August 27th, 2015

What did I know about the history of Paraguay? Well, if only the fact that she was somehow looking for Paganel in "The Search for Captain Grant." But in fact, sentimental events were unfolding on the southern continent.

The history of Latin America has many dark stories, one of the most terrible and bloody is the murder of an entire country, "the heart of America" (Paraguay). This murder went down in history as the Paraguayan War, which lasted from December 13, 1864 to March 1, 1870. In this war, the alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, supported by the then "world community" (the West), came out against Paraguay.

Let's remember how it all began.

The first European visited the land of the future Paraguay in 1525, and the beginning of the history of this Latin American country is considered to be August 15, 1537, when Spanish colonists founded Asuncion. This territory was inhabited by the Guarani tribes.

Gradually, the Spaniards founded several more strongholds, since 1542 in Paraguay (translated from the Guarani Indians, "Paraguay" means "from the great river" - meaning the Parana River) they began to appoint special managers. From the beginning of the 17th century, Spanish Jesuits began to establish their settlements on this territory ("Society of Jesus" - a male monastic order).
They create a unique theocratic-patriarchal kingdom in Paraguay (Jesuit reductions - Jesuit Indian reservations). It was based on the primitive tribal way of life of the local Indians, the institutions of the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu) and the ideas of Christianity. In fact, the Jesuits and Indians created the first socialist state (with local characteristics). This was the first large-scale attempt to build a just society based on the rejection of personal property, the priority of the public good, the primacy of the collective over the individual. The Jesuit Fathers studied the experience of government in the Inca Empire very well and creatively developed it.

The Indians were transferred from a nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary one, the basis of the economy was agriculture, cattle breeding, and handicrafts. The monks instilled in the Indians the foundations of the material and spiritual culture of Europe, and in a non-violent way. When necessary, communities fielded militias, repelling attacks from slavers and their mercenaries. Under the leadership of the monastic fraternity, the Indians achieved a high degree of autonomy from the Spanish and Portuguese empires. The settlements flourished, the work of the Indians was quite successful.

As a result, the independent policy of the monks led to the fact that they were decided to be expelled. In 1750, the Spanish and Portuguese crowns concluded an agreement under which 7 Jesuit settlements, including Asuncion, were to come under Portuguese control. The Jesuits refused to comply with this decision; as a result of a bloody war that lasted 4 years (1754-1758), the Spanish-Portuguese troops won. The complete expulsion of the Jesuit Order from all Spanish possessions in America followed (it ended in 1768). The Indians began to return to their former way of life. By the end of the 18th century, about a third of the population was mestizo (descendants of whites and Indians), and two-thirds were Indians.

Independence

In the process of the collapse of the Spanish Empire, in which young predators - the British took an active part, Buenos Aires became independent (1810). The Argentines tried to start an uprising in Paraguay, during the so-called. "Paraguay expedition", but the militia of the Paraguayans defeated their troops.

But the process was launched, in 1811 Paraguay declared independence. The country was headed by the lawyer Jose Francia, the people recognized him as the leader. The Congress, elected by universal suffrage, recognized him as a dictator with unlimited powers, first for 3 years (in 1814), and then as a dictator for life (in 1817). France ruled the country until her death in 1840. Autarchy was introduced in the country (an economic regime assuming the country's self-sufficiency), foreigners were rarely allowed into Paraguay. Jose Francia's regime was not liberal: rebels, spies, conspirators were mercilessly destroyed and arrested. Although it cannot be said that the regime was monstrous - during the entire period of the dictator's rule, about 70 people were executed and about 1,000 were thrown into prisons.

Francia carried out secularization (confiscation of church and monastery property, land), mercilessly liquidated criminal gangs, as a result of which, after a few years, people forgot about crime. Francia partially revived the ideas of the Jesuits, albeit "without excesses." In Paraguay, a special national economy arose, based on social labor and private small business. In addition, such amazing phenomena appeared in the country (it was the first half of the 19th century!), Such as free education, free medicine, low taxes and public food funds. As a result, a strong state industry was created in Paraguay, especially given its rather isolated position relative to the world's economic centers. This made it possible to be an economically independent state. By the middle of the 19th century, Paraguay had become the fastest growing and richest state in Latin America. It should be noted that this was a unique state where poverty was absent as a phenomenon, although there were enough rich people in Paraguay (the rich stratum was quite peacefully integrated into society).

After the death of Francio, which became a tragedy for the entire nation, by decision of the Congress, the country was led by his nephew Carlos Antonio Lopez (until 1844 he ruled with the consul Mariano Roque Alonso). He was the same tough and consistent person. He carried out a number of liberal reforms, the country was ready to "open" - in 1845 access to Paraguay was opened to foreigners, in 1846 the previous protective customs tariff was replaced by a more liberal one, the harbor of Pilar (on the Parana River) was opened for foreign trade. Lopez reorganized the army according to European standards, brought its number from 5 thousand. up to 8 thousand people. Several fortresses were built, a river fleet was created. The country withstood a seven-year war with Argentina (1845-1852), the Argentines were forced to recognize the independence of Paraguay.

Work continued on the development of education, scientific societies were opened, the possibilities of communication lines, shipping were improved, shipbuilding was improved. The country as a whole has retained its originality, as in Paraguay, almost all land belonged to the state.

In 1862, Lopez died, leaving the country to his son Francisco Solano Lopez. The new people's congress approved his mandate for 10 years. At this time, the country reached the peak of its development (then the country was simply killed, not allowing it to follow a very promising path). Its population reached 1.3 million people, there were no state debts (the country did not take external loans). At the beginning of the reign of the second Lopez, the first railway was built with a length of 72 km. More than 200 foreign specialists were invited to Paraguay, who laid telegraph lines and railways. It helped develop the steel, textile, paper, printing, gunpowder, and shipbuilding industries. Paraguay created its own defense industry, produced not only gunpowder and other ammunition, but guns and mortars (foundry in Ibikui, built in 1850), built ships in the shipyards of Asuncion.

The reason for the war and its beginning

Neighboring Uruguay looked closely at the successful experience of Paraguay, and after it the experiment could triumphantly pass across the continent. The possible unification of Paraguay and Uruguay challenged the interests of Great Britain, local regional powers - Argentina and Brazil. Naturally, this aroused the discontent and fears of the British and Latin American ruling clans. In addition, Paraguay had territorial disputes with Argentina. They needed a pretext for war and they quickly found it.

In the spring of 1864, the Brazilians sent a diplomatic mission to Uruguay and demanded compensation for losses caused to Brazilian farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. The head of Uruguay, Atanasio Aguirre (from the National Party, which stood for an alliance with Paraguay) rejected the Brazilian claims. Paraguayan leader Solano Lopez offered himself as a mediator in the negotiations between Brazil and Uruguay, but Rio de Janeiro opposed the proposal. In August 1864, the Paraguayan government severed diplomatic relations with Brazil, and announced that the intervention of the Brazilians and the occupation of Uruguay would upset the balance in the region.

In October, Brazilian forces invaded Uruguay. Supporters of the Colorado Party (pro-Brazilian party), supported by Argentina, allied with the Brazilians and overthrew the Aguirre government.

Uruguay was a strategically important partner for Paraguay, since almost all Paraguayan trade went through its capital (Montevideo). And the Brazilians occupied this port. Paraguay was forced to enter the war, mobilization was carried out in the country, bringing the size of the army to 38 thousand people (with a reserve of 60 thousand, in fact it was the people's militia). On December 13, 1864, the Paraguayan government declared war on Brazil, and on March 18, 1865, on Argentina. Uruguay, already under the control of the pro-Brazilian politician Venancio Flores, entered into an alliance with Brazil and Argentina. On May 1, 1865, in the Argentine capital, the three countries signed the Triple Alliance Treaty. The world community (primarily Great Britain) supported the Triple Alliance. "Enlightened Europeans" provided substantial assistance to the union with ammunition, weapons, military advisers, and provided loans for the war.

The army of Paraguay at the initial stage was more powerful, both numerically (the Argentines at the beginning of the war had about 8.5 thousand people, the Brazilians - 16 thousand, the Uruguayans - 2 thousand), and in terms of motivation and organization. In addition, it was well armed, the Paraguayan army had up to 400 guns. The basis of the military forces of the Triple Alliance - the Brazilian armed units consisted mainly of detachments of local politicians and some parts of the National Guard, often slaves who were promised freedom. Then, in part of the coalition, all sorts of volunteers, adventurers from all over the continent, who wanted to take part in the robbery of a rich country, poured in. It was believed that the war would be short-lived, the indicators of Paraguay and the three countries were too different - the population size, the power of the economies, the assistance of the "world community". The war was actually sponsored by loans from the Bank of London and the banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and Sons ".

