was fractured leadership among the Argentinians - Jose de San Martin returned from Spain to become a military leader of the Argentinian Independence movement * Creole who had spent most of his life in Europe * had learned lessons from Bolivar’s previous failures * felt that the liberation of the Viceroyalty of Peru would lead to the liberation of all of South America
The situation in Argentina was chaotic and plagued with political instability. - Independence was officially declared independent in 1816 - Creole divisions led to the government changing hands 5 times between 1810 and 1819. In 1820, it changed on average once every two weeks. San Martin’s Liberation Campaign San Martin had tried 3 times to bring his army into Upper Peru, but had failed each time - 1817: crossed into the Andes with 5,000 men * Chileans were ready to support liberation * defeated royalists at Chacabuco and then went on to capture Santiago
defeated the royalists at Maipu - Chacabuco was a decisive victory over the royalists for San Martin * patriot army was far superior to the royalist * San Martin divided up forces – one commanded by Bernardo O’Higgins * O’Higgins helped secure the victory and went on to become the leader of the new Chilean government (San Martin didn’t want the position- he wanted to be supreme ruler of Peru) 1818: The fighting continued until San Martin’s forces defeated the royalists at Maipu * Maipu was a significant victory for San Martin – patriots controlled almost all of Chile * San Martin turned his focus to Peru
San Martin in Peru 1820: San Martin’s forces - Chilean, Argentine, British mercenaries * gained support of Peruvian Creoles who were tired of fighting against Spanish rule * he proposed a compromise similar to Iturbide’s Plan of Iguala, but Peruvian Creoles were still divided * San Martin’s forces finally wore down royalists and he took over Lima and became the “Protector of Peru” * many Creoles started to see his policies as radical and San Martin began to lose support (this is in 1822 when he left to meet Bolivar in Ecuador- never returned to power)