Crossing of the Andes

Feat in the South American wars of independence

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Crossing of the Andes

Part of the Spanish American wars of independence

General San Martin and General O'Higgins leading the crossing of the Andes, painting by Julio Vila y Prades.
| Date| January 19 to February 13, 1817

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Location|

From Argentina to Chile

Result|

Patriot victory

* Independence of Chile
* San Martín continues with his plan to reach Lima by sea.

Belligerents

United Provinces

* Army of the Andes

Chilean Patriots|

Spanish Empire

* Royalists

Commanders and leaders
José de San Martín
Miguel Estanislao Soler
Bernardo O'Higgins|  Francisco Marcó del Pont
Mariano Osorio

* v
* t
* e

Chilean War of Independence

Patria Vieja (1812–1814)

* 1st Talcahuano
* Linares
* Yerbas Buenas
* Valparaíso
* 1st San Carlos
* 1st La Frontera
* 2nd Talcahuano
* Thomas
* 2nd San Carlos
* 1st Chillán
* Aconcagua
* 1st Quirihue
* Cauquenes
* 2nd La Frontera
* Huilquilemu
* Quilacoya
* Florida
* El Roble
* Trancoyan
* Cucha-Cucha
* Penco
* Gomero
* 1st Talca
* El Quilo
* Membrillar
* Maule River north march
* 1st Cancha Rayada
* 1st Quechereguas
* 1st Concepción
* Rancagua
* Los Papeles

* * *

Reconquista (1815–1817)

* Central Chile insurgency
* Juncalito
* Crossing of the Andes
* Picheuta
* Potrerillos
* Guardia Vieja
* Achupallas
* Las Coimas
* Cumpeo
* Salala
* Chacabuco
* 2nd Valparaíso

* * *

Patria Nueva (1817–1819)

* Juan Fernández Islands
* First southern campaign
* 1st Parral
* Curapalihue
* 3rd La Frontera
* Gavilán Hill
* 3rd Talcahuano
* 1st Carampangue
* 2nd Carampangue
* 2nd Chillán
* Bustamante
* 3rd Valparaíso
* Curaumilla
* 2nd Quechereguas
* Illapel
* 2nd Talca
* 2nd Cancha Rayada
* Maipú
* Second southern campaign
* 2nd Parral
* 2nd Quirihue
* 3rd Chillán
* Biobío River
* Spanish South Sea expedition

* * *

Guerra a muerte (1819–c.1824/7/32)

* Fort Santa Juana
* Mesamávida
* Los Ángeles
* 4th Chillán
* Curalí
* Posillas
* Dolores
* 1st Quilmo
* Curanilahue
* Trilaleo
* Hualqui
* Talcamávida
* Pileo
* 1st Yumbel
* El Avellano
* Fort San Pedro
* 3rd San Carlos
* Monte Blanco
* 1st Araucanía
* 5th Talcahuano
* 2nd Quilmo
* 2nd Yumbel
* Pangal
* Tarpellanca
* 6th Talcahuano
* Cocharcas
* 2nd Concepción
* Chillán River
* 2nd Araucanía
* 3rd Araucanía
* Arauco Bay
* Vegas de Saldías
* 4th Araucanía
* 5th Araucanía
* Coast of Arauco
* Boroa
* Alico
* Laraquete
* Panguilemu
* Bureo
* Pincheira brothers brigandage
* Neuquén

* * *

Valdivia, Osorno and Chiloé (1820–1826)

* Valdivia
* Agüi
* El Toro
* Carelmapu
* Mocopulli
* San Carlos Bay
* Pudeto
* Bellavista

* * *

Relevant civil conflicts

* Carrera uprising of 1814
* Las Tres Acequias
* Prieto brothers uprising of 1819
* Osorno mutiny of 1821
* Abdication of O'Higgins in 1823
* Chiloé uprising in 1826
* Campino uprising of 1827

* * *

External fronts

* Aid expeditions to the Río de la Plata
* Brown's privateer expedition to the Pacific
* Chile privateers campaign
* Grenadine coast
* Cochrane campaign
* Liberating Expedition of Peru
* Benavente expedition to Peru
* Coast of Cobija
* Callao

The Crossing of the Andes (Spanish: Cruce de los Andes) was one of the most important feats in the Argentine and Chilean wars of independence. A combined army of Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles crossed the Andes mountains, which separate Argentina from Chile, to invade Chile, leading to its liberation from Spanish rule.