But they had to fight with the armed people. At the initial stage, the Paraguayan army won a number of victories. In the northern direction, the Brazilian fort of Nova Coimbra was captured, in January 1865 they took the cities of Albuquerque and Corumba. In the southern direction, the Paraguayan units successfully operated in the southern part of the state of Mata Grosso.

In March 1865, the Paraguayan government appealed to Argentine President Bartolomé Miter with a request to let 25 thousand army pass through the province of Corrientes to invade the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul. But Buenos Aires refused, March 18, 1865 Paraguay declared war on Argentina. The Paraguayan squadron (at the beginning of the war, Paraguay had 23 small steamers and a number of small ships, and the flagship gunboat "Takuari", most of them were converted from civilian ships) descended the Parana River, blocked the port of Corrientes, and then land forces took it. At the same time, the Paraguayan units crossed the Argentine border, and through the territory of Argentina struck the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, on June 12, 1865, the city of São Borja was taken, on August 5, Uruguayan.

Here is one of the moments of this war.

“Breakthrough at the Umaita fortress in 1868. Artist Victor Merelles.

At the beginning of 1868, the Brazilian-Argentine-Uruguayan troops approached the very capital of Paraguay, the city of Asuncion. But it was impossible to take the city without the help of the fleet, although it was possible to approach it from the sea along the Paraguay River. However, this path was blocked by the fortress of Umaita. The allies had been besieging it for over a year, but they could not take it. The most unpleasant thing was that the river made a horseshoe-shaped bend in this place, along which there were coastal batteries. Therefore, ships going to Asuncion had to go several kilometers under crossfire at close range, which was an impossible task for wooden ships.

But already in 1866 - 1867. the Brazilians acquired the first river battleships in Latin America - the Barroso-type floating batteries and the Para tower monitors. The monitors were built at the state shipyard in Rio de Janeiro and became the first tower battleships in Latin America, and in particular in its southern hemisphere. It was decided that the Brazilian armored squadron would climb the Paraguay River to the fortress of Umaita and destroy it with their fire. The squadron included small monitors "Para", "Alagoas" and "Rio Grande", a slightly larger monitor "Bahia", and casemate river battleships "Barroso" and "Tamandare".

It is interesting that Bahia was first called Minerva and was built in England by order of ... Paraguay. However, Paraguay was blocked during the war, the deal was canceled, and Brazil, to the delight of the British, acquired the ship. At that time, Umaita was the most powerful fortress in Paraguay. Construction began back in 1844 and continued for almost 15 years. She had 120 artillery pieces, of which 80 fired at the fairway, and the rest defended her from land. Many batteries were in brick casemates, the thickness of the walls of which reached one and a half meters or more, and some of the guns were protected by earthen parapets.

The most powerful battery in the Umaita fortress was the Londres (London) casemate battery, which was armed with sixteen 32-pounder guns, commanded by the English mercenary Major Hadley Tuttle. However, it should be noted that the number of guns did not correspond to their quality. There were very few rifled ones among them, and the bulk of them were old cannons that fired cannonballs, which were not dangerous for armored ships.

Battery "Londres" in 1868.

Therefore, in order to prevent Brazilian ships from entering the river, the Paraguayans stretched three thick iron chains across it, attached to pontoons. According to their plan, these chains should have delayed the enemy just in the area of operation of his batteries, where literally every meter of the river surface was shot! As for the Brazilians, they, of course, learned about the chains, but hoped to overcome them after their battleships rammed the pontoons and those, having sunk to the bottom, pulled these chains along with them.

The breakthrough was scheduled for February 19, 1868. The main problem was the small supply of coal, which the monitors took on board. Therefore, for the sake of economy, the Brazilians decided that they would go in pairs, so that the larger ships would drive the smaller ones in tow. Thus "Barroso" was in tow of "Rio Grande", "Baia" - "Alagoas", and "Para" followed "Tamandare".

At 0.30 on 19 February, all three couplings, moving against the current, rounded the promontory with a high hill and reached Umaita. The Brazilians hoped that the Paraguayans would sleep at night, but they were ready for battle: the steam engines of the Brazilians were too loud, and the noise over the river spreads very far away.

All 80 coastal guns opened fire on the ships, after which the battleships began to respond to them. True, only nine cannons could shoot along the coast, but the quality advantage was on their side. The Paraguayan cannonballs, although they hit the Brazilian ships, bounced off their armor, while the elongated shells of Whitworth's rifled cannon, exploding, caused fires and destroyed the casemates.

Nevertheless, the Paraguayan artillerymen managed to break the towing cable connecting the Bahia with the Alagoas. The fire was so strong that the ship's crew did not dare to get out on deck, and five battleships eventually went ahead, and the Alagoas slowly drifted towards where the Brazilian squadron began its breakthrough to the enemy's capital.

The Paraguayan gunners soon noticed that the ship had no progress and opened concentrated fire on it, hoping that they would be able to destroy at least this ship. But all their efforts were in vain. On the monitor, boats were smashed, the mast was blown overboard, but they did not manage to pierce its armor. They failed to jam the tower on it, and by a miracle the chimney survived on the ship.

At the same time, the squadron that had gone ahead rammed and drowned the pontoons with chains, thus freeing its way. True, the fate of the Alagoas monitor remained unknown, but not a single sailor died on all the other ships.

Paraguayans take the Alagoas on board. Artist Victor Merelles

Meanwhile, the monitor was carried by the current beyond the bend of the river, where the Paraguayan guns could no longer reach. He dropped anchor, and his sailors began to inspect the ship. There were more than 20 core dents on it, but not one pierced either the hull or the turret! Seeing that the enemy artillery was powerless against his ship, the monitor commander ordered to separate the pairs and ... go on alone! True, in order to raise the pressure in the boilers, it took at least an hour, but this did not bother him. And there was no hurry, because the morning had already begun.

Monitor "Alagoas" in the color of the Great Paraguay War.

And the Paraguayans, as it turned out, were already waiting and decided ... to take it on board! They threw themselves into boats and armed with sabers, boarding axes and boat hooks, they headed across to the enemy ship slowly going against the current. The Brazilians noticed them and immediately rushed to batten down the deck hatches, and a half dozen sailors, led by the only officer - the commander of the ship, climbed onto the roof of the gun turret and began firing at the people in the boats from rifles and revolvers. The distance was short, the killed and wounded rowers were out of action one after the other, but four boats still managed to overtake the Alagoas and from 30 to 40 Paraguayan soldiers jumped on the deck.

And here began something that once again proves that many tragic events are at the same time the funniest. Some tried to climb the tower, but they were beaten on the head with sabers and shot at point-blank range with revolvers. Others began to chop hatches and ventilation grilles in the engine room with axes, but no matter how hard they tried, they did not achieve success. Finally it dawned on them that the Brazilians standing on the tower were about to shoot them one at a time, as if the partridges and the surviving Paraguayans had begun to jump overboard. But then the monitor increased its speed, and several people tightened under the screws. Seeing that the attempt to capture the monitor failed, the Paraguayan gunners fired a volley that nearly destroyed the ship. One of the heavy cannonballs hit him in the stern and tore off the armor plate, which had already been loosened by several previous hits. At the same time, the wooden sheathing cracked, a leak formed, and water began to flow into the ship's hull. The crew rushed to the pumps and began to hastily pump out the water and did this until the ship, having covered a few kilometers, was thrown onto a beach in an area controlled by Brazilian troops.

Meanwhile, the squadron that had broken through up the river passed the Paraguayan Fort Timbo, whose guns did not harm it either, and already on February 20 approached Asuncion and fired at the newly built presidential palace. This caused panic in the city, as the government repeatedly declared that not a single enemy ship would break through to the capital of the country.

But here the Paraguayans were lucky, as the squadron ran out of shells! They were not enough not only to destroy the palace, but even to sink the flagship of the Paraguayan naval flotilla - the Paraguari wheeled frigate, which was standing here at the pier!

On February 24, Brazilian ships once again passed Umaita and again without losses, although the Paraguayan artillerymen still managed to damage the armor belt of the battleship "Tamandare". Passing the immobilized Alagoas, the ships greeted him with honks.

Battery "Londres". Now it is a museum with these rusty cannons lying next to it.

This is how this strange raid ended, in which the Brazilian squadron did not lose a single person, and no less than a hundred Paraguayans were killed. Then "Alagoas" was repaired for several months, but he still managed to take part in hostilities already in June 1868. So even a country like Paraguay, it turns out, has its own heroic ship, the memory of which is written on the "tablets" of its navy!

From a technical point of view, it was also a rather interesting ship, specially designed for operations on rivers and in the coastal sea zone. The length of this flat-bottomed vessel was 39 meters, width 8.5 meters, and a displacement of 500 tons. Along the waterline, the side was covered by an armor belt made of iron plates 90 centimeters wide. The thickness of the side armor was 10.2 cm in the center and 7.6 cm at the extremities. But the walls of the case themselves, which were made of extremely durable local perob wood, were 55 cm thick, which, of course, represented very good protection. The deck was covered with half-inch (12.7 mm) bulletproof armor, on which teak deck decking was laid. The underwater part of the hull was sheathed with sheets of yellow galvanized bronze - a technique very typical for the then shipbuilding.

