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

Battle of Chacabuco, fought after the Crossing of the Andes
| Date| January 19 to February 13, 1817

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Location|

From Argentina to Chile

Result|  Patriot forces successfully enter Chile
Belligerents
Army of the Andes|  Spanish 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, in which a combined army of Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles invaded Chile crossing the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, leading to Chile's liberation from Spanish rule.

Led by General José de San Martín, and setting out from Mendoza – then part of the Province of Cuyo, Argentina – in January 1817, the successful crossing of the army took 21 days. Having to manage heights averaging 3,000 mts,[1][2] the feat has been compared to Hannibal's or Napoleon's crossing of the Alps, and is regarded among the greatest of its kind in universal military history.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

## Background[edit]

The crossing of the Andes was a major step in the strategy devised by General José de San Martín to defeat the royalist forces at their stronghold of Lima, Viceroyalty of Perú, and secure the Spanish American independence movements.[citation needed] The idea of crossing was already developed by secret lodges seeking the independence of South America, and was part of the Maitland Plan designed by Thomas Maitland. San Martín learned of it during his brief time in Britain, before sailing to South America. After becoming aware of the difficulty of attacking the royalist stronghold of Lima across Upper Peru, he decided to proceed with such a plan.

The Captaincy General of Chile had removed their governor in 1810, and replaced him with the First Government Junta, starting a period of Chilean history known as Patria Vieja. However, they would be defeated in 1814 during the battle of Rancagua, and with the Reconquista Chile would become again a royalist stronghold. Bernardo O'Higgins and other Chilean leaders had fled to Mendoza during the new royalist government, which led to O'Higgins being part of the Army of the Andes as well as the Argentine soldiers.

## Troops and equipment[edit]

The city of Mendoza, during this time frame, became a factoring headquarters during the pre-crossing. The citizens of Mendoza assisted their troops by manufacturing gunpowder and ammunition. They also learned to make cannons.[citation needed]

The main food of the army was a regional meal called valdiviano. It was prepared with dry meat or charqui, sliced raw onion, potatoes and boiling water. They had designated soldiers who carried the food. These soldiers transported forty tons of charqui; maize cakes; meat; brandy, to counter the nighttime cold; garlic and onion, to deal with the lack of appetite; more than 4,000 cattle for the rest of the campaign; plus cheese and rum.[8]

## Crossing[edit]

On the morning of January 19, 1817, San Martin and his army set out from their base camp El Plumerillo and began their journey across the Andes Mountain range. San Martin crossed with 4,000 men, only to end up losing 1/3 of them. The number of auxiliaries reached 1,200.

For the crossing, San Martin split his army into two divisions: The main division, which traveled through the pass of Los Patos, was led by San Martin, Miguel Estanislao Soler and Bernardo O'Higgins. The secondary troop, which traveled through the more southern Uspallata, was led by Juan Gregorio de Las Heras.[8]

## Coming to an end[edit]

General San Martin and General O'Higgins leading the crossing of the Andes, painting by Julio Vila y Prades

On February 13, 1817, San Martín, O’Higgins, and their army successfully entered Santiago, Chile, after crossing 500 kilometers of mountain range, and the journey came to an end.[9] The royalist forces, by this time, had advanced north to avoid San Martín's army, but a royalist leader had stayed behind with 1,500 men to advance at a valley called Chacabuco, which was located near Santiago.[10] Thus, the Battle of Chacabuco began.

## Legacy[edit]

In 2010 the Argentine and Chilean armies recreated the crossing during the commemorations of the 200 years of 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 October 8, 1812
* Inca plan
* Guayaquil conference

Military career|

| Spain|

* Military career in Spain

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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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