Led by General José de San Martín and departing from Mendoza—then part of the Province of Cuyo, Argentina—in January 1817, the successful crossing took 21 days. The army navigated heights averaging 3,000 meters.[1][2] The feat has been compared to Hannibal's and Napoleon's crossings of the Alps and is considered one of the greatest achievements of its kind in military history.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

## Background

[edit]

The crossing of the Andes was a key part of the strategy devised by General José de San Martín to defeat the royalist forces at their stronghold in Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru, and to secure the Spanish American independence movements.[citation needed] The idea of crossing the Andes had been developed earlier by secret lodges advocating for South American independence and was part of the Maitland Plan, designed by Thomas Maitland. San Martín became aware of this plan during his brief stay in Britain before sailing to South America. After realizing the difficulties of attacking the royalist stronghold of Lima through Upper Peru, he decided to implement this plan.

The Captaincy General of Chile had removed its governor in 1810 and replaced him with the First Government Junta, marking the beginning of a period in Chilean history known as Patria Vieja. However, they were defeated in 1814 at the Battle of Rancagua, and during the subsequent Reconquista, Chile once again became a royalist stronghold. Bernardo O'Higgins and other Chilean leaders fled to Mendoza during the new royalist regime, and O'Higgins later became a key figure in the Army of the Andes alongside the Argentine soldiers.

## Troops and equipment

[edit]

During this period, the city of Mendoza became a crucial headquarters for the preparations before the crossing. The citizens of Mendoza supported the troops by manufacturing gunpowder and ammunition, and they even learned to make cannons.[citation needed]

The main food supply for the army was a regional dish called valdiviano, prepared with dried meat or charqui, sliced raw onion, potatoes, and boiling water. The army had designated soldiers responsible for transporting food. These soldiers carried forty tons of charqui, maize cakes, meat, brandy to combat the nighttime cold, garlic and onion to stimulate appetite, over 4,000 cattle for the remainder of the campaign, as well as cheese and rum.[8]

## The crossing

[edit]

The Liberator José de San Martín and his army during their passage through the Andes Mountains.

On the morning of January 19, 1817, San Martín and his army set out from their base camp, El Plumerillo, and began their journey across the Andes mountain range. San Martín crossed with 4,000 men, though he ultimately lost one-third of them during the trek. The number of auxiliaries reached 1,200.

To manage the crossing, San Martín divided his army into two groups. The main division, which traveled through the Pass of Los Patos, was led by San Martín, Miguel Estanislao Soler, and Bernardo O'Higgins. The secondary division, which took the more southerly Uspallata pass, was led by Juan Gregorio de Las Heras.[8]

## Conclusion

[edit]

On February 13, 1817, San Martín, O'Higgins, and their army successfully entered Santiago, Chile, after crossing 500 kilometers of mountain range.[9] By this time, the royalist forces had advanced north to avoid San Martín's army, but one royalist leader remained behind with 1,500 men at a valley called Chacabuco, near Santiago.[10] This led to the Battle of Chacabuco.