The ship had two steam engines with a total capacity of 180 hp. At the same time, each of them worked on one propeller with a diameter of 1.3 m, which made it possible for the monitor to move at a speed of 8 knots in calm water.

The crew consisted of 43 sailors and only one officer.

Here it is: Whitworth's 70-pound cannon on the Alagoas monitor.

The armament consisted of only one single 70-pound muzzle-loading Whitworth cannon (well, at least they would put a mitrailleuse on the tower!) With a hexagonal barrel heat, firing special faceted shells and weighing 36 kg, and a bronze battering ram on the nose. The range of the gun was approximately 5.5 km, with quite satisfactory accuracy. The weight of the gun was four tons, but it cost £ 2,500 - a fortune in those days!

It is also interesting that the gun turret was not cylindrical, but ... rectangular, although its front and rear walls were rounded. It was turned by the physical efforts of eight sailors, who manually twisted the handle of the turret drive, and who could turn it 180 degrees for about one minute. The turret frontal armor was 6 inches (152 mm) thick, the side armor plates were 102 mm thick, and the rear wall was 76 mm thick.

Continuation of the war

The situation was complicated by the defeat of the Paraguayan squadron on June 11, 1865 at the Battle of Riachuelo. From that moment on, the Triple Alliance began to control the rivers of the La Plata basin. Gradually, the superiority in forces began to affect, by the end of 1865, the Paraguayan troops were driven out of the previously occupied territories, the coalition concentrated 50 thousand army and began to prepare for the invasion of Paraguay.

The invading army could not immediately break into the country, they were delayed by fortifications near the confluence of the Paraguay and Parana rivers, there battles continued for more than two years. So the Umayta fortress became a real Paraguayan Sevastopol and detained the enemy for 30 months, it fell only on July 25, 1868.

After that, Paraguay was doomed. The invaders, being supported by the "world community", slowly and with great losses simply pushed through the defense of the Paraguayans, actually grinding it, paying for it with numerous losses. And not only from bullets, but also from dysentery, cholera and other delights of the tropical climate. In a number of battles in December 1868, the remnants of Paraguay's troops were practically destroyed.

Francisco Solano Lopez refused to surrender and retreated into the mountains. In January 1969, Asuncion fell. I must say that the people of Paraguay defended their country almost without exception, even women and children fought. Lopez continued the war in the mountains northeast of Asuncion, people went to the mountains, selva, to partisan detachments. During the year, there was a guerrilla war, but in the end the remnants of the Paraguayan forces were defeated. On March 1, 1870, Solano Lopez's detachment was surrounded and destroyed, the head of Paraguay died with the words: "I am dying for the Motherland!"

Territorial losses of Paraguay as a result of the war

Outcomes

The Paraguayan people fought to the last, even the enemies noted the massive heroism of the population, the Brazilian historian Roche Pombu wrote: “Many women, some with pikes and stakes, others with small children in their arms, violently threw sand, stones and bottles at the attackers. The abbots of the parishes of Peribebuy and Valenzuela fought with rifles in their hands. Boys of 8-10 years old lay dead, and their weapons lay next to them, other wounded showed stoic calm, not uttering a single groan. "

In the Battle of Acosta New (August 16, 1869), 3.5 thousand children aged 9-15 years fought, and the Paraguayan detachment was only 6 thousand people. In memory of their heroism, Children's Day is celebrated in modern Paraguay on August 16.

In battles, skirmishes, acts of genocide, 90% of the male population of Paraguay was killed. Of the more than 1.3 million population of the country, by 1871 about 220 thousand people remained. Paraguay was completely devastated and pushed to the sidelines of world development.

The territory of Paraguay has been curtailed in favor of Argentina and Brazil. The Argentines generally offered to completely dismember Paraguay and divide "fraternally", but Rio de Janeiro did not agree. The Brazilians wanted a buffer between Argentina and Brazil.

Britain and the banks behind it won from the war. The main powers of Latin America - Argentina and Brazil found themselves in financial dependence, borrowing huge amounts of money. The possibilities offered by the Paraguayan experiment were destroyed.

Paraguayan industry was liquidated, most of the Paraguayan villages were devastated and abandoned, the remaining people moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. People switched to subsistence farming, a significant part of the land was bought up by foreigners, mainly Argentines, and turned into private estates. The country's market was opened to British goods, and the new government took out a foreign loan of £ 1 million for the first time.

This story teaches that if the people are united and defend their homeland, the idea, it can only be defeated with the help of total genocide.

sources

http://topwar.ru/81112-nepobedimyy-alagoas.html

http://topwar.ru/10058-kak-ubili-serdce-ameriki.html

http://ru.althistory.wikia.com/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%81 % D0% BA% D0% B0% D1% 8F_% D0% B2% D0% BE% D0% B9% D0% BD% D0% B0

http://www.livejournal.com/magazine/557394.html

And then there was more. From other regions, you can remember what it is or why, for example. But the legendary and The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is

Paraguay War of 1864-1870, war of conquest of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay. Immediate P. cause of century. was the invasion of the Brazilian army into Uruguay under the pretext of forcing him to pay compensation for the damage allegedly caused in the middle. 50s Brazilian nationals during civil. war in Uruguay. With the beginning of the intervention, the Uruguay government turned to Paraguay for help. Paraguay, interested in preserving the state. sovereignty of Uruguay, through ter. to-rogo he had access to the Atlantic coast. approx., declared his support for Uruguay in the hope of a peaceful settlement of the Brazilian-Uruguayan conflict. However, the Brazilian army continued to intervene, occupied Uruguay and forced it to join the anti-Paraguayan coalition, which included Argentina and Brazil. The coalition hoped to overthrow the Paraguayan government, headed by President F. Lopez, who actively defended the sovereignty of his country, and to tear away part of the ter. Paraguay.

In unleashing P. century. Great role was played by Great Britain, France and the United States, striving to open access to Paraguay for their capital. P. in. began in December 1864, when the President of Paraguay F. Lopez, having learned about the impending invasion of the Coalits. army, moved part (7.5 thousand people) 60-70-thousand. army across the Paraguayan-Brazilian border and occupied the southern districts of the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso, securing the so-called. north of the country from the invasion. However, as a result of the defeat of the Paraguayan fleet on the river. Parana in June 1865 Paraguay was cut off from the outside world.

In August 1865, the Paraguayans captured the Brazilian city of Uruguayan, but by September 8 thous. the Paraguayan army was surrounded by forces of 30 thousand. coalition army. After the bitter. fighting the remnants of the Paraguayan army (about 5 thousand people) were forced to capitulate. In May 1866 50 thousand. coalitions. army invaded ter. Paraguay and laid siege to the Umanta fortress. But she managed to take possession of the fortress only 2 years later, in August. 1868. The retreating Paraguayan army in December. 1868 suffered a new defeat on the river. Pikishiri, and in Jan. 1869 coalition forces captured the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. F. Lopez took the remnants of his troops to the mountainous districts of the Cordilleras and deployed partisans. actions. During 1869, Lopez managed to increase the size of his army to 13 thousand people, replenishing it with 12-15-year-olds. Partiz. the period of the war lasted until the beginning. 1870. Despite the dep. successes, the Paraguayan army was retreating. The country's human resources were depleted, and there was no one to replenish the army. On March 1, 1870, a small detachment of Lopez was overtaken by a Brazilian horse detachment in the mountains of Sero Cora. In an unequal battle, Lopez's detachment was defeated, and he himself died. On this military. the action ceased.

As a result of hostilities, hunger and disease, 4/5 of the population of Paraguay died. Of the survivors, there were no more than 20 thousand men. The total losses of the armies of the anti-Paraguayan coalition exceeded 190 thousand people. In accordance with the peace treaties with Brazil (1872) and Argentina (1876), almost half of the territory was torn away from Paraguay. Brazilian occupier. troops were in Paraguay until 1876, which delayed the socio-political. and economical. development of the country. Main the reasons for the defeat of Paraguay in P. century. were num. and tech. the superiority of the armies of the anti-Paraguayan coalition, a cut of which Great Britain provided serious assistance.

I.I. Yanchuk.

Used materials of the Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, vol. 6

Literature:

Alperovich M. S., Slezkin L. Yu. New history of Latin American countries. M., 1970, p. 184-191.

Read here:

Paraguay in the twentieth century (chronological table)

The bloodiest and most murderous war of the second half of the 19th century it was not at all the war of the North against the South in the USA in 1861-1865, the Franco-Prussian 1870-1871. or Russian-Turkish 1877-1878, and War of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay) against Paraguay in 1864-1870.

