The British invasions of the River Plate were two unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of areas in the Spanish colony of the
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata ( es, Virreinato del Río de la Plata or es, Virreinato de las Provincias del Río de la Plata) meaning "River of the Silver", also called "Viceroyalty of the River Plate" in some scholarly writings, in ...
that were located around the
Río de la Plata in
South America – in present-day
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and
Uruguay. The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the
Napoleonic Wars, when
Spain was an ally of
Napoleonic France.
History
The invasions occurred in two phases. A detachment from the British army occupied
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 Am ...
for 46 days in 1806 before being expelled. In 1807, a second force stormed and
occupied Montevideo, remaining for several months, and a third force made a second attempt to take Buenos Aires. After several days of
street fighting
Street fighting is hand-to-hand combat in public places, between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g. a street) and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or occasionally even death. Some street fig ...
against the local militia and Spanish colonial army, in which half of the British forces were killed or wounded, the British were forced to withdraw.
The social effects of the invasions are among the
causes of the May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a series of revolutionary political and social events that took place during the early nineteenth century in the city of Buenos Aires, capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a co ...
. The
criollos
In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of Spanish descent born in the colonies. In different Latin American countries the word has come to have different meanings, sometimes referring to the local-born majo ...
, who had so far been denied important positions, could get political strength through military roles. The successful resistance with little help from
Spain fostered the desire for self-determination. An
open cabildo
The open cabildo (Spanish: ''cabildo abierto'') is a traditional Hispanic American political action for convening citizens to make important decisions. It is comparable to the North American town hall meeting.
History Colonial period
The open c ...
and the
Royal Audience of Buenos Aires deposed the viceroy
Rafael de Sobremonte
Don Rafael de Sobremonte y Núñez del Castillo, 3rd Marquis of Sobremonte (Seville, 1745 – Cádiz, 1827), third Marquis of Sobremonte, was an aristocrat, military man and Spanish colonial administrator, and Viceroy of the Río de la Pl ...
and designated instead the French popular hero
Santiago de Liniers
Santiago Antonio María de Liniers y Bremond, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, KOM, OM (July 25, 1753 – August 26, 1810) was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the River ...
, which was a completely unprecedented action: before that, the
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
was only subject to the
King of Spain
, coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg
, coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain
, image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg
, incumbent = Felipe VI
, incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
himself, and no one from the colonies had authority over him.
Background
Pedro de Mendoza founded the ''Ciudad de Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre'' (''The City of Our Lady of the Fair Winds'') on 2 February 1536 as a Spanish settlement. The site was abandoned in 1541, but it was re-established in 1580 by
Juan de Garay with the name ''Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Ayre'' (City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds), and the city became one of the largest in the Americas. A Portuguese colony was founded nearby at
Colonia del Sacramento
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento
, pushpin_map = Uruguay
, subdivisio ...
in 1680. To deter Portuguese expansion, the Spanish founded
Montevideo in 1726, and Colonia was finally ceded to Spain under the
Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1777, one year after the creation of the Spanish
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata ( es, Virreinato del Río de la Plata or es, Virreinato de las Provincias del Río de la Plata) meaning "River of the Silver", also called "Viceroyalty of the River Plate" in some scholarly writings, in ...
, the forerunner of modern
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
The
South Sea Company
The South Sea Company (officially The Governor and Company of the merchants of Great Britain, trading to the South Seas and other parts of America, and for the encouragement of the Fishery) was a British joint-stock company founded in Ja ...
was granted trading concessions in South America in the time of
Queen Anne, under the
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...
. The British had long harboured ambitions in South America, considering the estuary of the
Río de la Plata as the most favourable location for a British colony.
The
Napoleonic Wars played a key role in the Rio de la Plata conflict and since the beginning of the conquest of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with t ...
, the British had been interested in the riches of the region. The
Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France during the French Revolution (represented by François de Barthélemy).
*The first was with Prussia (represented by Karl August von Hardenberg) on 5 April;
*The sec ...
in 1795 ended the war between Spain and France. In 1796, by the
Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on 19 August 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the Kingdom of Grea ...
, Spain joined France in its war with Britain, thus giving Britain cause for military action against Spanish colonies. In 1805 Britain judged it the right moment after the defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet at the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval battle, naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–De ...
. This battle forced Spain to reduce to a minimum of its naval communications with its American colonies. Historically, Buenos Aires had been relatively neglected by Spain, which sent most of its ships to the more economically important city of
Lima. The last time a significant Spanish military force had arrived in Buenos Aires had been in 1784.
