Wenceslao Robles was a Paraguayan general of the

Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...

who led the Battle of Corrientes and was described as "the oldest and the most forgotten of the generals of the war of 64/70".

Biography

Wenceslao Robles was born at Santísima Trinidad,

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

. In 1864, the year in which the

broke out, he held the rank of brigadier general of the Paraguayan army. Only

Francisco Solano López Francisco Solano López Carrillo (24 July 1827 – 1 March 1870) was President of Paraguay from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was the eldest son of Juana Pabla Carrillo and of President Carlos Antonio López, Francisco's predecessor. ...

held the rank of general, which was why Robles was responsible for organizing and commanding the troops of his nation gathered at Fort Cerro León. When Paraguay attacked

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 ...

, he was placed in charge of the

Fortress of Humaitá The Fortress of Humaitá (1854–68), known metaphorically as the Gibraltar of South America, was a Paraguayan military installation near the mouth of the River Paraguay. A strategic site without equal in the region, "a fortress the likes o ...

and was responsible for transmitting the news of the declaration of war and the corresponding instructions from Foreign Minister

José Berges José Timoteo de la Paz Berges Villaalta (c. 1820 – 21 December 1868) was a Paraguayan diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the rule of Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López and the Paraguayan War The Paraguayan ...

and from Finance Minister Mariano González to Paraguayan officials in the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...

. On April 14, 1865, he left Itapirú at the head of an expeditionary force of 3,000 men, occupied the city of

Corrientes Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragüí, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It ha ...

, and advanced towards the south of that province. López sent Lieutenant Colonel Paulino Alén to award the National Order of Merit to him, but Robles violently rejected the decoration, protesting loudly about the hardships suffered by his troops, especially their lack of coats. In response, López promoted Colonel Francisco Isidoro Resquín to the rank of brigadier general and named him second commander of the Southern Division. Next, he sent the Minister of War and Navy, General

Vicente Barrios Vicente Barrios Bedoya was a Paraguayan general and politician who was the son-in-law of President Carlos Antonio López. Under López and his successor, Marshal and President Francisco Solano López, Barrios held many positions throughout the ea ...

, with the order for his dismissal and arrest. Barrios presented himself at Fort Empedrado, Corrientes and proceeded to carry out his commission. Robles was transferred to Humaitá and after being judged for failure to comply with orders, he was shot at the

Paso de Patria Paso de Patria is a town in the Ñeembucú department of Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America ...

Camp on January 6, 1866. A witness portrays him thus: " Among the diners are... Wenceslao Robles, the only general in the ranks, apart from Solano López, and one of the few soldiers who did not wear a beard at that time... ".El presidente Francisco Solano López
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robles, Wenceslao 1820 births 1866 deaths Paraguayan military personnel Paraguayan military personnel of the Paraguayan War Paraguayan military personnel killed in action