Tomás Francisco Gutiérrez Chávez (March 7, 1817 – July 26, 1872) was a Peruvian Colonel who, along with his brothers, led a coup against President José Balta Montero and served as the Supreme Leader of Peru for four days in July 1872. From July 22, 1872 to July 26, 1872, Gutiérrez was the de facto leader of Peru and the self-proclaimed "Supreme Leader of the Republic" after a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

. He was overthrown just four days after his proclamation and lynched. Peru later regained some political stability with the election of Manuel Pardo, although this stability was short-lived as a foreign threat began to arise in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

Early life

Gutiérrez was born in Huancarqui to a family of Spanish descent in March 1817, the third child and first son of parents Luis Gutiérrez and Julia Chávez in what was then the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru (), officially known as the Kingdom of Peru (), was a Monarchy of Spain, Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in ...

. He worked as a

muleteer An ''arriero'', muleteer, or more informally a muleskinner (; ;) is a person who transports goods using pack animals, especially mules. Distribution and function In Latin America, muleskinners transport coffee, maize, maize (corn), cork (mat ...

, known also as an ''arriero'', and later enlisted himself in the

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

. His three younger brothers—

Silvestre Silvestre is a Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese given name or surname, or a French language, French surname. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Cindy Silvestre (born 1993), French kickboxer *Franck Silvestr ...

, Marcelino and Marceliano—followed his example, although without distinguishing themselves, as Tomás did.

Military career

Gutiérrez was first ascended to

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

in 1854 and then travelled to

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...

to take part in the

revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

headed by

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 p ...

. He participated in the march on

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

and for his outstanding performance in the battle of La Palma, fought on January 5, 1855, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. During the second government of Castilla he fought against the revolution led by

Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco Iturralde (15 June 1806 – 16 September 1873) was a Peruvian politician and military leader who served as the President of Peru from 1843 to 1844. He was born in Lima, Peru. He led part of the Peruvian forces in the c ...

in Arequipa, which led to the bloody

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 Civi ...

. Due to his merits in the final assault on Arequipa, he was promoted to colonel on March 7, 1858. Elected deputy for the province of Castilla, he attended the legislatures of 1858-1859. He also participated in the campaign against

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

. As head of the ''Áncash'' battalion, he supported the governments of Presidents Miguel de San Román (1862-1863) and

Juan Antonio Pezet Juan Antonio Pezet y Rodríguez de la Piedra (11 June 1809 – 24 March 1879) was a Peruvian military officer and politician who served in the positions of Secretary of War, First Vice President and the 16th President of Peru. As President ...

(1863-1865). He stood out fighting in defense of the Pezet government against Colonel

Mariano Ignacio Prado Mariano Ignacio Prado Ochoa (18 December 1825 – 5 May 1901) was a Peruvian army general who served as the 17th (1865 - 1868) and 21st (1876 - 1879) President of Peru. Biography Born in Huánuco on 18 December 1825, he studied in Huánuco and ...

's revolution of 1865, for which he was promoted to

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

. While the advance of the revolutionaries towards Lima was taking place, he pacified the population of

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 ...

who had spoken out in favor of Vice President Pedro Diez Canseco, but after the fall of Pezet he was arrested and his promotion to general was annulled on December 13, 1865. Deposed from the rank hierarchy, he enlisted as a simple soldier in the ''Depósito'' Battalion and participated together with his brothers in the

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

on May 2, 1866. After the conflict with

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, he moved to

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 ...

and joined the revolution that in defense of the Constitution of 1860 was headed by Marshal Castilla, who ratified him as a general and appointed him commander general of his hunting units, in April 1867. He accompanied the Marshal in the last moments of his life. With the revolution having come to an end because of Castilla's death, he returned to Lima. Shortly after, he joined the

uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

that broke out in Arequipa against the Prado government and the Constitution of 1867, led by Vice President Pedro Diez Canseco, who recognized Tomás as a general. He contributed to the defense of Arequipa against the attack of the government troops, and then followed the triumphant troops of Diez Canseco, arriving in Callao on January 22, 1868. Sent to

Chiclayo Chiclayo (; mochica language, Mochica: ''Cɥiclaiæp'') is the principal city and capital of the Lambayeque region and Chiclayo Province in northern Peru. It is located from the Pacific coast, from the city of Trujillo, Peru, Trujillo, and from ...

to fight the revolution of Colonel

José Balta José Balta y Montero (25 April 1814 – 26 July 1872) was a Peruvian soldier and politician who served as the 19th President of Peru from 1868 to 1872. He was the son of John Balta Bru and Agustina Montero Casafranca. In 1865, he aided Ma ...