British interest in the region
Britain had long harboured interests in taking control of the region from the Spanish before the invasions. Attempts had been made by the British in past conflicts to establish a foothold in South America, like in the
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war w ...
, at the peak of the
War of Jenkins' Ear.
Back in 1711, John Pullen stated that the Río de la Plata was the best place in the world for making a British colonial trading base. His proposal included Santa Fe and Asunción, and would have generated an agricultural area with Buenos Aires as the main port. Admiral Vernon also declared the benefit of opening markets in those areas in 1741. By 1780 the British government approved a project of colonel
William Fullarton to take the Americas with attacks from both the Atlantic (from Europe) and the Pacific (from India). This project was cancelled.
In 1789 the war between Britain and Spain seemed imminent after the
Nootka Crisis
The Nootka Crisis, also known as the Spanish Armament, was an international incident and political dispute between the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, the Spanish Empire, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the fledgling United States of America triggered ...
. The Venezuelan revolutionary
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...
took the opportunity to appear before prime Minister
William Pitt with his proposal to emancipate the New World territories under Portuguese and Spanish rule and turn them into a great independent empire governed by a descendant of the
Incas. The plan presented in London requested the assistance of the United Kingdom and the United States to militarily occupy the major South American cities, ensuring that the people would greet the British cordially and would be rushing to organize sovereign governments. In return for this help, Britain would receive the benefits of unrestricted trade and usufruct of the Isthmus of Panama, in order to build a channel for the passage of ships. Pitt accepted the proposal and began to organize the expedition. The
Nootka Convention
The Nootka Sound Conventions were a series of three agreements between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Great Britain, signed in the 1790s, which averted a war between the two countries over overlapping claims to portions of the Pacific No ...
in 1790 ended hostilities, and the Miranda mission was canceled.
Nicholas Vansittart
Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley, (29 April 1766 – 8 February 1851) was an English politician, and one of the longest-serving Chancellors of the Exchequer in British history.
Background and education
The fifth son of Henry Vansittart ...
made a new proposal in 1796: the plan was to take Buenos Aires, then move to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and attack from there the Spanish stronghold of
El Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
in
Peru. This proposal was canceled the following year, but was improved by
Thomas Maitland in 1800 as the
Maitland Plan. The new plan was to seize control of Buenos Aires with 4,000 soldiers and 1,500 cavalry, move to Mendoza, and prepare a military expedition to cross the Andes and conquer Chile. From there, the British would move from sea to seize Peru and then Quito.
All these proposals were discussed in 1804 by
William Pitt, Lord
Henry Melville
Henry Saxelby Melville Wintle (1799 – 22 December 1873), commonly referred to as Henry Melville, was an Australian journalist, author, occultist, and Freemason best remembered for writing the play '' The Bushrangers'', ,
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...
and Sir
Home Riggs Popham
Rear Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham, KCB, KCH (12 October 1762 – 20 September 1820), was a Royal Navy commander who saw service against the French during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is remembered for his scientific accomplishment ...
. Popham did not believe a complete military occupation of South America was practical but argued for taking control of key locations to allow the main objective, to open new markets for the British economy. Although there was consensus for weakening Spanish control over its South American colonies, there was no agreement as to the system and the moment to take such action. For instance, it was not even agreed whether the cities be turned into British colonies after their capture or just be made into British protectorates.
First invasion
In 1805 Popham received orders to escort the
David Baird-led expedition against the Dutch colony of the
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
, which was allied with Napoleon. With nearly 6,300 men they took it in January 1806. Popham received new orders from the admiralty to patrol the east coast of South America, from Rio de Janeiro to the Río de la Plata, in order to detect any attempt to counterattack the Cape. However, Popham had the idea of taking the Río de la Plata with a military action similar to the one made at the Cape. His agent William White had informed him about the local politics of the city, such as the discontent among some groups about the restrictive regulations enforced by Spain about international commerce. Popham manifested Baird his will to take the zone, with or without his help. Baird gave him the 71st Regiment of Infantry, artillery and 1,000 men to attempt the invasion. Baird promoted
William Carr Beresford
General William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, 1st Marquis of Campo Maior, (; 2 October 1768 – 8 January 1854) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and politician. A general in the British Army and a Marshal in the Portuguese Army, he fought ...
to general and designated him vicegovernor of the zone if it was taken. The expedition got reinforcements of 300 men from the Artillery and
t Helena
T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
Regiment.