During this war adult male population of Paraguay - most economically developed country in South America of that time - underwent almost total destruction... Paraguay's economy was then thrown back 100 years, and industry completely disappeared.

Paraguayan dictator who unleashed the war Francisco Lopez Solano during the years of his reign he raised his country to an unprecedented level of development, and actually tried to build there - in the middle of the 19th century (!) - a kind of "socialist" society.

Francisco Solano Lopez (1827-1870) .

The pre-war development of Paraguay was significantly different from the development of neighboring states. Under the rule of Jose Francia and Carlos Antonio Lopez, the country developed practically in isolation from the rest of the region. The Paraguayan leadership supported the course of building a self-sufficient, autonomous economy. The Lopez regime (in 1862 Carlos Antonio Lopez was replaced as president by his son Francisco Solano Lopez) was characterized by rigid centralization, which left no room for the development of civil society.

Most of the land (about 98%) was in the hands of the state... The so-called "Motherland estates" were created - 64 farms controlled by the government, in fact, "state farms". More than 200 foreign specialists invited to the country laid telegraph lines and railways, which contributed to the development of the steel, textile, paper, printing, shipbuilding and gunpowder industries.

Government fully controlled exports... The main goods exported from the country were valuable species of wood, quebracho and tea mate. State policy was rigidly protectionist; imports actually overlapped high customs duties. Unlike neighboring states, Paraguay did not take external loans.

Francisco Solano Lopez also started systematic rearmament of the army of Paraguay, by the way, with the support of the then President of the United States Abraham Lincoln... The latter promised him a lot of modern weapons, in particular, the famous multi-barreled mitrales, known to the Russian audience for the costume-adventure film "The Last Samurai" by Edward Zwig (2003). The artillery plant, built in 1851, mass-produced guns and mortars. In France, the government of Lopez ordered several modern river artillery monitors - especially for operations on the rivers Parana, Paraguay, etc.

The immediate reason for the war was Brazil's aggression against neighboring Uruguay in October 1864... Taking advantage of this, Francisco Lopez Solano decided to satisfy his territorial claims to Brazil, as well as get access to the ocean. AND at the end of 1864 declared war on Brazil... The latter managed to draw Argentina and Uruguay, practically controlled by it, into the conflict the following year.

During the first year of hostilities, the Paraguayans, whose fighting spirit and military training were superior to the enemy, managed to capture vast territories from Brazil and Argentina: the provinces of Mato Grosso and Corrientes.

but plans of Fr. Lopez came into conflict with the interests of an influential banking house Rothschild , which financed the Brazilian armed forces and actually sponsored the invasion of the Triple Alliance army (in reality, mainly Brazilian and Argentinean) into small Paraguay.

Now let's give the floor to professional historians:

“On November 12, 1864, the Paraguayan ship Tacuari near Asuncion captured the Brazilian merchant ship Marques de Olinda as a prize, en route to the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso with a new governor, a cargo of gold and military equipment on board. "Tacuari" until recently he was in Europe. It was one of only two ships in the Paraguayan navy converted for military chains, but until now the ship was used exclusively as a merchant ship, transporting goods to and from Europe.

Several sources assess Paraguay's population of 1,400,000, the figure seems more likely 1 350 000 ... The population of Uruguay was approximately half the size. Argentina and Brazil by the time the war began, had accordingly 1,800,000 and 2,500,000 people population. Paraguay put under arms 100,000 people and it appears that up to 300,000 men and women were employed in support services. Later many women were also forced to take part in battles.

Brazil went to war with army of about 30,000, at the end of the war, bringing this figure to 90,000... Strongly weakened by prolonged civil wars, Argentina had a small army, numbered up to about 30,000 at its best. Uruguay's troops numbered a maximum of 3,000.

Besides, approximately 10,000 Paraguayans took part in the war against Lopez. These were unreliable elements expelled from the country, and deserters and paraguayan prisoners freed by the allies... All of them also contributed to the victory over Lopez.

Lopez built two strong fortresses: Yumaita on the Paraguay River and Paso de Patria on the Parana River. But their numerous armaments were mostly outdated, consisting of muzzle-loading guns. Paraguay ordered large quantities of the latest weapons from Europe, but before the war began, only a little of it was obtained.

While the regular army was well equipped with modern rifles, recruits of later conscripts were often armed with only clubs, knives or bows with arrows... Paraguay's fleet was small and also poorly armed. He counted in its composition 12-20 river screw or paddle steamers... But, ultimately, equipped mainly with sailing ships, barges or chatos (without any mechanical drive) and often even a canoe could be considered a military - their goal was to moor an enemy ship in order to crush it with their crew during boarding fight.

Lopez also ordered five battleships in Europe: three turret and two battery. After the announcement blockade of Paraguay shipbuilders began to vigorously search for a new customer, in the role of which was Brazil... So, unwillingly, Lopez significantly strengthened the navy of his enemy ... "

After the first successes of the Paraguayan troops on land and at sea, they began to suffer defeat from the vastly outnumbered enemy. June 11, 1865 between the fleets of the parties battle of Riachuelo(on the La Plata River), during which the Paraguayan flotilla was completely destroyed by the Brazilians. Having lost the river fleet, Lopez lost the main channels for the supply of ammunition and food for the army, which further aggravated his situation.

Battle of Riachuello. Painting by V. Meirellis.

It is an indisputable fact that assassination of American President Lincoln who supported Francisco Lopez Solano, on April 15, 1865 in a suspicious manner coincided with the turning point in the Paraguayan War in favor of the Triple Alliance... By the way, river monitors ordered in Europe were also not delivered to Paraguay, and most of them were bought by Brazilians.

The planned invasion of Paraguay by the Triple Alliance began in 1866, and immediately met with fierce resistance from not only the military, but also the local population. May 24, 1866 in the Tuyuti swamps occurred the largest in the history of South America in the 19th century. general engagement, in which, at the cost of huge losses, the Allies managed to defeat the Paraguayans and launch an offensive on their capital, Asuncion.

The textbooks of military history included successful defense of the Kurupayti artillery battery on the outskirts of the Paraguayan fortress Umayte September 22, 1866, when out of 20,000 advancing Brazilian and Argentine soldiers, about 5,000 people were killed.

Defense of Kurupayti. Painting by Candido Lopez.

However, for a long time, without receiving any assistance from outside, Paraguay was drained of blood, and by the end of 1869 was unable to offer serious resistance to the constantly increasing forces of the allies. V Battle of Avai on December 11, 1869 the regular army of Paraguay virtually ceased to exist.

Even women and children were drafted into the army of Paraguay after the death of a significant number of adult Paraguayan men. August 16, 1869 at the Battle of Acosta New 3,500 children and adolescents from 9 to 15 years of age fought - out of a total of 6,000 Paraguayan forces. Eyewitnesses - Brazilian officers and journalists - describe violent attacks by Paraguayan women and teenagers, armed only with pikes and machetes, on the ranks of the regular Brazilian army. In memory of the heroism of Paraguayan militia children, each year on August 16, Paraguay celebrates Children's day.

Episode of the Battle of Acosta New.

The heroic resistance of the local population led to massive punitive operations by the Brazilians and their allies, during which most of the country's settlements were simply depopulated. Several thousand government soldiers, militias and refugees continued to guerrilla warfare in the mountains.

The site of the last clash of the Paraguayans with the allied armies of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay May 1, 1870... became a river Aquidaban... Francisco Lopez Solano with a small detachment of 200 Paraguayans. and 5,000 local Indians met the allies under the command of the Brazilian General Kamera and after a bloody battle in which both Lopez himself and Vice President Sanchez were killed, his army was completely destroyed.

“The Brazilians wanted to catch Lopez alive, until finally his squad was pinned to a narrow strip of land near Aquidaban river.

"Hateful tyrant" Francisco Solano Lopez behaved heroically and expressed the will of the people, calling for the protection of the homeland; the Paraguayan people, who had not known war for half a century, fought under his banner for life and death. Men and women, children and old people - all fought like lions.

On March 15, 1870, Lopez led his army (about 5,000-7,000 people), already similar to a host of ghosts - old men and boys who wore fake beards in order to appear older to their enemies from afar - into the depths of the selva. The invaders, ready to slaughter everyone, stormed the ruins of Asuncion. Lopez tried to force it, but the banks of the river were so swampy that his horse was powerless. Then he rushed back to the right bank, where the units of the Brazilian general Camarra were already standing.

Refusing to surrender, while attempting to shoot at Camarra, Lopez was wounded by a lance from a nearby Brazilian soldier. The wound was not fatal - the pike hit the knee. But at this time there was an unexpected shot from the Brazilian side, but more likely, with Paraguayan who finished him off on the spot ...

