Uruguayan Civil War

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=An illustration of the defense of Montevideo from Isidoro De-Maria's book, "Anales de la defensa de Montevideo".
conflict=Uruguayan Civil War
date=1839–1851
place=Uruguay
casus=
territory=
result=Victory for the Colorados.
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorados at Montevideo and Blancos at Cerrito in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851. The efforts of the Colorados were supported by France, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, while the efforts of the Blancos were supported by Argentina.

Overview

The political scene in Uruguay became split between two parties, the conservative Blancos ("Whites") and the liberal Colorados ("Reds"). The Colorados were led by Fructuoso Rivera and represented the business interests of Montevideo; the Blancos were headed by Manuel Oribe, who looked after the agricultural interests of the countryside and promoted protectionism. The two groups took their names from the color of the armbands that they wore; initially, the Colorados wore blue, but when it faded in the sun, they replaced it with red. The Uruguayan parties became associated with warring political factions in neighbouring Argentina. The Colorados favoured the exiled Argentine liberal Unitarios, many of whom had taken refuge in Montevideo, while the Blanco president Manuel Oribe was a close friend of the Argentine dictator Manuel de Rosas. Oribe took Rosas's side when the French navy blockaded Buenos Aires in 1838. This led the Colorados and the exiled Unitarios to seek French backing against Oribe and on June 15, 1838, an army led by the Colorado leader Rivera overthrew the president, who fled to Argentina. The Argentine Unitarios formed a government-in-exile in Montevideo and, with secret French encouragement, Rivera declared war on Rosas in 1839. The conflict would last thirteen years and become known as the "Guerra Grande" (the "Great War"). In 1840, an army of exiled Unitarios attempted to invade northern Argentina from Uruguay but they had little success. Two years later, an Argentine army overran Uruguay on Oribe's behalf. They seized most of the country but failed to take the capital. The siege of Montevideo, which began in February 1843, would last nine years and capture the world's imagination. Alexandre Dumas, père compared it to a new Trojan War. The besieged Uruguayans called on resident foreigners for help and a French and an Italian legion were formed. The latter was led by the exiled Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was working as a mathematics teacher in Montevideo when the war broke out. Garibaldi was also made head of the Uruguayan navy. He was involved in many famous actions during the war, notably the Battle of San Antonio, which won him a worldwide reputation as a formidable guerrilla leader. The Argentine blockade of Montevideo was ineffective as Rosas generally tried not to interfere with international shipping on the River Plate. But in 1845, when access to Paraguay was blocked, Britain and France allied against Rosas, seized his fleet and began a blockade of Buenos Aires, while Brazil joined in against Argentina. Rosas reached peace deals with Great Britain and France in 1849 and 1850 respectively. The French agreed to withdraw their legion if Rosas evacuated Argentine troops from Uruguay. Oribe still maintained a loose siege of the capital. In 1851, the Argentine caudillo Urquiza turned against Rosas and signed a pact with the exiled Unitarios, the Uruguayan Colorados and Brazil against him. Urquiza crossed into Uruguay, defeated Oribe and lifted the siege of Montevideo. He then overthrew Rosas at the Battle of Caseros on February 3, 1852. With Rosas's defeat and exile, the "Guerra Grande" finally came to an end. Slavery was abolished in 1852.

Origin of the war

In 1838, Uruguayan president General Fructuoso Rivera intervened in an internal conflict between the states of the Argentine Confederation. Fructuoso Rivera assumed power in Montevideo in October 1838 after toppling General Manuel Oribe, a pro-Argentine non-interventionist. The French government also had a dispute with the Argentine authorities in Buenos Aires. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266(199804)113%3A451%3C351%3AGIUARR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M Garibaldi in Uruguay] : A Reputation Reconsidered.] French troops first intervened in the war between 1838 and 1842. From 1843 to 1850, both the British and French troops intervened, transforming the conflict into an international war. Between 1838 and 1840, French naval squadron was stationed in the River Plate to blockade of port of Buenos Aires.

On December 6, 1842, the Blancos under Manuel Oribe, and the Colorados under Fructuoso Rivera fought the Battle of Arroyo Grande. Rivera's forces were totally defeated, and Oribe proceeded to lay siege to Montevideo.George Bruce, Harbottle's Dictionary of Battles. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981. ISBN 0442223366.]

The Great Siege

With the destruction of the Uruguayan army at the battle of Arroyo Grande, it was assumed that the country's capital, Montevideo, would fall to the combined forces of the Argentine dictator Juan Manuel Rosas and the former Uruguayan president Manuel Oribe. cite web|url=http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/hist/garib/garib1.html|title=The Anthony P. Campanella Collection of Giuseppe Garibaldi ] Oribe's siege of Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, lasted for nine years, and Alexandre Dumas described the siege as a "new Troy". The newly-freed slaves, who formed a contingent 5,000 strong, and the community of foreign exiles were mostly responsible for the defense of the city. The British Empire eventually saved the city by allowing it to receive supplies. First, the British and French naval forces temporarily blockaded the port of Buenos Aires during the December of 1845. Then, the French and British fleets protected Montevideo at sea. French legionnaires, along with Italian legionnaires, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, teamed up with the Colorados in defending the city. Historians believe that the French and British forces intervened in the region to ensure free navigation along the Rio Parana and Rio Uruguay. However, in 1850, both the French and British withdrew after signing a treaty that represented a triumph for Juan Manuel de Rosas of Argentina. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+uy0017) The Great War] , 1843–52.] After the withdrawal of British and French troops, it appeared that Montevideo would fall. However, an uprising against Juan Manuel de Rosas led by Justo José de Urquiza, governor of Argentina's Entre Ríos Province, with the assistance of a small Uruguayan force, changed the situation. Manuel Oribe was defeated in 1851, leaving Colorados in full control of the country. Brazil intervened in Uruguay in May 1851, supporting the Colorados with financial and naval forces. In February 1852, Rosas abdicated, and Urquiza's pro-Colorado forces lifted the siege of Montevideo.

Consequences of the war

The government of Montevideo rewarded Brazil's financial and military support by signing five treaties in 1851 that provided for perpetual alliance between the two countries. Montevideo confirmed Brazil's right to intervene in Uruguay's internal affairs. Brazil was required to extradite runaway slaves and criminals from Uruguay. During the war, both the Blancos and the Colorados had abolished slavery in Uruguay in order to mobilize the former slaves to reinforce their respective military forces The treaties also allowed joint navigation on the Rio Uruguay and its tributaries, and tax exempted cattle and salted meat exports. The Uruguayan cattle industry was devastated by the war. It also acknowledged Uruguay's debt to Brazil for aid against the Blancos, and Brazil's commitment for granting an additional loan. Uruguay renounced its territorial claims north of the Río Cuareim, thereby reducing its area to about 176,000 square kilometers, and recognized Brazil's exclusive right of navigation in the Laguna Merin and the Rio Yaguaron, the natural border between the countries.

Later conflicts

Both parties were weary of the chaos. In 1870, they came to an agreement to define spheres of influence: the Colorados would control Montevideo and the coastal region, the Blancos would rule the hinterland with its agricultural estates. In addition, the Blancos were paid half a million dollars to compensate them for the loss of their stake in Montevideo. But the caudillo mentality was difficult to erase from Uruguay and political feuding continued culminating in the Revolution of the Lances ("Revolución de las Lanzas") (1870-1872), and later with the uprising of Aparicio Saravia, who was fatally injured at the Battle of Masoller (1904).

Battles and sieges

*Battle of Arroyo Grande - December 6, 1842
*Siege of Montevideo - 1843
*Siege of Montevideo - 1851

References

See also

*Civil war