The Spanish Viceroy, Marquis
Rafael de Sobremonte
Don Rafael de Sobremonte y Núñez del Castillo, 3rd Marquis of Sobremonte (Seville, 1745 – Cádiz, 1827), third Marquis of Sobremonte, was an aristocrat, military man and Spanish colonial administrator, and Viceroy of the Río de la Pl ...
, had asked the Spanish Crown for reinforcements many times, but only received a shipment of several thousand muskets and instructions to form a
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
. Buenos Aires was then a large settlement housing approximately 45,000, but the Viceroy was reluctant to give weapons to the
Creole population. The best troops had been dispatched to the
Upper Peru
Upper Peru (; ) is a name for the land that was governed by the Real Audiencia of Charcas. The name originated in Buenos Aires towards the end of the 18th century after the Audiencia of Charcas was transferred from the Viceroyalty of Peru to th ...
currently
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
to guard the frontiers from
Túpac Amaru II
José Gabriel Condorcanqui ( – May 18, 1781)known as Túpac Amaru II was an indigenous Cacique who led a large Andean rebellion against the Spanish in Peru. He later became a mythical figure in the Peruvian struggle for independence and in ...
's revolt, and when Sobremonte learned of the British presence in the area he dispatched the remaining troops to
Montevideo, considering that the attack would be in that city. Thus, the British found Buenos Aires almost defenseless.
The British took
Quilmes
Quilmes () is a city on the coast of the Rio de la Plata, in the , on the south east of the Greater Buenos Aires. The city was founded in 1666 and it is the seat of the eponymous county. With a population of 230,810, it is located south of the ...
, near Buenos Aires, on 25 June 1806, and reached and occupied Buenos Aires on 27 June. The Viceroy fled to
Córdoba with the city's treasury, but lost it to British forces during his escape. Although his action was in line with a law enacted by former Viceroy
Pedro de Cevallos
Pedro Antonio de Cevallos Cortés y Calderón, also spelled Ceballos (29 June 1715 – 26 December 1778), was a Spanish military Governor of Buenos Aires between 1757 and 1766, and the first Viceroy of the Río de la Plata in 1776.
Biography ...
, which required the treasury to be kept safe in case of a foreign attack, he was seen as a coward by the population because of it.Initially the British forces were met with a somewhat lukewarm welcome by the residents of the city, with some wealthy families throwing feasts in honour of the British officers.
Nevertheless, some political figures remained antagonistic.
Manuel Belgrano said "Queremos al antiguo amo o a ninguno" (we want the old Master or none at all) before leaving to Uruguay. Religious leaders swore loyalty as well, after the promise that the Roman Catholic religion would be respected. The Royal Audience ceased its activities. Some merchants were displeased by the repeal of the Spanish monopoly and the opening to British trade, as it harmed their interests; one of their leaders was
Martín de Álzaga.
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 Argentin ...
organised a militia near the city, but was discovered before being ready, and his troops were defeated.
Santiago de Liniers
Santiago Antonio María de Liniers y Bremond, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, KOM, OM (July 25, 1753 – August 26, 1810) was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the River ...
, who was assigned to guard a nearby coast defense, got into the city and weighed the situation. He convinced Álzaga to hold on his plan, and moved to
Montevideo. The governor
Pascual Ruiz Huidobro
Pascual Ruiz Huidobro (Ourense, Galicia, 1752 – Mendoza, Argentina, March 1813), was a Spanish soldier in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, who fought against the British invasions of the Río de la Plata as Governor of Montevideo.
Ru ...
gave him command of 550 veterans and 400 soldiers to return to Buenos Aires and attempt the re-conquest. Sobremonte was doing the same in Córdoba, but Liniers got to Buenos Aires first.
On 4 August 1806, Liniers landed at Las Conchas, north of Buenos Aires, and advanced with a mixed force of Buenos Aires line troops and Montevideo Militia toward the city. On 10 August he took control of the strategic points of Miserere and El Retiro, holding the north and west entries to the city. Beresford finally surrendered on 14 August. An
open cabildo
The open cabildo (Spanish: ''cabildo abierto'') is a traditional Hispanic American political action for convening citizens to make important decisions. It is comparable to the North American town hall meeting.
History Colonial period
The open c ...
decided afterwards to depose Sobremonte from having military authority, and giving such authority, instead, to the victorious Liniers. As written above, Sobremonte's departure at the beginning of the war made him highly unpopular among the peoples of Buenos Aires. Sobremonte would not return to Buenos Aires, and moved to Montevideo instead. The open cabildo also decided to prepare the city against the possibility of a British counter-attack.