Before his death, he exclaimed: "I am dying with my homeland!" It was absolutely true. Paraguay died with him. Shortly before that, Lopez ordered to shoot his own brother and the bishop, who were walking with him in this caravan of death, so that they did not fall into the hands of enemies.

Around the same time, Eliza Lynch and her squad were also surrounded by Brazilians. Her eldest son Pancho (from Lopez) resisted, rushing into the attack, and was killed. Taken under the protection of the Brazilians, she was able to travel safely into exile in Europe, despite the demand of the new Paraguayan government, formed from immigrants, to extradite her».

Monument to Elizabeth Lynch (1835-1886), Irish girlfriend of Francisco Lopez in Asuncion.

Thus, Francisco Lopez Solano died heroically in battle without surrendering to the enemy. His death strongly resembles the death of the Libyan leader who, like him, too tried to build a highly developed and independent economy from foreign powers in his country.

The result of the war was the complete defeat of Paraguay and the loss of 90% of the adult male population. Last thing from 1 350 000 people on the eve of the war (the more "scientific" figure of 525 000 people is also called) decreased to 221 000 after it (1871), and only 28,000 of the latter were adult men.

Paraguayan War of 1864-1870 interesting also because she practically remained "unknown" to civilized Europeans... Even Russian newspapers wrote about her extremely sparingly. The question immediately arises, Did the Rothschilds finance the European press then?, mainly engaged in covering the American Civil War 1861-1865. and the Polish uprising of 1863-1864?

The French primer of the mid-19th century is the most advanced weapon of the Brazilian army. The Paraguayans got along mainly with flint stones ...

Well, now I will give the floor again historian:

“Brazil paid dearly for the victory. The war was actually financed by loans from the Bank of London and the banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and Sons ".

In five years Brazil spent twice as much as it received, sparking a financial crisis... Repayment of significantly increased public debt negatively affected the country's economy for several more decades.

There is an opinion that a long war in the future contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Brazil; in addition, it has been suggested that she was one of the reasons for the abolition of slavery (in 1888).

The Brazilian army gained new significance as a political force; united by the war and based on the emerging traditions, it will play a significant role in the later history of the country.

In Argentina, the war led to the modernization of the economy; for several decades it turned into the most prosperous country in Latin America, and the annexed territories made it the strongest state in the La Plata basin.

Britain was, in fact, the only country to benefit from the Paraguay War... UK, both Brazil and Argentina have borrowed huge amounts, the payment of some of which continues to this day(Brazil paid off all British loans during the Getulio Vargas era.)

As for Uruguay, neither Argentina nor Brazil any longer intervened in its politics so actively. The Uruguayan Party of Colorado gained power in the country and ruled until 1958 ...

Most of the Paraguayan villages, ravaged by the war, were abandoned, and their survivors moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. These settlements in the central part of the country practically switched to subsistence farming; a significant part of the land was bought by foreigners, mainly Argentines, and turned into estates.

Paraguayan industry was destroyed, the country's market was open to British merchandise, and the government (for the first time in the history of Paraguay) took external loan of 1 million pounds.

Paraguay also had to pay an indemnity (it was never paid), and until 1876 it remained occupied.

Until now, war remains a controversial topic - especially in Paraguay, where it is perceived as a fearless attempt by a small people to defend their rights - or as a self-destructive, doomed struggle against a superior adversary that almost completely destroyed the nation ...

In modern Russian journalism, the Paraguayan War is also perceived extremely ambiguously.... Wherein the views of the authors of the articles play a key role, while war events are used to illustrate these views.

So, Paraguay at that time can be represented as predecessor of totalitarian regimes of the XX century, a war - as a criminal consequence of the aggressive policy of this regime.

In another, directly opposite version, the regime of Francia and Lopez looks like a successful attempt to create an economy independent of neighbors and the then world leader - Great Britain... War, according to this point of view, is nothing more than deliberate genocide of a small nation who dared challenge the most powerful power in the world and the imperialist system of the world as a whole.

For a long time, the results of the war excluded Paraguay from the list of states having at least some weight in international affairs. It took the country decades to recover from the chaos and demographic imbalance. Even today, the consequences of the war have not been completely overcome - Paraguay still remains one of the poorest states in Latin America...»

Latin America has many dark stories, one of the most terrible and bloody is the murder of an entire country, "the heart of America" (Paraguay). This murder went down in history as the Paraguayan War, which lasted from December 13, 1864 to March 1, 1870. In this war, the alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, supported by the then "world community" (the West), came out against Paraguay.

A bit of background

They create a unique theocratic-patriarchal kingdom in Paraguay (Jesuit reductions - Jesuit Indian reservations). It was based on the primitive tribal way of life of the local Indians, the institutions of the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu) and the ideas of Christianity. In fact, the Jesuits and Indians created the first socialist state (with local characteristics). This was the first large-scale attempt to build a just society based on the rejection of personal property, the priority of the public good, the primacy of the collective over the individual. The Jesuit Fathers studied the experience of government in the Inca Empire very well and creatively developed it.

Independence

The reason for the war and its beginning

In October, Brazilian forces invaded Uruguay. Supporters of the Colorado Party (pro-Brazilian party), supported by Argentina, allied with the Brazilians and overthrew the Aguirre government.

Continuation of the war

Outcomes

This story teaches that if the people are united and defend their homeland, the idea, it can only be defeated with the help of total genocide.

Paraguayan war

Background to the conflict

Since the very appearance of the Portuguese in Brazil, border clashes have continued between them and the Spaniards. Attempts at a settlement were made several times (the Utrecht Peace Treaty, the Madrid Treaty, the First Treaty in San Ildefonso), but the border was never fully defined. It also played a role that the landmarks specified in the agreements were often understood by the parties in different ways; so, the example with the river Igurei is very indicative. According to the Spanish (and later the Paraguayan) side, it was she who was the border; The Portuguese also called this river Vakaria in the upper reaches and Ivinjema in the lower, and the name of the Igurei, in their opinion, was borne by the river flowing much farther south. The Spaniards, for their part, called this river Karapa and did not consider it a border.

Thus, by the time Paraguay proclaimed its independence, the problem of territorial delimitation with Brazil had not been resolved. At the same time, the actually disputed territories were under the control of Asuncion. As long as Brazilian-Paraguayan relations remained warm, this dispute did not play a big role. However, since the 1850s, after their deterioration, the issue of boundaries has become important. In the early 1860s, Brazil finally broke the status quo by building the Doradus fortress on the Igurei River.

It should be noted that the pre-war development of Paraguay was significantly different from the development of the neighboring states of South America. Under the rule of Jose Francia and Carlos Antonio Lopez, the country developed practically in isolation from the rest of the region. The Paraguayan leadership supported the course of building a self-sufficient, autonomous economy. The Lopez regime (in 1862, Carlos Antonio Lopez was succeeded as president by his son, Francisco Solano Lopez) was characterized by rigid centralization, leaving no room for the development of civil society.

Most of the land (about 98%) was in the hands of the state; the state also carried out a significant part of production activities. There were the so-called "estates of the Motherland" (Spanish: Estancias de la Patria) - 64 farms controlled by the government. More than 200 foreign specialists invited to the country laid telegraph lines and railways, which contributed to the development of the steel, textile, paper, printing, shipbuilding and gunpowder industries.

The government completely controlled exports. The main goods exported from the country were valuable types of wood and mat. State policy was strictly protectionist; imports were actually covered by high customs duties. Unlike neighboring states, Paraguay did not take external loans. Francisco Solano Lopez continued this policy of his predecessors.

At the same time, the government began to modernize the army. Foundry in Ibikui, built in 1850, produced guns and mortars, as well as ammunition of all calibers; warships were built at the shipyards of Asuncion.

The growth of industrial production urgently required contact with the international market. However, Paraguay, located in the interior of the continent, did not have an outlet to the sea. To reach it, ships leaving the river ports of Paraguay had to go down the Parana and Paraguay rivers, reach La Plata, and only then go out into the ocean. Lopez's plans were to acquire a port on the Atlantic coast, which was only possible with the capture of part of Brazilian territory.

In preparation for the implementation of these goals, the development of the military industry continued. A significant number of soldiers were drafted into the army as part of compulsory military service; they were intensively trained. Fortifications were built at the mouth of the Paraguay River.

Diplomatic training was also provided. An alliance was concluded with the National Party ruling in Uruguay ("Blanco", "White"); accordingly, Blanco's rival Party of Colorado (Colored) found support from Argentina and Brazil.

Ever since Brazil and Argentina gained independence, the struggle for hegemony in the La Plata basin has continued between the governments of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. This rivalry largely determined the foreign and domestic policies of the countries of the region. In 1825-1828, the contradictions between Brazil and Argentina led to war; its result was the independence of Uruguay (finally recognized by Brazil in 1828). After that, twice more, the governments of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires nearly launched hostilities against each other.

