Antonio González de Balcarce (June 24, 1774 – August 15, 1819) was an Argentine military commander in the early 19th century. González de Balcarce was born in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. He joined the armed forces as a cadet in 1788. In the battle for

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in 1807, he was captured by the

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forces and taken to England. After his release, he fought in the service of Spain during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

against the Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. Returning to Buenos Aires, he participated in the

May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...

in 1810. Subsequently, he was named second commander for the military campaign of the independentist forces in the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...

, where he won the Battle of Suipacha on November 7, 1810, the first victory over the Spanish royal forces. Eventually, he was called back and became the

Governor of Buenos Aires Province The Governor of Buenos Aires Province ( es, Gobernador de la Provincia de Buenos Aires) is a citizen of the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina, holding the office of governor for the corresponding period. The governor is elected alongside a vic ...

in 1813. In 1816, he served as the

Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata The Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata ( es, Director Supremo de las Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata) was a title given to the executive officers of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata according to the f ...

''ad interim'', and became the Major General of the armed forces the following year under the government of

Juan Martín de Pueyrredón Juan Martín de Pueyrredón y O'Dogan (December 18, 1777 – March 13, 1850) was an Argentine general and politician of the early 19th century. He was appointed Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata after the Argentine ...

. According to historian William Denslow, Antonio Balcarce was a member of the well-known masonic lodge ''Lautaro''.Dunslow, William. ''10000 Famous Freemasons''. Richmond, Virginia: Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., 1957. He took part in the

crossing of the Andes The Crossing of the Andes ( es, Cruce de los Andes) was one of the most important feats in the Argentine and Chilean wars of independence, in which a combined army of Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles invaded Chile crossing the Andes r ...

to Chile and was

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's second-in-command during the battles of Cancha Rayada and Maipu. He fell ill in Chile and had to return to Buenos Aires, where he died in 1819.

References

1774 births 1819 deaths People from Buenos Aires Argentine people of Spanish descent Argentine people of Basque descent Argentine generals People of the Argentine War of Independence People of the Chilean War of Independence Governors of Buenos Aires Province Supreme Directors of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery Patrician families of Buenos Aires {{Argentina-mil-bio-stub