Andean Army
The Andean Army (Spanish: Ejército de los Andes ) was a military unit under the leadership of José de San Martín . He used it to lead Chile , which at that time was still a colony of Spain , to independence. In 1817 the army crossed the Andes from Argentina to drive the Spanish army out of Chile.
The number of troops fluctuates depending on the source: some believe that the Andean army did not comprise more than 3,500 men, others assume a number of over 6,000 soldiers. The army was composed of Argentines and Chileans. In addition, 1200 men served in the auxiliary forces. The Tucumán Congress approved de San Martín's proposal, which was to train an army to its acid test between 1814 and 1817. Since the army consisted to a large extent of inexperienced soldiers or recruits, de San Martín deliberately relied on discipline, which he would also expect from experienced troops, since he did not intend to lead a "colorful bunch of fools" into a battle.
In order to better lead the army across the Andes, de San Martín decided in early 1817 to split the army. A larger group was led by him, another by Juan Gregorio de Las Heras , a military leader who also assumed leadership roles in later battles of the Andean army. De San Martín's army took the southern route.
There were still a few smaller units that were supposed to flank the main army. These troops comprised little more than a hundred men, some of them infantry. Many of these soldiers were ex-Chilean soldiers who now fought for the freedom of the colony.
After crossing the Andes , the army under de San Martín met the Spanish army and was able to inflict defeat on them in many battles and ultimately force them to withdraw from Chile.
See also
literature
- Chasteen, John (2008), Americanos: Latin America's Struggle for Independence, Oxford University Press US, ISBN 0-195-17881-5
- Crow, John Armstrong (1980), The Epic of Latin America, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-07723-7
- Robertson, William Spence (1922), History of the Latin-American Nations, D. Appleton and company
- Scheina, Robert (2003), Latin America's Wars: The Age of the Caudillo, 1791-1899, Brassey's, ISBN 1-574-88450-6