Western Warfare, 1775-1882 by Black Jeremy;

Author:Black, Jeremy; [Jeremy Black]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1900189
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Latin America after independence

However, prior to that, the history of the West had shown numerous examples of the problems of creating new governments and armies in a series of revolutionary conflicts. Those in Europe attract most attention, but it is also important to note the creation of new states in Latin America. The turbulence of Latin American politics did not end with the severing of Portuguese and Spanish metropolitan control. There were outbreaks of war within and between the successor states. Several of the polities that had been produced by the Wars of Liberation fractured. Thus, for example, Venezuela, under General José María Córdoba, successfully rebelled against the state of Grán Colombia in1829–30, and Texas against Mexico in 1835–36; while the Peru-Bolivian Confederation of 1836–39 failed. However, rebellions in Brazil, the “Cabanos” in Pernambuco in 1832–35 and in Pará in 1835–36, the “Sabinada” in Bahia in 1837–38, the “Balaida” in Maranhá in 1839–40 and the “Farrapos” in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in 1835–45, did not lead to a similar fragmentation, and independence movements in the Yucatán that were fired by peasant resentment were suppressed by Mexico in 1843 and 1848.9 In contrast, General Santa Anna was unsuccessful in suppressing the Texan revolt. He stormed the Alamo at San Antonio, but was defeated by Sam Houston at San Jacinto and, once captured, had to sign a treaty recognizing Texan independence.

Other civil wars included that between federalists in the provinces and unitarios in Buenos Aires in Argentina in 1828–29. This issue went on to cause fresh conflict, especially in the 1850s. Juan Manuel de Rosas, the powerful Governor of Buenos Aires, was overthrown in 1852: his domestic opponents in Entre Rios were supported by Brazil and Uruguay and Rosas was defeated at Caseros. The Brazilian navy also played a major role in the conflict. However, another Governor of Buenos Aires, Bartolomé Mitre, defeated the Argentine Confederation at Pavon in 1861.

In Mexico, there was a civil war in 1832, when General Anastasio Bustamante was overthrown. More generally in Mexico, federalist tendencies competed with local forces. Bustamante’s federalist government overcame and disbanded several state based militias in 1830. Several states, however, including Zacatecas, retained their militias, which helped overthrow Bustamente. In 1835, the government under Santa Anna sought to restrict the size of the surviving civic militia. Francisco García, Governor of Zacatecas, opposed the decree, but was defeated in May 1835 by an expedition commanded by Santa Anna. Based on the military commandancies (regions) created in 1823, regional caudillos (strong men) subsequently emerged to challenge the centre.10 There was civil war in Uruguay from 1838 to 1851, including a nine-year siege of Montevideo.

The independent American states also clashed with each other. Thus, in 1825–28, Argentina and Brazil fought over Uruguay. This Spanish-speaking province had been annexed to Brazil in 1816, and the resistance was suppressed. The war in 1825 began with an invasion by Juan Lavalleja, a Uruguay patriot. Initially with 33 supporters, he sailed from Buenos Aires and touched off a rebellion.

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