) , colors = Maroon , march = "Trompetas de Caballería" , mascot = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , battles =

Peruvian War of Independence The Peruvian War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia del Perú, links=no) consisted in a series of military conflicts in Peru beginning with viceroy Abascal military victories in the south frontier in 1809, in La Paz revolution an ...

* *

Battle of Junín The Battle of Junín was a military engagement of the Peruvian War of Independence, fought in the highlands of the Junín Region on 6 August 1824. The preceding February the royalists had regained control of Lima, and having regrouped in Trujill ...

* **

Battle of Zepita The Battle of Zepita, also known as the Battle of Chua Chua, was fought between the forces of future Peruvian president Santa Cruz and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Santa Cruz's army captured 240 rifles, 52 saddles, 240 lances and 63 sabers from the Ro ...

* Upper Peru campaign

Gran Colombia–Peru War The Gran Colombia–Peru War (Spanish: ''Guerra Grancolombo-Peruana'') of 1828 and 1829 was the first international conflict fought by the Republic of Peru, which had gained its independence from Spain in 1821, and Gran Colombia, that existed b ...

Battle of Tarqui The Battle of Tarqui, also known as the Battle of Portete de Tarqui, took place on 27 February 1829 at Tarqui, near Cuenca, today part of Ecuador. It was fought between troops from Gran Colombia, commanded by Antonio José de Sucre, and Peruvian ...

Salaverry-Santa Cruz War The Salaverry-Santa Cruz War, sometimes called the Peruvian Civil War of 1835–1836, was an internal conflict in Peru with the involvement of the Bolivian army of Andres de Santa Cruz. At the Battle of Yanacocha (August 13, 1835), Santa Cruz's a ...

War of the Confederation The War of the Confederation ( es, Guerra de la Confederación) was a military confrontation waged by Chile, along with Peruvian dissidents, and the Argentine Confederation against the Peru–Bolivian Confederation between 1836 and 1839. As ...

Battle of Portada de Guías The Battle of Portada de Guías ( es, Batalla de Portada de Guías), also known as the Battle of Guía ( es, Batalla de Guía) or Battle of Piñonate ( es, Batalla de Piñonate), was a battle between an alliance made up of Chile and the Restorati ...

* * 1841 Bolivian–Peruvian War *

Battle of Ingavi The Battle of Ingavi occurred on November 18, 1841, during the Peruvian-Bolivian War of 1841-1842, in the town of Ingavi, Bolivia. The Bolivian Army, commanded by Jose Ballivian, there met an invading Peruvian Army commanded by Agustín Gamarra ...

Peruvian Civil War of 1856–1858 The Peruvian Civil War of 1856–1858, also known as the Arequipa Revolution of 1856, was one of the largest and most violent in Peru. It was the third internal conflict in 19th century Peru (after the Peruvian Civil War of 1834 and Peruvian Civ ...

Chincha Islands War The Chincha Islands War, also known as Spanish–South American War ( es, Guerra hispano-sudamericana), was a series of coastal and naval battles between Spain and its former colonies of Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia from 1865 to 1879. The ...

Battle of Callao The Battle of Callao (, as it is known in South America) occurred on May 2, 1866, between a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez and the fortified battery emplacements of the Peruvian port city of Callao during th ...

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

Tarapacá campaign The Tarapacá campaign is a short stage of the War of the Pacific developed in the last months of 1879, after the Chileans won definitive naval superiority at Angamos, and takes its name from the region where it was fought. After Angamos, the C ...

Battle of Quillagua The Battle of Quillagua was a battle of the War of the Pacific that occurred on October 10, 1879. It was the first ever land battle between the Peruvian and Chilean infantry. Background After the Battle of Topáter and the occupation of Calama, ...

Battle of Pampa Germania The Battle of Pampa Germania was a cavalry battle of the Tarapacá campaign of the War of the Pacific that took place on November 6, 1879. In this battle, the Chilean cavalry led by Lieutenant Colonel José Francisco Vergara and Sofanor Parra amb ...

