Battle of Ituzaingó

The Bataille of Ituzaingó (or Passo C Rosário for the Brazilian ones) was held close to the river of Santa Maria. During the war which opposes the Argentine (helped of the Uruguyans) to the Brésil, an argentino-Uruguyan army from 6.200 to 9.500 soldiers fought continuously against a Brazilian army of numerically identical during two years at the time skirmishes between the territories of Uruguay and along the Brazilian border.

Cause

The cause is that into the independence of the Brésil in 1822, this one integrated the Uruguay as a province but that the Argentinian ranchos refused this annexation. This is why a group of Eastern revolutionists named the Treinta Tres began as of 1825 there actions against the Brazilian capacity in place in Uruguay. As of the August 25th, the Eastern ones declared being independent with respect to Brazil and required to be integrated like province by Argentina. It is this annexation which started really the war between the two countries.

The Brazilian emperor Pierre I {{er}} of Brazil named in December 1826 the general Felisberto Caldeira Brant, Marquis de Barbacena with the head of an army to face this Al/> In same time, alliance named the general Carlos María de Alvear as commander of the republican army (argentino-Uruguyan).

The January 20th 1827, Alvear moved with its troops on the Brazilian border. It attacked some villages and of the small towns to oblige Barbacena to come on him, whereas it had already located the places for the battle. Its plan functioned.

Unfolding

the February 18th, the republican army passed the river Santa Maria and arrived the first on the spot of the combat. Alvear used this advantage to position its army as well as possible and thus to favor its Cavalerie. The Impériale army arrived on the battle fields the following day (the February 19th). Barbacena refused to listen to the soldiers who were exténués by the forced march which they had undertaken to arrive on the spot and prepared a plan and its troops to tackle the day as soon as possible according to. According to certain historians, Alvear had made accept Barbacena which it continued only one small portion of the republican army and which the majority of the troops was not on the spot and which Alvear was not present, the strategy to attack as quickly as possible would have been in this case right since it was enough to attack the army of Alvear twice.

Believing that, Barbacena attacked by sending its Cavalerie and its Infanterie on the 1st Republican Army corps ordered by the Uruguyan chief Juan Antonio Lavalleja. The Impériales forces thus passed the river to encircle Lavalleja. At the beginning, the Uruguyan cavalry tried to block the passage of the 1st Division of the Impériale army, but it was quickly pushed back by the enemy, who even managed to take the control of the Artillerie which was under the orders of the Colonel Felix Olazabal.

Alvear counter-attacked with its cavalry at this time. While it would tackle the 2nd enemy Division in the center, the colonel Julian Laguna will have to tackle the extreme left of the Brazilian forces which was made only of volunteers not-broken to the art of the war. While colonel Soler would bring his men on the 1st Division. Compared to the plan of Alvear, the cavalry and the infantry were badly placées.
Indeed, only the center of the army Impériale (which was tested) did not move and kept its position against which the cavalry could nothing make and when the republican army could encircle the 2nd Division, that-last left the battle fields and the republican army could not continue the enemy because of the lack of resource. Alvear made burn the battle fields and set out again towards Uruguay.

Consequences

With final, neither Barbacena which wanted to go until Buenos Aires, nor Alvear which wanted to destroy the Impériale army was victorious. The war when with it continued during still a year. Nevertheless, in 1828, a treaty was signed between Brazil and Argentina, treaty which gave independence to the Uruguay.

External bonds

short summary
Course of the battle

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