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  • The Battle of Maipú, April 5 1818


    Beatriz Camino
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    The Battle of Maipú, April 5 1818

    The Battle of Maipú was fought near Santiago, Chile, between South American rebels and Spanish Royalists during the Chilean War of Independence. The rebels led by José de San Martín defeated the Spanish forces and achieved the independence of the core area of Chile.

    Background

    The Chilean War of Independence developed in the context of the Spanish-American Wars of Independence. This process began after the formation of self-government juntas in the Spanish-American colonies as a result of the capture of King Ferdinand VII of Spain by the Napoleonic army in 1808. In the absence of the monarch, the Chileans decided that the criollo leaders of Santiago would govern the colony until he was reinstated. Thus, the First Government Junta of Chile (1810) was created on September 18, 1810, for this purpose. Eventually, this caused a conflict between the Patriots, who sought complete independence from the Spanish Empire, and the Royalists, who were loyal to it.

    The conflict escalated rapidly and the Royalists launched a series of military campaigns to regain control of the country. After several years, the Spanish forces managed to gain significant ground in Chile and had a stronghold in Santiago. However, in 1817, the Chilean independence forces, led by General Bernardo O'Higgins and Argentine General José de San Martín, launched a new campaign to overthrow the Spanish forces. The Patriots counted on the support of the newly formed Republic of Argentina, which had recently won its own independence from Spain.

    San Martín led the army across the Andes and captured Santiago. However, he was defeated by the Spanish army, commanded by General Mariano Osorio, at the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada. Still, San Martín remained loyal to his goal of achieving independence and the following year he launched a final offensive, which would decide the outcome of the war.

    The Battle

    On April 5, 1818, both armies fought on the plains of Maipú, located near Santiago. The Spanish army had positioned themselves on a hill overlooking the battlefield, giving them a tactical advantage. On the other side, the Chilean Army was commanded by O’Higgins to dig trenches. Thus, when the Spanish attacked they were met with heavy resistance from the Chilean troops, who were well dug in and had the advantage of surprise. Moreover, they also had a superior cavalry, which was able to outflank the Spanish and attack them from the rear.

    The battle was fierce and lasted for several hours, but in the end, the Chilean army emerged victorious. The Spanish suffered heavy losses, with over 2,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. The Chilean Army, on the other hand, lost only around 1,000 men.

    Once the battle was over, O'Higgins, convalescing from a great wound entered the battlefield and, excited about the victory, embraced San Martín and said "Glory to the saviour of Chile!" in a scene that gave rise to a historic scene known as El abrazo de Maipú.

    Aftermath

    The Battle of Maipú was a decisive victory for the Chilean army and a turning point in the Chilean War of Independence. It irreparably damaged Royalist morale in Spanish America and came to be seen as the forerunner of future patriot victories in subsequent campaigns. In this regard, it secured independence and helped set the stage for the eventual liberation of other South American nations.

    Moreover, the Battle of Maipú is considered an example of strategy and tactics because of the use of pre- and post-battle movements, the excellent use of weapons, and the use of the reserve to attack the enemy at his weakest point.  The battle itself is compared in its consequences to the patriot triumphs at Boyacá in Colombia and Ayacucho in Peru. If Maipú had ended differently, it would have made it impossible for the other two to happen, and furthermore, Chile would not have become independent and the patriot movement would have been confined to Argentina.

     


    Chile, 1812 8-Reales Santiago mintCHILE 1809 FJ 8 REALES... FERDINAND VIIFERDINAND VII (1808-1833). 8 Escudos. (Au. 26.92g/37mm). 1811. Cadiz CI. (Cal-2019-1741). Almost Extremely Fine. Nice and rare specimen. Metal test on the edge.

    Spain Ferdinand VI 2 escudos 1814 Madrid mint    FERDINAND VII (1808-1833). 8 Escudos. (Aug. 27.00g/37mm). 1816. Popayan F. (Cal-2019-1819). Only year of this tester. Almost Extremely Fine/ Extremely Fine. nice tone Beautiful sp1823 B-SP Spain 20 Reales - Ferdinand VII - VF

     

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