, he did not want to use arms against the people, and returned to Lima to report on the situation. After the election of Balta as president and the installation of Congress, on August 12, 1868, the promotions granted by President Pezet were declared invalid, and once again he was lowered to the rank of colonel. President Balta appointed him Inspector General of the Army and proposed to Congress his promotion to general, but the respective law was never issued. Despite this, Tomás gave decided support to Balta's government, and so did his brothers, also Colonels, who were at the head of the battalions that garrisoned Lima. It was mainly due to this support that Balta's government enjoyed stability, even before the coup that the brothers themselves would star in a few days before the end of it. Under Balta, Gutiérrez was able to provide funds for the reconstruction of the ''San Nicolás de Tolentino'' Church in Huancarqui after it was destroyed in the

1868 Arica earthquake The 1868 Arica earthquake occurred on 13 August 1868, near Arica, then part of Peru, now part of Chile, at 21:30 UTC. It had an estimated magnitude between 8.5 and 9.3. A tsunami (or multiple tsunamis) in the Pacific Ocean was produced by th ...

. Gutiérrez was appointed Minister of War and Navy in 1871, a fact that was received with alarm by the recently founded

Civilista Party The Civilista Party (, PC) was a political party in Peru. History Founded as a countermeasure against the growing power of the military in Peru during the first half of the Republic, the party's sole purpose was to establish a civilian rule in ...

, the same one that at that time triumphed in the general elections, leading to the presidency of

Manuel Pardo y Lavalle Manuel Justo Pardo y Lavalle (9 August 1834 – 16 November 1878) was a Peruvian politician who served as the 20th President of Peru. He was the first civilian President in Peru's history. Biography Born into an aristocratic family of Lima, Per ...

Coup d'état and death

The 1872 elections in Peru had produced a victory for Manuel Pardo, who was to become the first civilian president in the history of Peru. Shortly before Pardo was to take office, however, Gutiérrez, serving as President Balta's War Minister, organized a coup d'état with his three brothers, proclaiming himself Supreme Leader of the Republic and asking for the support of the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

, with only some members of the Army agreeing. Opposed by the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

through a statement on July 23 and the general public, violence arose against the brothers, with Silvestre being assassinated on July 26, when he was going to take the

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

at the San Juan de Dios Station. Marceliano, who was guarding Balta in the ''San Francisco'' barracks, allegedly ordered his execution in retaliation, with the former president being shot by three riflemen while he was resting in his bed after having lunch, and the news of his death quickly spreading throughout Lima. The atmosphere quickly turned against the brothers, with three of them being killed during the conflict, and only one—Marcelino—surviving the events. Captured days later, he served prison for some time and was released by an amnesty law; he then he participated in the defense of Lima, during the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

, fighting in the

Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos The Battle of San Juan, also known as the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos, was the first of two battles in the Lima Campaign during the War of the Pacific, and was fought on 13 January 1881. This battle is really a group of smaller, yet fier ...

and in the

Battle of Miraflores The Battle of Miraflores occurred on January 15, 1881 in the Miraflores District of Lima, Peru. It was an important battle during the War of the Pacific that was fought between Chile and the forces of Peru. The Chilean army led by Gen. Manuel ...

, in 1881. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1904."Perú, Arequipa, Registro Civil, 1860-1976", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2C49-RP4 : 3 March 2021), Marcelino Gutierres, . The four-day regime of Tomás Gutiérrez did not halt the increasing control of civilians in the Peruvian government. Just one week after Gutiérrez's overthrow, Pardo assumed the presidency and his party, the

, would be a dominant force in Peruvian politics for decades to come.

Notes

External links

Worldstatesmen.org - Perú

References