The Battle of Suipacha was fought on 7 November 1810 in Bolivia during the

Bolivian War of Independence Bolivian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Bolivia ** Bolivian people ** Demographics of Bolivia ** Culture of Bolivia * SS ''Bolivian'', a British-built standard cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries ...

between the Spanish colonial army and the Republican forces sent by the

Primera Junta The Primera Junta ( en, First Junta) or ''Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata'' (''Provisional Governing Junta of the Provinces of the Río de la Plata''), is the most common name given to the first government of ...

from

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 ...

. At the time Bolivia was known as

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 t ...

(''Alto Perú''). It was the first decisive defeat of the Royalists by Republican forces. The battle took place southeast of

Tupiza Tupiza is a city in Potosí Department, Bolivia. It is located at an elevation of about 2850 m. The population is 25,709 (2012 estimate). Tupiza and its environs are characterized by dramatic red escarpments which jut ruggedly skyward from the coa ...

, near the small town of Suipacha, on the margin of the Suipacha river in the Sud Chichas province ( Potosí Department. in today Bolivia).

Background

An earlier rebellion in Upper Peru during 1809 had been crushed by Royalist forces under the command of Generals Vicente Nieto and

José de Córdoba y Rojas José María Fernández de Córdoba y Rojas (also José de Córdoba) (6 April 1774 in San Fernando, Cádiz – 15 December 1810 in Potosí), was a Spanish military who played an important role in the early stages of the Argentine War of Indep ...

, leaving the region firmly under Spanish control. After the 1810

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 ...

, the Republicans sent an expeditionary army, led by Antonio González Balcarce, to

with the mission of conducting a reconnaissance of the region. Departing from

, its ranks swelled en route as volunteers joined the march. Among these was a group of

gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

s led by

Martín Miguel de Güemes Martín Miguel de Güemes (8 February 1785 – 17 June 1821) was a military leader and popular caudillo who defended northwestern Argentina from the Spain, Spanish royalist army during the Argentine War of Independence. Biography Güemes was bor ...

, who would go on to play a key role in the southern revolution. By the time the expedition reached Upper Peru, it was 600 men strong with 10 field pieces.

A swift action

After an earlier action at Cotagaita on 27 October in which they were repulsed, Republican forces withdrew and occupied a position on the southern bank of the Suipacha River, around the small town of Nazareno. Having received reinforcements, the Royalists attacked this position with 800 men and 2 field guns, but were beaten when the Republicans counter-attacked their left flank. Subsequently the Republicans were able to attack the Royalists camp and force a general withdrawal. The battle had last only 30 minutes. The victory was also followed by a general uprising in Upper Peru, which led to the capture and execution of the Spanish Governor Francisco de Paula Sanz at Potosi. Royalist generals Nieto and Córdoba were also shot by a firing squad. The Republican army then continued to advance north to the Desaguadero River.Palacio, Ernesto: ''Historia de la Argentina, 1515-1976.'' Abeledo-Perrot, 1981. Page 168.

Aftermath

The victory at Suipacha had a strong effect on morale, which was shown in the celebrations in Potosí on November 10 and in Buenos Aires where the Junta authorized all the combatants to wear an arm band with the inscription "''La patria a los vencedores de Tupiza''" (''the motherland to the victors of Tupiza''). From a political point of view, the battle was decisive, because it did secure for a long time the hegemony of the Revolutionary forces over the major part of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.De Vedia y Mitre, Mariano: ''La Vida de Monteagudo.'' German Kraft editor, 1950. Page 117. The Tupiza battle honour arm patch is kept by the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...

in its

dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

Footnotes

External links

Historia of Salta

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suipacha, Battle of Battles involving Bolivia Conflicts in 1810 Battles of the Spanish American wars of independence Battles of the Argentine War of Independence Battles of the Bolivian War of Independence 1810 in Bolivia Battles involving Spain November 1810 events History of Potosí Department