The goal of the Argentine government was to unite all the countries that were formerly part of the Viceroyalty of La Plata (including Paraguay and Uruguay). Since the first half of the 19th century, it has tried to achieve this, but unsuccessfully - largely due to the intervention of Brazil. It was Brazil, which was at that time under Portuguese rule, that was the first country to recognize (in 1811) the independence of Paraguay. Fearing an over-strengthening Argentina, the government of Rio de Janeiro preferred to maintain the balance of power in the region, helping Paraguay and Uruguay to maintain their independence.

In addition, Paraguay itself has repeatedly intervened in Argentina's politics. So, from 1845 to 1852, Paraguayan troops fought against the Buenos Aires government, along with detachments from the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios. During this period, Paraguay's relations with Brazil, which was also at war with Argentine President Juan Manuel Rosas, were especially warm. Until his overthrow in 1852, the Brazilians continued to provide military and technical assistance to Asuncion, paying particular attention to the fortifications on the Parana River and the strengthening of the Paraguayan army.

It is also worth noting that the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso was not connected to Rio de Janeiro by land roads and Brazilian ships were required to pass through Paraguayan territory along the Paraguay River to reach Cuiaba. However, obtaining permission for this from the Paraguayan government was often associated with great difficulties.

Another hotbed of tension in the region was Uruguay. Brazil had significant financial interests in this country; its citizens enjoyed considerable influence, both economically and politically. For example, the company of the Brazilian businessman Irineu Evangelista di Sousa was actually the state bank of Uruguay; in the possession of the Brazilians were about 400 estates (port. estancias), which occupied about a third of the country's territory. Particularly acute for this influential stratum of Uruguayan society was the issue of a tax on cattle driven from the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul.

Three times during this period, Brazil undertook political and military intervention in the affairs of Uruguay - in 1851, against Manuel Oribe and Argentine influence; in 1855, at the request of the Uruguayan government and Venancio Flores, leader of the Colorados party (a traditional Brazilian ally); and in 1864, against Atanasio Aguirre - the last intervention and served as the impetus for the outbreak of the Paraguayan War. Probably, in many respects, these actions were facilitated by Great Britain, which did not want to unite the La Plata basin into a single state capable of solely using the resources of the region.

In April 1864, Brazil sent a diplomatic mission to Uruguay led by Jose Antonio Zaraiva. Its purpose was to claim compensation for losses caused to Brazilian gaucho farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. Uruguayan President Atanasio Aguirre (National Party) rejected the Brazilian claims.

Solano Lopez offered himself as a mediator in the negotiations, but the Brazilians opposed the proposal. In August 1864, Paraguay severed diplomatic relations with Brazil, and declared that the occupation of Uruguay by Brazilian forces would upset the balance in the region.

On October 12, Brazilian units invaded Uruguay. Supporters of Venancio Flores and the Colorado party, backed by Argentina, allied with the Brazilians and overthrew Aguirre.

War

Attacked by the Brazilians, the Uruguayan Blancos asked Lopez for help, but Paraguay did not immediately provide it. Instead, on November 12, 1864, the Paraguayan ship Takuari hijacked the Brazilian ship Marquis Olinda en route to the province of Mato Grosso along the Paraguay River; among other things, it carried a cargo of gold, military equipment, and the newly appointed governor of the province of Rio Grande do Sul, Frederico Carneiro Campus. On December 13, 1864, Paraguay declared war on Brazil, and three months later, on March 18, 1865, on Argentina. Uruguay, already under the rule of Venancio Flores, entered into an alliance with Brazil and Argentina, thus completing the formation of the Triple Alliance.

At the start of the war, the Paraguayan army numbered 38,000 well-trained soldiers out of 60,000 in reserve. Paraguay's fleet consisted of 23 small steamers and a number of small ships clustered around the gunboat Takuari, almost all of which were civilian conversions. The 5 newest battleships ordered in Europe did not have time to arrive before the outbreak of hostilities, and later were even bought by Brazil and became part of its fleet. The Paraguayan artillery consisted of about 400 guns.

The armies of the states of the Triple Alliance were inferior to the Paraguayan in numbers. Argentina had in its regular units about 8,500 people, as well as a squadron of four steamers and one schooner. Uruguay entered the war without a navy and with less than two thousand in an army. Most of the 16,000th Brazilian army was previously garrisoned in the south of the country; however, Brazil had a powerful fleet of 42 ships with 239 guns and a manpower of 4,000 sailors. At the same time, a significant part of the fleet under the command of the Marquis Tamandare was already concentrated in the La Plata basin (for the intervention against Aguirre).

Despite the significant number of troops, Brazil was not ready for war. Her army was poorly organized; the troops used in Uruguay consisted mainly of contingents of regional politicians and parts of the National Guard. In this regard, the Brazilian troops that fought in the Paraguayan War were not professional, but were recruited by volunteers (the so-called Volunteers of the Motherland). Many were slaves sent by farmers. The cavalry was formed from the National Guard of the province of Rio Grande do Sul.

On May 1, 1865, in Buenos Aires, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay signed the Triple Alliance Treaty, uniting these three countries in the fight against Paraguay. President of Argentina Bartolomé Miter became the supreme commander in chief of the allied forces.

During the first period of the war, the initiative was in the hands of the Paraguayans. The first battles of the war - the invasion of Mato Grosso in the north in December 1864, in Rio Grande do Sul in the south in early 1865, and in the Argentine province of Corrientes - were imposed on the allies by the advancing Paraguayan army.

In two groups, Paraguayan troops simultaneously invaded Mato Grossa. Due to the numerical superiority, they managed to quickly capture the province.

Five thousand men under the command of Colonel Vicente Barrios on ten ships climbed the Paraguay River and attacked the Brazilian fort of Nova Coimbra (now in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul). A small garrison of 155 men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ermengildo de Albuquerque Port Carrero (later named Baron Fort Coimbra) defended the fortification for three days. Having exhausted their supplies, the defenders left the fort and on board the gunboat Anyambai set off in the direction of Corumba. Having occupied the abandoned fort, the attackers continued their advance northward, and in January 1865 took the cities of Albuquerque and Corumba. Several Brazilian ships, including the Anyambai, went to the Paraguayans.

The second column of Paraguayan troops, numbering four thousand people under the command of Colonel Francisco Isidoro Reskin, invaded the territory of Mato Grosso to the south. One of the detachments of this group, under the command of Major Martin Urbiet, on December 29, 1864, encountered fierce resistance from a small detachment of Brazilians, numbering 16 people, under the command of Lieutenant Antonio Joan Ribeiro. Only by completely destroying them, the Paraguayans were able to advance further. Having defeated the troops of Colonel José Diaz da Silva, they continued their offensive in the direction of the Niaqué and Miranda areas. In April 1865, the Paraguayans reached the Cochin region (now the north of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul).

Despite the successes, the Paraguayan forces did not continue their attack on Cuiaba, the capital of the province of Mato Grosso. The main reason for this was that the main purpose of the Paraguayan strike in this area was to divert the Brazilian forces from the south, where the decisive events of the war were to unfold in the La Plata basin.

The second stage of the Paraguayan offensive was the invasion of the Argentine province of Corrientes and the Brazilian Rio Grande do Sul. The Paraguayans could not directly help the Uruguayan "Blancos" - this required crossing the territory belonging to Argentina. Therefore, in March 1865, the government of FS Lopez asked Argentine President Bartolome Miter to allow an army of 25,000 men under the command of General Wenceslao Robles to pass through the province of Corrientes. However, Miter, who had recently been an ally of the Brazilians in the intervention against Uruguay, refused.

On March 18, 1865, Paraguay declared war on Argentina. The Paraguayan squadron, descending along the Parana River, locked the Argentine ships in the port of Corrientes, and the units of General Robles following them took the city.

In invading Argentine territory, the Lopez government tried to enlist the support of Justo José de Urquiza, governor of the province of Corrientes and Entre Rios, who was the head of the federalists and the enemy of Miter and the government in Buenos Aires. However, Urquisa took an ambiguous position in relation to the Paraguayans, who were forced to suspend their advance, going south for about 200 kilometers.

Simultaneously with the troops of Robles, the 10,000th detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia crossed the Argentine border south of Encarnacion. In May 1865, he reached the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, went down the Uruguay River and took the city of São Borja on June 12, 1865. Uruguayana, located to the south, was taken on August 5 without much resistance.

The outbreak of the war with Paraguay did not lead to a consolidation of forces within Argentina. The opposition was extremely wary of Miter's initiative to enter an alliance with Brazil. The war with Paraguay was perceived by many in the country as fratricidal; it was widely believed that the real cause of the conflict was not Paraguayan aggression, but the exorbitant personal ambitions of President Miter. Supporters of this version noted that Lopez invaded Brazil, having every reason to consider Miter as his supporter and even ally, and Argentina's transition to the side of Brazil was completely unexpected for the Paraguayans. However, the development of events was quite favorable for the supporters of the war. The news of the abduction of local women in the province of Corrientes by the Paraguayans was received very in time. As a result, the war continued.