Foreseeing the possibility of a second invasion, militias were formed by the Spanish and
criollos
In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of Spanish descent born in the colonies. In different Latin American countries the word has come to have different meanings, sometimes referring to the local-born majo ...
, such as the
Patricios, Arribeños, Húsares (of
Pueyrredón), Pardos and Morenos. The creation of such local forces created concern within the Spanish elite, fearful of an attempt of secession from the Spanish Crown.
On this first invasion, the
71st Regiment of Foot
The 71st Regiment of Foot was a Highland regiment in the British Army, raised in 1777. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in 1881.
History ...
lost both of its
Regimental Colour
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt som ...
s during the combat, which are currently held in Argentina. On the second invasion, there was a frustrated attempt to recover both flags. They were retaken by the Buenos Aires militia and returned to the Santo Domingo convent.
Second invasion
Battle of Montevideo
On 3 February 1807 Montevideo, defended by approximately 5,000 men, was besieged at 2:00am by a 15,000 strong British force in a joint military and naval operation under
General Sir
Samuel Auchmuty and a naval squadron under
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Sir
Charles Stirling
Charles Stirling (28 April 1760 – 7 November 1833) was a vice-admiral in the British Royal Navy.
Early life and career
Charles Stirling was born in London on 28 April 1760 and baptised at St. Albans on 15 May. The son of Admiral Sir Walter ...
. Reinforcements for the defenders came en route from Buenos Aires, so that the rapid success of the operation was essential.
Swiftly breached, the city was then assaulted by the
40th regiment and the elite
95th (Rifle) regiment. Once inside the walls, the British met heavy resistance as the Spanish fought to halt their advance, but they gradually spread out and forced back the defenders. On the other side of the city a second assault was launched, spearheaded by the
87th Regiment of Foot taking the Spanish defenders in the rear. The Spanish Governor Ruiz Huidobro accepted Auchmuty's demand of unconditional surrender around 5:00 a.m. The Spanish took 600 casualties and a further 2,000 were taken prisoner while the British had taken 600 casualties.
On 10 May,
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
John Whitelocke
John Whitelocke (1757 – 23 October 1833) was a British Army officer.
Military career
Educated at Marlborough Grammar School and at Lewis Lochée's military academy in Chelsea, Whitelocke entered the army in 1778 and served in Jamaica and in Sa ...
arrived in Montevideo to take overall command of the British forces -this had about 13,000 soldiers, due to the losses suffered in Montevideo – on the Río de la Plata, landing on 27 June.
Second Battle of Buenos Aires
On 1 July, the force led by Liniers engaged the British but was overwhelmed by superior numbers at
Miserere, in the city environs. At this crucial moment, Whitelocke did not attempt to enter the city, but twice demanded the city's surrender. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires' mayor
Martín de Álzaga organised the defence of the city by digging trenches, fortifying buildings and erecting fences with great popular support for the Creoles hungered for independence. Finally, three days after forcing the troops under Liniers to retreat, Whitelocke resolved to attack Buenos Aires. Trusting in the superiority of his soldiers, he divided his army into 12 columns and advanced without the protection of the
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, ...
. His army was met on the streets by a mixed-race militia, including 686 African slaves, stiffened by the local 1st Naval Infantry Battalion and
1st 'Patricios' Infantry Regiment,
and fighting continued on the streets of Buenos Aires on 4 July and 5 July. Whitelocke underestimated the importance of
urban combat
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and ...
, in which the inhabitants employed cooking pots filled with burning oil and boiling water from rooftops, injuring several soldiers of the 88th Regiment. The locals eventually overwhelmed the British troops. The British suffered 1,000 casualties.
By the end of 5 July, the British controlled
Retiro and Residencia at the cost of about 70 officers and 1,000 other ranks killed or wounded, but the city's centre was still in the hands of the defenders, and the invaders were now demoralized. At this point, a counter-attack by the militias and colonial troops present, defeated many important British commanders, including
Robert Craufurd
Major-General Robert Craufurd (5 May 1764 – 23 January 1812) was a British soldier. Craufurd was born at Newark, Ayrshire, the third son of Sir Alexander Craufurd, 1st Baronet (see Craufurd Baronets), and the younger brother of Sir Char ...
and
Denis Pack
Major-General Sir Denis Pack (7 October 1775–24 July 1823) was an Anglo-Irish military officer during the Napoleonic Wars.