## Legacy

[edit]

In 2010, the Argentine and Chilean armies recreated the crossing during the bicentennial celebrations of the Revolution.[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Chilean Independence
* Argentina–Chile relations
* Revolución: El cruce de los Andes

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "El cruce de la Cordillera de los Andes". Museo Histórico Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-05-26.
2. ^ a b "La ruta de San Martín, el hijo de españoles que cambió el destino de América - ABC.es". www.abc.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-05-26.
3. ^ "When the "Hannibal of the Andes" Liberated Chile | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
4. ^ Mitre, Bartolomé (1887). Historia de San Martín y de la emancipación sudamericana (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Ediciones Peuser (published 1950). p. 366.
5. ^ Gral. José de San Martín, padre de la patria: 150 años (in Spanish). Círculo Militar. 2000. p. 99.
6. ^ Campos, Omar (2006). El cruce los Andes. Tras las huellas de San Martín (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Dunken.
7. ^ Galasso, Norberto (2007). Seamos libres y lo demás no importa nada: vida de San Martín (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Ed. Colihue. p. 207.
8. ^ a b "Chacabuco 1817." Archived 2008-10-29 at the Wayback Machine Glasgow and District Wargaming Society.
9. ^ Scheina, Robert L. Latin America's Wars.
10. '^ Robertson, William Spence. "History of Latin-America Nations."
11. ^ Rememorando el Cruce de los Andes

## Further reading

[edit]

* Harvey, Robert. "Liberators: Latin America's Struggle For Independence, 1810–1830". John Murray, London (2000). ISBN 0-7195-5566-3
* Rector, John Lawrence (2003). The History of Chile. Greenwood Publishing Group.
* Robertson, William Spence (1922). History of Latin-American Nations. Texas: D. Appleton and Company.
* Scheina, Robert L. (2003). Latin America's Wars. Brassey's.
* Van Dyke, Harry Weston (1912). Through South America. Texas: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.

* v
* t
* e

Argentine War of Independence

Causes

| Political ideas|

* Age of Enlightenment
* Carlotism
* Retroversion of the sovereignty to the people

|
|

Economy|

* The Representation of the Landowners

Events|

* British invasions of the Río de la Plata
* Peninsular War
* Chuquisaca Revolution
* La Paz revolution
* Mutiny of Álzaga
* May Revolution

Last viceroys|

* Rafael de Sobremonte
* Santiago de Liniers
* Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
* Francisco Javier de Elío

Combatants

* Campaigns & Theaters
* Battles
* Events

| Argentine Combatants|

* Army of the Andes
* Army of the North
* Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers
* Regiment of Patricians

|
|

Campaigns & Theaters|

* Crossing of the Andes
* First Upper Peru campaign
* Second Upper Peru campaign
* Third Upper Peru campaign
* Liniers Counter-revolution
* Paraguay campaign
* Second Banda Oriental campaign

Major battles|

* Ayohuma
* Chacabuco
* Huaqui
* Maipú
* Martín García
* Salta
* San Lorenzo
* Suipacha
* Tacuarí
* Tucumán
* Vilcapugio

Other events|

* Argentine Declaration of Independence
* Arequito Revolt
* Cry of Asencio
* Jujuy Exodus
* Revolution of October 8, 1812
* Yatasto relay

Leaders

| Patriots|

| Military|

* Carlos María de Alvear
* Cornelio Saavedra
* José de San Martín
* José Gervasio Artigas
* Manuel Belgrano
* Martín Miguel de Güemes
* William Brown

|

Civilian|

* Bernardino Rivadavia
* Mariano Moreno

Royalists|

| Military|

* Santiago de Liniers
* Vicente Nieto

|

Civilian|

* Ferdinand VII of Spain
* Francisco Javier de Elío
* Martín de Álzaga

Governments

| Primera Junta|

* Cornelio Saavedra
* Manuel Alberti
* Miguel de Azcuénaga
* Manuel Belgrano
* Juan José Castelli
* Domingo Matheu
* Juan Larrea
* Mariano Moreno
* Juan José Paso

|
|

Junta Grande|

* Cornelio Saavedra
* Juan José Paso
* Miguel de Azcuénaga
* Domingo Matheu
* Juan Larrea
* Manuel Alberti
* José Simón García de Cossio
* Juan Francisco Tarragona
* Manuel Felipe Molina
* Gregorio Funes
* José Julián Pérez
* Francisco de Gurruchaga
* Juan Ignacio de Gorriti
* José Antonio Olmos de Aguilera
* Manuel Ignacio Molina
* Marcelino Poblet
* José Ignacio Fernández Maradona
* Hipólito Vieytes
* Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo
* Pedro Francisco de Uriarte
* Nicolás Rodríguez Peña
* Feliciano Antonio Chiclana
* Atanasio Gutiérrez
* Juan Alagón
* Joaquín Campana