Tacna and Arica campaign The Tacna and Arica campaign is known as the stage of the War of the Pacific after the Chilean conquest of the Peruvian department of Tarapacá, ending with Chilean domination of the Moquegua department in southern Peru. During this campaign Bo ...

Battle of Tacna The Battle of Tacna, also known as the ''Battle of the Peak of the Alliance'' (Spanish: ''Batalla del Alto de la Alianza''), effectively destroyed the Peru-Bolivian alliance against Chile, forged by a secret treaty signed in 1873. On May 26, 188 ...

, notable_commanders =

Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente (8 September 1796 – 14 March 1878) was a Peruvian politician who also served in the Peruvian military. He briefly served as President of Peru from June 7 to September 1, 1829. Gutiérrez de la Fuente was born in ...

William Miller

Federico de Brandsen Carlos Luis Federico de Brandsen (Paris, November 28, 1785 – Battle of Ituzaingó, February 20, 1827) was a Colonel of France, French origin who fought in many of the South American wars of independence and for Argentina in the Cisplatine Wa ...

Manuel Isidoro Suárez Manuel Isidoro Suárez (1799–1846) was an Argentine colonel who commanded Peruvian and Colombian cavalry troops in their wars of independence. He was noted for his pivotal role in securing a revolutionary victory at the Battle of Junín. He ...

Domingo Nieto Domingo Nieto (15 August 1803 – 17 February 1844) was a Peruvian Grand Marshal, forefather of the nation, and politician who served as the 19th President of Peru between 1843 and 1844, officially as the President of the Government Junta and G ...

Ramón Castilla Ramón Castilla y Marquesado (; 31 August 1797 – 30 May 1867) was a Peruvian ''caudillo'' who served as President of Peru three times as well as the Interim President of Peru (Revolution Self-proclaimed President) in 1863. His earliest pr ...

, anniversaries = 18 August
6 August The Hussars of Junín ( es, Húsares de Junín), officially the Cavalry Regiment "Hussars of Junín" № 1 Liberator of Peru ( es, Regimiento de Caballería «Glorioso Húsares de Junín» № 1 - Libertador del Perú), is a traditional

light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily rai ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

Peruvian Army The Peruvian Army ( es, Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions ...

. Originally the 4th Squadron of the

Peruvian Guard Legion ) , colors = , march = "El Ataque de Uchumayo (La Salaverrina)""Sesquicentenario" , mascot = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , battles ...

, the unit was renamed in 1824 to its current name after its performance in the

History

Origin

In July 1821,

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...

created on the basis of a squadron of the

Army of the Andes The Army of the Andes ( es, Ejército de los Andes) was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina) and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire. In 181 ...

, the Hussars of the General's Escort ( es, Húsares de la Escolta del General), which initially had sixty-four men under the command of French captain Pedro Benigno Raulet. This squadron was one of the first to enter

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

on 6 July 1821 and the one that accompanied the official delegation on the day of the Declaration of Independence of Peru. It was then incorporated into the troops besieging the

Real Felipe Fortress The Real Felipe Fortress was built to defend the main Peruvian port and the city of Lima from pirates and corsairs during colonial times. The fortress was pivotal in the 1866 naval battle between a Spanish fleet sent to South America to "reclaim" ...

until September of the same year, when its defenders capitulated. On 18 August 1821, the

Peruvian Guard Legion ) , colors = , march = "El Ataque de Uchumayo (La Salaverrina)""Sesquicentenario" , mascot = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , battles ...

was created with a decree by San Martín, composed of an

infantry battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are e ...

, made up of six

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

(one of

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

s, one of jägers and four of

riflemen A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the rif ...

), two squadrons of

and a flying artillery company. San Martín arranged for Captain Raulet's squadron to serve as the basis for the creation of the two squadrons of Hussars of the Peruvian Legion, which would be under the general command of Lieutenant Colonel

Guillermo Miller William Miller (2 December 1795 – 31 October 1861) known throughout Hispanic America as Guillermo Miller, was an English-born soldier who participated in several South American revolutions, and then became a diplomat. Biography Born December ...