Background
A descendant of Sir Christopher Packe, Pack was the son of the Very Reverend Thomas Pack, Dean of Osso ...
. Then Whitelocke proposed a 24-hour truce, which was rejected by Liniers, who ordered an artillery attack.
After suffering 311 killed, 679 wounded and 1,808 captured or missing,
Whitelocke signed an
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the L ...
with Liniers on 12 August; the local marines playing an important part in defeating Brigadier-General Robert Craufurd and his two thousand troops at the Battle of Plaza del Mercado which is now recalled by the people of Buenos Aires as 'The Defence'.
In the confusion of defeat, many British soldiers deserted their units and more than 50 were returned to the British and were court-martialed, while others were allowed to stay and would form part of the 1,200-strong British contingent that would help in the liberation of Chile.
Whitelocke left the Río de la Plata basin taking with him the British forces in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and
Colonia, but leaving behind 400 seriously wounded. On his return to Great Britain, he was
court-martialled and
cashiered, mainly for surrendering Montevideo. There was much criticism in the British newspapers in the way Whitelocke had conducted himself, and for having surrendered to a largely militia force. Whitelocke would claim that in the
71st Regiment of Foot
The 71st Regiment of Foot was a Highland regiment in the British Army, raised in 1777. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in 1881.
History ...
alone there were 170 deserters. Liniers was later named
Viceroy of the Río de la Plata by the Spanish Crown.
According to Uruguayan journalist Juan José de Soiza Reilly, some 3,000 British dead are today buried in a mass grave under passageway
Cinco de Julio near
Avenida Belgrano
Avenida Belgrano is an avenue that runs through Montserrat, Balvanera and Almagro neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The avenue crosses other major avenues like Huergo, Paseo Colon, Diagonal Sur and 9 de Julio.
The avenue was so name ...
in downtown Buenos Aires.
In commemoration of the victory, 12 August is known in Argentina as the day of the "Reconquista de Buenos Aires".
Towards independence
After having to fight the British invasions by themselves with little direct help from Spain that at the moment was involved in the
Napoleonic Wars, the seeds of independence were starting to grow. Local militia battalions being commanded mostly by revolutionaries (like
Cornelio Saavedra
Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez (September 15, 1759 in Otuyo – March 29, 1829 in Buenos Aires) was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He was instrumental in the May Revolution, the fir ...
,
Manuel Belgrano, Esteban Romero,
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 Argentin ...
,
Juan José Viamonte
Juan José Viamonte González (February 9, 1774 – March 31, 1843) was an Argentine general in the early 19th century.
Life and Politics
Viamonte was born in Buenos Aires and entered the army in his youth following in his father's footsteps ...
and Martín Rodriguez) also contributed to the growth of revolutionary zeal.
In 1808, Napoleon placed his brother
Joseph Bonaparte on the throne of Spain giving the chance in 1810 for the
May Revolution to take place, as a prelude to the
Declaration of Independence of Argentina of 1816.
See also
*
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Argentina, links=no) was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín a ...
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
References
Works cited
*
*
*
External links
Bad day for the empireby Richard Gott.
The Guardian, 13 July 2007
*
History of the Argentine foreign relations
*
*
Britain's 'forgotten' invasion of Argentina BBC News, 10 August 2006
An Authentic Narrative of the Proceedings of the 1807 Expedition Under the General Craufurd by an officer of the 36th Foot. 1808*
Grenadier company, Tercio de CantabrosHistorical reenactment group that represents a militia group which had a courageous performance in Buenos Aires in 1807.
*
La Expedición Británica de 1806-7 al Rio de la Plata, Según el Diario del Tte. John BentBritish Expedition of 1806–7 to the Rio del la Plata, Diary of Lieutenant John Bent.
{{Authority control
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Colonial Uruguay
Conflicts in 1806
Conflicts in 1807
1806 in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
1807 in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
History of Buenos Aires
History of Montevideo
Rio de la Plata
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
Río de la Plata
Wars involving Argentina
Wars involving Spain
River Plate
Wars involving Uruguay
1806 in Argentina
1807 in Argentina
1806 in Uruguay
1807 in Uruguay
19th century in Buenos Aires
19th century in Montevideo
19th-century military history of the United Kingdom
Argentina–United Kingdom military relations
Spain–United Kingdom military relations
United Kingdom–Uruguay relations
Amphibious operations
Amphibious operations involving the United Kingdom
Amphibious operations involving Spain
British military occupations