Throughout the war, protests continued in Argentina, demanding, in particular, an end to the war. Thus, on July 3, 1865, an uprising of 8,000 militiamen of the province of Entre Rios took place in Basualdo, who refused to fight against the Paraguayans. In this case, the Buenos Aires government refrained from punitive measures against the rebels, but the next uprising in Toledo (November 1865) was decisively suppressed with the help of Brazilian troops. In November 1866, the uprising, starting in the province of Mendoza, spread to the neighboring provinces of San Luis, San Juan and La Rioja. A significant part of the Argentine forces was sent to suppress this demonstration, President Miter was forced to return from Paraguay and personally lead the troops. In July 1867, the province of Santa Fe rebelled, in 1868 the province of Corrientes. The last uprising took place after the end of hostilities: in April 1870, the province of Entre Rios revolted against Buenos Aires. These protests, although suppressed, nevertheless significantly weakened the Argentines.

In April 1865, a column of Brazilian troops, numbering 2,780 under the command of Colonel Manuel Pedro Drago, left the town of Uberaba in the province of Minas Gerais. The goal of the Brazilians was to move to the province of Mato Grosso to repel the invading Paraguayans. In December 1865, after a difficult two-thousand-kilometer march through four provinces, the convoy arrived in Koshin. However, Koshin had already been abandoned by the Paraguayans. In September 1866, Colonel Drago's troops arrived in the Miranda area, also abandoned by the Paraguayans. In January 1867, the column, reduced to 1,680 men, led by a new commander, Colonel Carlus de Morais Camisan, attempted to invade Paraguayan territory, but was repulsed by the Paraguayan cavalry.

At the same time, despite the successes of the Brazilians, who took Corumba in June 1867, in general the Paraguayans firmly entrenched themselves in the province of Mato Grosso, and retreated from it only in April 1868, being forced to move troops to the south of the country, to the main theater of the military. action.

In the La Plata basin, communications were limited exclusively to rivers; there were only a few roads. Control over the rivers determined the course of the war, in connection with which the main Paraguayan fortifications were concentrated in the lower reaches of the Paraguay River.

On June 11, 1865, the Battle of Riachuelo took place between the fleets of the parties. According to F.S.López's plan, the Paraguayan fleet was to suddenly attack the larger Brazilian squadron. However, due to technical problems, the attack was not as sudden as planned, and the Brazilian ships under the command of Francisco Manuel Barroso da Silva managed to defeat the strong Paraguayan fleet and prevent further advance of the Paraguayans into Argentine territory. The battle practically decided the outcome of the war in favor of the Triple Alliance, which from that moment controlled the rivers of the La Plata basin.

While Lopez was already giving the order to retreat to the units that had occupied Corrientes, the troops advancing from San Borges continued to successfully advance south, occupying Ithaca and Uruguayana. On August 17, one of the detachments (3200 soldiers under the command of Major Pedro Duarte), continuing to move to Uruguay, was defeated by the allied forces under the command of Uruguayan President Flores in the battle of Zhatai on the banks of the Uruguay River.

On June 16, the Brazilian army crossed the border of Rio Grande do Sul to encircle Uruguayana; soon it was joined by the troops of the allies. Alliance troops were assembled in a camp near the city of Concordia (in the Argentine province of Entre Rios). The general command was carried out by Miter, the Brazilian troops were commanded by Field Marshal Manuel Luis Osoriu. Part of the force, commanded by Lieutenant General Manuel Marquez di Sousa, Baron of Porto Alegre, was sent to complete the rout of the Paraguayan forces at Uruguayana; the result was not slow to show itself: on September 18, 1865, the Paraguayans surrendered.

In the following months, Paraguayan troops were driven out of the cities of Corrientes and San Cosme, leaving the last piece of Argentine land still in Paraguayan hands. Thus, by the end of 1865, the Triple Alliance went on the offensive. His armies of over 50,000 men were ready to invade Paraguay.

The Allied invasion followed the course of the Paraguay River, starting from the Paraguayan fortress of Paso de la Patria. From April 1866 to July 1868, military operations took place near the confluence of the Paraguay and Parana rivers, where the Paraguayans located their main fortifications. Despite the initial successes of the Triple Alliance forces, these defenses delayed the advance of the Allied forces for more than two years.

The first to fall was the Itapiru fortress. After the battles of Paso de la Patria (fell on April 25, 1866) and Estero Belyako, the allied forces camped in the Tuyuti swamps. Here on May 24, 1866, they were attacked by the Paraguayans; in this battle, the allies again prevailed. The First Battle of Tuyuti was the largest general battle in the history of South America.

In July 1866, General Polidora da Fonseca Quintanilla Jordan took command of the 1st Corps of the Brazilian Army instead of the sick Field Marshal Osorio. At the same time, the 2nd Brazilian Corps - 10,000 men under the command of Baron Porto Alegre - arrived in the area of hostilities from Rio Grande do Sul.

To open the way to the most powerful Paraguayan fortress, Umaite, Mitra ordered the capture of the Kurusu and Kurupaiti batteries. Kurusu managed to take a surprise attack by the troops of the Baron Porto Alegre, but the Kurupaiti battery (commanded by General José Eduvihis Diaz) put up significant resistance. An attack by 20,000 Argentine and Brazilian soldiers under the command of Miter and Porto Alegre, supported by Admiral Tamandare's squadron, was repulsed. Heavy losses (5,000 people in just a few hours) led to a crisis in the command of the allied forces and a halt in the offensive.

On September 12, 1866, Francisco Solano Lopez met with the President of Argentina Miter. However, this attempt to conclude peace fell through - primarily due to the opposition of the Brazilians, who did not want an end to the war. The fighting continued.

On October 10, 1866, Marshal Luis Alvis de Lima and Silva, Marquis of Caxias (who later received the title of Duke), became the new commander of the Brazilian forces. Arriving in Paraguay in November, he found the Brazilian army practically paralyzed. The Argentine and Uruguayan troops, devastated by disease, were stationed separately. Miter and Flores, forced to deal with the internal politics of their countries, returned home. Tamandare was removed, in his place was appointed Admiral Joaquin Jose Inacio (future Viscount Iñauma). Osorio organized in Rio Grande do Sul the 3rd corps of the Brazilian army, consisting of 5,000 people.

In the absence of Mithra, the command was assumed by Kashias, who immediately began the reorganization of the army. From November 1866 to July 1867, he took a number of measures to organize medical institutions (to help many injured soldiers and to fight the cholera epidemic), and also significantly improved the supply system for the troops. During this period, hostilities were limited to minor skirmishes with the Paraguayans and the bombing of Kurupayti. Lopez took advantage of the disorganization of the enemy to strengthen the defense of the Umaita fortress.

The plan of Cashias was to strike at the flank of the left wing of the Paraguayan fortifications. Bypassing the fortress, the allies had to cut off the communication of Umaita with Asuncion, thus encircling the Paraguayan units. To carry out this plan, Kashias gave the order to advance towards Tuyu-Kue.

However, Miter, who returned to command of the army in August 1867, insisted on a new attack against the right wing of the Paraguayan fortifications, despite the previous failure of a similar attack at Kurupaiti. By his order, the Brazilian squadron advanced beyond the unconquered battery, but was forced to stop at the fortress of Umaita. Disagreements arose again in the leadership of the allies: Miter wanted to continue the assault, but the Brazilians took the towns of San Solano, Pique and Tayi located to the north, isolating Umaita from Asuncion and thus fulfilling the original plan of Caxias. In response, the Paraguayans tried to attack the Allied rearguard in Tuyuti, but suffered a new defeat.

In January 1868, after Miter returned to Argentina, Caxias again assumed command of the allied forces. On February 19, 1868, on his orders, a squadron of Brazilian ships under the command of Captain Delphin Carlus di Carvalho (later received the title of Baron Passagem) bypassed Kurupaiti and Umaita, cutting them off from the rest of Paraguay. On July 25, after a long siege, Umaita fell.

Going on the offensive on Asuncion, the allied army marched 200 kilometers to the Pikissiri River, on which a defensive line was built by the Paraguayans, using the properties of the terrain and including the forts of Angostura and Ita Ibate. Lopez managed to concentrate about 18,000 people here.

Not wanting to get involved in frontal battles, Kashias decided to be more flexible. While the fleet was attacking the fortifications of Fort Angostura, the troops crossed over to the right bank of the river. Having built a road through the Chaco swamps, the soldiers of Caxias were able to advance to the northeast, and at the city of Villeta they again crossed the river, thus bypassing the Paraguayan fortifications and cutting them off from Asuncion. Later, these actions were called the "Pikissiri maneuver". Having completed the crossing, Kashias did not take the almost defenseless Asuncion; instead, the Allies attacked south, into the rear of the Paraguayan fortifications.