. In 1822, these hussar squadrons gave rise to the Hussar Cavalry Regiment of the Peruvian Guard Legion with four squadrons of approximately one hundred men each. The fourth squadron of this unit was organized in Trujillo under the orders of Colonel

, with an initial force of one hundred and eight men. During the , the first three squadrons of the regiment were commanded by Colonel

. On the basis of the fourth squadron that had remained in the north of Peru in 1823, the Cuirassiers Regiment of Peru ( es, Regimiento Coraceros del Perú) was created, which, after being merged with the remains of the Hussars of the Guard in 1824, was renamed Hussars of Peru ( es, Húsares del Perú). In 1824, under the command of Colonel , the regiment took part in the

. In battle, the patriot army was forced to retreat in the face of an unforeseen royalist attack. The hussars decided to attack by surprise in the enemy rear, a decisive action that allowed the deployment of the patriotic troops to counterattack. Because of this,

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

renamed the unit to its current name. After its performance in the decisive

Battle of Ayacucho The Battle of Ayacucho ( es, Batalla de Ayacucho, ) was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of South America. In Peru it is co ...

, the unit obtained the title of Liberator of Peru ( es, Libertador del Perú), this time under the command of the

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

commander

War of the Pacific

During the

the unit participated in the campaigns of

Tarapacá San Lorenzo de Tarapacá, also known simply as Tarapacá, is a town in the region of the same name in Chile. History The town has likely been inhabited since the 12th century, when it formed part of the Inca trail. When Spanish explorer Diego d ...

and

Tacna Tacna was known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of sodium nitrate and other resources. Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from Italy. Today, their Italian Peruvian descendants live in the city and many of t ...

, in October 1879, thirty-two hussars under the command of Lieutenant Colonel

Belisario Suárez Manuel Belisario Suárez y Vargas (1833–1910) was a Peruvian colonel and politician that was notable for serving in several battles of the War of the Pacific as well as holding several offices within the Congress of the Republic of Peru. Bio ...

ventured behind the Chilean lines on a reconnaissance mission, obtaining in their retreat a victorious battle in Quillagua against Chilean cavalry. In November of the same year, a combined force of Peruvian and Bolivian hussars of about ninety men, which constituted the rearguard of the allied army, was destroyed by two squadrons of the Cazadores a Caballo regiment of the

Chilean Army The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade. In recent years, and a ...

(one hundred and seventy-five men) perishing during the action its commander José Buenaventura Sepúlveda. In May 1880 a picket of hussars attacked a supply column of the Chilean army in the desert north of Tacna, capturing sixty mules loaded with water. During the

, one hundred and six hussars fought as part of the allied cavalry, having fifty-three casualties during the action, including their second and third commanders.

20th century

In February 1987, then President

Alan García Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez (; 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of ...

ordered that a "Peruvian character" be given to the presidential guard, which since 1904 had been made up of the "Mariscal Domingo Nieto" Cavalry Regiment, which had uniforms he considered to be similar to the ones used by the

French Republican Guard The Republican Guard (french: Garde républicaine) is part of the French National Gendarmerie. It is responsible for special security duties in the Paris area and for providing guards of honour at official ceremonies of the French Republic. Its ...

. As a result, the Hussars of Junín became the new presidential escort until 2012, when the former regiment was reinstated as the presidential escort and the latter returned to Army Education and Doctrine Command in Chorrillos. In 3 June 1989, during the intensification of subversive actions in

, the unit suffered a terrorist attack while being transported on a bus to the Government Palace. Seven soldiers died, and another sixteen were wounded, in addition to six civilians being wounded.

21st century

The Hussars of Junín regiment is composed of 4 squadrons, and its uniform differs from its original English-inspired design by Guillermo Miller. The unit's

guard mounting Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate an ...

ceremony was declared part of the national heritage of Peru in 2010.

References