First Triumvirate|

* Manuel de Sarratea
* Feliciano Chiclana
* Juan José Paso
* Juan Martín de Pueyrredón

Second Triumvirate|

* Juan José Paso
* Nicolás Rodríguez Peña
* Antonio Álvarez Jonte
* José Julián Pérez
* Gervasio Posadas
* Juan Larrea

Supreme Directors|

* Gervasio Antonio de Posadas
* Carlos María de Alvear
* Juan José Viamonte
* José Rondeau
* Ignacio Álvarez Thomas
* Antonio González de Balcarce
* Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
* José Rondeau
* Juan Pedro Aguirre

Congresses

| Assembly of Year XIII|

* Hipólito Vieytes
* Valentín Gómez
* Vicente López y Planes
* José Julián Pérez
* Pedro Agrelo
* José Moldes
* Juan Larrea
* Gervasio Posadas
* Carlos María de Alvear
* Tomás Antonio Valle
* Bernardo Monteagudo
* Mariano Perdriel
* José Fermín Sarmiento
* José Ugarteche
* Nicolás Laguna
* Juan Ramón Balcarce
* Agustín José Donado
* Pedro Vidal
* Ramón Eduardo Anchoris
* José Amenábar
* Francisco Argerich
* Antonio Suárez
* Cosme Damián Urtubey
* José Miguel de Cabrera
* Andrés Pardo de Figueroa
* José Mariano Serrano
* Ángel Mariano Toro
* Simón Díaz de Ramila
* Gregorio Ferreira
* Ramón Mariaca
* Pedro Ignacio de Rivera

|
|

Congress of Tucumán|

* Tomás de Anchorena
* Juan Agustín Maza
* José Antonio Cabrera
* Justo de Santa María de Oro
* José Ignacio Thames
* José Colombres
* Gerónimo Salguero
* Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros
* José Severo Malabia
* Mariano Sánchez de Loria
* Pedro Ignacio Rivera
* Pedro León Gallo
* Pedro Francisco de Uriarte
* Esteban Agustín Gazcón
* Pedro Miguel Aráoz
* Tomás Godoy Cruz
* Eduardo Pérez Bulnes
* Teodoro Sánchez de Bustamante
* José Andrés Pacheco de Melo
* José Ignacio de Gorriti
* Manuel Antonio Acevedo
* Pedro Medrano
* Cayetano José Rodríguez
* José Darragueira
* Antonio Sáenz
* Juan José Paso
* José Mariano Serrano
* Mariano Boedo
* Francisco Narciso de Laprida

Related topics

| Related topics|

* Operations plan
* Flag of Macha
* Argentine Constitution of 1819

|
|

Legacy|

* Historiography

Celebrations|

* Argentina Centennial
* Exposición Internacional del Centenario
* Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo
* Argentina Bicentennial

National days|

* First National Government
* Flag day

* v
* t
* e

José de San Martín

Political career|

* Lautaro Lodge
* Revolution of 8 October 1812
* Inca plan
* Guayaquil conference

Military career|

| Spain|

* Military career in Spain

|

Argentina|

* Battle of San Lorenzo
* Yatasto relay

Chile|

* Crossing of the Andes
* Chacabuco
* Cancha Rayada
* Maipú

Military units|

* Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers
* Army of the Andes

Personal life|

* Early life
* María de los Remedios de Escalada
* Curved saber
* Later life

Historiography|

* San Martín National Institute
* Historia de San Martín y de la emancipación sudamericana

Legacy|

* Cerro de la Gloria
* El Santo de la Espada
* Revolución: El cruce de los Andes

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