In December 1868, Caxias managed to win a series of victories over the encircled Paraguayan army. The battles of Itororo (December 6), Avai (December 11), Lomas Valentinas and Angostura (December 30) practically destroyed the remnants of the Paraguayan troops. On December 24, three Alliance commanders (Caxias from Brazil, Zelli and Obes from Argentina, and Enrique Castro from Uruguay) asked Francisco Solano Lopez to surrender. However, Lopez rejected this offer and fled to the mountainous area of Cerro León.

On January 1, 1869, Asuncion was occupied by troops under the command of Colonel Ermes Ernest da Fonseca (father of the future Marshal and 8th President of Brazil Ermes Rodriguez da Fonseca). The arsenal and the capital's shipyards fell into the hands of the Brazilians intact, which made it possible to repair the fleet, which had received serious damage. Five days later, Field Marshal Kashias arrived in the city with the rest of the army; thirteen days later, he left the command.

The son-in-law of the Brazilian Emperor Pedro II, Luis Filipe Gastan de Orleans, Count d'E, was appointed to lead the Brazilian troops at the final stage of the war. His goal was not only the complete defeat of Paraguay, but also the strengthening of the Brazilian position in the region. In August 1869, the Triple Alliance established a provisional government of Paraguay in Asuncion; it was headed by Cyrilo Antonio Rivarola.

Francisco Solano López continued the war in the mountains northeast of Asuncion. For a year, an allied army of 21,000, led by Count D'E, suppressed the resistance of the Paraguayans. More than 5,000 people were killed on the Paraguayan side in the battles of Piribebuy and Acosta New; a significant part of them were children drafted into the army.

To capture Solano Lopez, who with a detachment of 200 people was hiding in the forests to the north, two detachments were sent. On March 1, 1870, the troops of General José António Correi da Camara caught the last Paraguayan army camp at Cerro Cora by surprise. Francisco Solano Lopez was killed while trying to swim across the Akidabana River. His last words were: "I am dying for the Motherland!" Lopez's death marked the end of the Paraguayan War.

The fighting on both sides was fierce. So, there are known cases of cruel punishments in relation to the guilty military personnel of the Paraguayan army (Lopez did not spare even his own brother, the Bishop of Paraguay). Even women and children were drafted into the army after the death of a significant number of adult men; so, on August 16, 1869, 3,500 children and adolescents from 9 to 15 years old fought in the Battle of Acosta New (out of a total of 6,000 Paraguayan forces). In memory of their heroism, Children's Day is celebrated in today's Paraguay on August 16.

The prisoners were treated very cruelly by both sides. Some of the captured Paraguayans were even sold into slavery by the allies; In addition, the captured Paraguayans were recruited into the so-called Paraguayan Legion - troops that fought on the side of the Triple Alliance (in total, about 800 people fought against their homeland in its composition).

The aftermath of the war

Paraguay suffered severe human losses during the war. Their scale is still the cause of discussions, but the very fact of the death of most of the population is not disputed by anyone.

According to one of the most reasonable estimates, the population of Paraguay in 1871 was about 221,000, while before the war there were approximately 525,000 people in the country, that is, the losses are estimated at 300,000 deaths. A particularly hard blow was dealt to the male population: according to data for the same 1871, there were only about 28,000 men in the country; the loss of the male population during the war is estimated at 90%. According to some other versions, the total loss of the country's population is estimated at 90% (1,200,000 people). Such high sacrifices are often associated with the fanatical devotion of the inhabitants of the country to the power of Lopez; the fierce partisan war that followed the fall of the capital and the flight of Lopez to the mountainous regions, apparently, also became one of the reasons for the loss of life. The high mortality rate of the population was also due to diseases that quickly spread during the war.

Allied losses were also quite high. Of the 123,000 Brazilians who took part in the war, about 50,000 were killed; some of them, however, were civilians (the province of Mato Grosso was particularly affected). Argentina (30,000 soldiers) lost about 18,000 people (the largest number of civilian deaths was in the province of Corrientes), Uruguay - 3,100 people out of about 5,600 (some of these soldiers were foreigners).

At the same time, it is necessary to note the high percentage of non-combat losses. Poor nutrition and poor hygiene conditions claimed many lives. Two-thirds of the losses of the Brazilian army were soldiers who died in hospitals and on the march; the Brazilian navy lost 170 people in the fighting, 107 from accidents and 1,470 from disease. A specific problem for the Brazilians at the beginning of the war was that most of the soldiers were natives of the northern and northeastern regions of the country. A sharp change in climate from hot to very moderate, together with a change in the usual food led to serious consequences. Drinking river water often led to disastrous consequences for entire battalions of Brazilians. Cholera was probably the leading cause of death throughout the war.

In 1870, after the final defeat of Paraguay, Argentina offered Brazil a secret agreement, according to which the Paraguayan region of Gran Chaco, rich in the so-called quebracho, a product used for tanning leather, was to be transferred to the Argentines. At the same time, Paraguay itself would be divided in half between Argentina and Brazil. However, the Brazilian government, not interested in the disappearance of the Paraguayan state, which serves as a kind of buffer between Argentina and the Brazilian Empire, rejected this proposal.

The Brazilian army remained in Paraguay for another six years after the end of the war. Only in 1876 it was withdrawn from the country. During this period, the Brazilians helped to defend the independence of Paraguay from Argentina, which still wanted to gain control of the Gran Chaco region; despite the very real threat of a new war, now between the former allies, Paraguay remained independent.

No single peace treaty was concluded. The state border between Argentina and Paraguay was established after lengthy negotiations, which ended in an agreement signed on February 3, 1876. Argentina received about a third of the territory it claimed (most of the Misiones region and part of the Gran Chaco between the Pilcomayo and Rio Belmejo rivers); the ownership of part of the land (between the Verde Rivers and the main branch of the Pilcomayo River), on which no agreement was reached, was brought before an arbitrator, in the role of which was the US President Rutherford Hayes. Hayes decided the dispute in favor of Paraguay; one of the country's departments was named after him.

Brazil concluded a separate peace treaty with Paraguay on January 9, 1872. According to this agreement, freedom of navigation along the Paraguay River was established, the borders between the countries were determined in accordance with the pre-war claims of Brazil (due to the disputed border territories, the borders of the province of Mato Grosso were expanded). The treaty also provided for the payment of Brazilian military expenses (this debt was canceled only by Getulio Vargas in 1943 in response to a similar Argentine initiative). Thus, in total, Argentina and Brazil received about 140,000 square kilometers, which was slightly less than half of the then Paraguayan territory.

In December 1975, after the Brazilian Presidents Ernest Beckman Geisel and Paraguayan Alfredo Stroessner signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation, the Brazilian government returned the trophies taken during the war to Paraguay.

Brazil paid dearly for the victory. The war was actually financed by loans from the Bank of London and the banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and Sons ". In five years, Brazil has spent twice as much as it received, which triggered the financial crisis. The payment of the significantly increased public debt negatively affected the country's economy for several more decades. It is believed that the long-term war in the long term contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Brazil; in addition, there are suggestions that it was one of the reasons for the abolition of slavery (in 1888). The Brazilian army gained new significance as a political force; united by the war and based on the emerging traditions, it will play a significant role in the later history of the country.

In fact, the only country to benefit from the Paraguayan War was Britain - both Brazil and Argentina borrowed huge sums, some of which continue to be paid off today (Brazil paid off all British loans during the Getulio Vargas era).

As for Uruguay, neither Argentina nor Brazil any longer intervened in its politics so actively. The Uruguayan Party of Colorado gained power in the country and ruled until 1958.

Most of the Paraguayan villages, ravaged by the war, were abandoned, and their survivors moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. These settlements in the central part of the country have practically switched to subsistence farming; a significant part of the land was bought by foreigners, mainly Argentines, and turned into estates. Paraguay's industry was destroyed, the country's market was opened to British goods, and the government (for the first time in Paraguay's history) took out an external loan of £ 1 million. Paraguay also had to pay an indemnity (it was never paid), and until 1876 it remained occupied.

To this day, war remains a controversial topic - especially in Paraguay, where it is perceived as a fearless attempt by a small people to defend their rights - or as a self-destructive, doomed struggle against a superior enemy, almost completely destroying the nation.

In modern Russian journalism, the Paraguayan War is also perceived extremely ambiguously. In this case, the views of the authors of the articles play a key role, while the events of the war are used to illustrate these views. Thus, Paraguay of that time can be presented as the predecessor of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, and war as a criminal consequence of the aggressive policy of this regime. In another, directly opposite version, the regime of Francia and Lopez looks like a mustache

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