Battle of Carabobo

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Carabobo
colour_scheme=background:#eeddbb


caption=Detail of "La Batalla de Carabobo" by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Oil on canvas.
partof=the Venezuelan War of Independence
(Bolivar's War)
campaign=
date=June 24, 1821
place=Carabobo, Venezuela
result=Decisive Patriot victory
combatant1=Patriot
combatant2=Royalist
commander1=
commander2=flagicon|Spain|1785 Miguel de la Torre
strength1=4,000 infantry
2,500 cavalry
strength2=5,000 troops
no cavalry [ from 1.551 of theoric cavalry , only two squadrons of hussars fight as infantry. The rest of royalist cavalry 1.372 Venezuelan llaneros, flee from the battle]
casualties1=200 dead [ Implausible, but is the number given by Bolivar.]
casualties2=2,908 dead or wounded

The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela.

History

The Royalists occupied the road leading from Valencia to Puerto Cabello. As Bolívar's force of 6,500 approached the Royalist position, Bolívar divided his force and sent half on a flanking maneuver through rough terrain and dense foliage. De la Torre likewise split his force and sent half to deal with this flank attack. Hitting the Patriots with musket fire, the Royalists held back the attack for a while. The Venezuelan infantry failed and retreated, but the Irish, Welsh, and English of the "British Legion" fought hard and took the hills. They sustained about 50% of Bolívar's casualties. The Patriots eventually broke through the Royalist lines on the flank and marched towards the rear of de La Torre's force. All the Royalist Venezuelan cavalry gave way and fled. The Spanish infantry formed squares and fought to the end under the attack of the Patriot cavalry. The rout was so bad that only some 400 of one infantry regiment managed to reach safety at Puerto Cabello. With the main Royalist force in Venezuela crushed, independence was ensured. Subsequent battles included a key naval victory for the independence forces on 24 July 1823 at the Battle of Lake Maracaibo and in November 1823 Jose Antonio Paez occupied Puerto Cabello, the last Royalist stronghold in Venezuela.

The battle was remarkably one-sided. For every Patriot/Rebel death, 14-15 Spanish/Royalists were killed. This appears even more remarkable when one takes into account that it was fought near the end of the musket era, where frequently the victors on the battlefield would sustain almost as many casualties, if not more, than those they defeated.

Commemoration

June 24 is celebrated as "Battle of Carabobo Day" in Venezuela. This day is also called "Army Day" in Venezuela.

ee also

*Nevado, Bolivar's dog, who died in tha Battle of Carabobo

Notes

External links

Animated Demo

* http://www.prodi.com.ve/home/presentacion1.htm (in Spanish language)

General

* [http://www.shagtown.com/days/venezuela.html Venezuela] on Encyclopedia of Days
* [http://www.prodi.com.ve/home/presentacion1.htm# Carabobo 1821] on Prodiseño Escuela de Comunicación Visual y Diseño
* [http://www.ifbt.co.uk/bolivar.htm Bolivar's British Legion] by Ian Fletcher from Ian Fletcher Battlefied Tours
* [http://www.historicaltextarchive.com/books.php?op=viewbook&bookid=29&cid=10 Pages of Glory on Simón Bolívar, The Southamerican Washington] from Don Mabry's Historical Text Archive.