Disaster of Rancagua

the Disaster of Rancagua (Spanish: El Desastre of Rancagua ) is the last confrontation of the Vieille Fatherland, it was held the 1 {{er}} and October 2nd 1814 in the town of Rancagua to the Chile. The battle of Rancagua marks the end of the first republican projects of Independence of Chile. The sergeant Bernardo O' Higgins, with the service of Jose Miguel Will square, was in the city to stop the troops of Mariano Osorio. After having succeeded in containing its adversary during two days, it was constrained to break the battle and to flee. During the battle, Bernardo O' Higgins pronounced the following sentence which he had already said a few months before, with its troops, under a oak: O to vivir idiot honor O to morir idiot gloria .

Unfolding

October 1st, with 4.500 loyal supporters and 18 guns, is more of the double of its adversaries, Osorio arrived in front of Rancagua. He did not manage to come into contact with divisions which ordered Juan Jose Carrera there Benavente, also he decided to take the city. They were posted in the four streets which lead to the place with the guns ready to draw. After a first unfruitful attempt to take the place, Osorio decided to bombard the trenches where the patriots had taken refuge and to give the attack to the four streets at the same time. However, the patriots resisted until fallen the night which put an end to the engagements, the latter being without water since the middle of the day, the loyal supporters having diverted the brook which supplied the city out of drinking water.

The following day, the October 2nd, the battle started again with even more ferocity, the patriots had already resisted six attacks since the beginning of the battle, but was decimated and with end of forces. In an attempt despaired to save what still could the being, O' Higgins and its soldiers tried an exit to open a passage in the enemy lines.

Monte has caballo el that pueda. ¡ Our abriremos paso has notched joints LED enemigo! Bernardo O'Higgins

The defeat of the Patriote S at the time of this battle marks the end of the Patria Vieja (the Old Fatherland, period of the Histoire of Chile, the escape of the revolutionary chiefs in Argentine and the beginning of the period of the Reconquista.

Commemoration

Each year one celebrates the birthday of this important battle in the history of Chile, in the town of Rancagua, by a procession in the Stade El Teniente. The commemoration of the hundred sixtieth birthday of the battle coincided with the visit with Rancagua of the President of the French Republic Charles de Gaulle, it assisted to with it in company of the Chilean president of then, Jorge Alessandri, the October 2nd 1964.

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