Battle of Ingavi
Battle of Ingavi
| date | November 18, 1841 |
|---|---|
| place | Ingavi Province |
| output | Victory of Bolivia |
| consequences | Securing Bolivian independence |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 5199 soldiers 8 guns |
3788 soldiers 4 cannons |
| losses | |
|
- |
- |
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The Battle of Ingavi took place on November 18, 1841 and secured Bolivia's independence.
A battle between the 5,199-strong Peruvian invading army and 3,788-strong Bolivian troops broke out near the city of Viacha .
After both armies had positioned themselves in a closed combat formation on the plateau east of the village of Viacha, the armies met head-on. The Peruvian Commander-in-Chief, General Gamarra , was on the front line in the center of his troops. After he was fatally wounded in battle, the morale of the Peruvian troops collapsed and the Bolivian troops quickly gained the upper hand. After only 50 minutes, the battle ended in Bolivia victory.
The spoils of war were four Peruvian flags, eight guns, 3,100 rifles, 290 cavalry lances and the entire Peruvian vehicle fleet. 24 senior officers, 150 troop officers and 3,200 soldiers were captured. The later Peruvian President Ramon Castilla was among the prisoners . This victory secured the independence of Bolivia. In addition to the death of the Peruvian commander in chief and the resulting confusion, the greater cohesion and better training of the Bolivian soldiers (many of them were veterans from Marshal Santa Cruz's army ) were decisive in the battle.