Importance of the Crossing of the Andes (1817)

One of the most significant feats in Argentine and South American history carried out by the patriot army to free the territory from Spanish domination.

The first forceful step towards South American liberation

Without this heroic event led by the Argentine General Don José de San Martín, Chile and Peru would not have achieved their independence, and Argentina would not have been able to continue with the emancipation process begun in May 1810, and confirmed on July 9, 1816 with the Argentine Declaration of Independence.

Making it happen was without a doubt an unforgettable historical event, especially due to the adversities imposed by the climate and the geography, but it was one more step in a broader project that sought the freedom of almost all of South America.

A strategic plan carefully prepared by General San Martín that could not fail

San Martín, a fervent student of military strategy and tactics, understood that the only way to defeat the enemy army, which was unbeatable in the Alto Peru would only be viable by crossing the Cordillera, first liberating Chile and then from there landing in Lima where he would combine forces with his colleague Simón Bolivar.

Another skillful maneuver that contributed to the success of the mission was the network of spies and false information. that he sowed and that allowed him, on the one hand, to mislead the enemy, and on the other to anticipate his movements.

They defeated the enemy and also the climate and geography

The climatic changes that affected the soldiers were extreme due to the altitude they crossed: during the day the temperature It was scorching with around 30 degrees, while at night the state changed completely with a drop of minus 10 degrees.

The height also caused physical discomfort in the militias that suffered vomiting, headache, fatigue, among other typical symptoms.

In any case, all these natural obstacles weren't a problem at all because the crossing was so well planned from every angle. plans that prevented all these complications and then clothing, food, and relevant transportation were available to overcome them.

The meat with salt cooked in the sun, called charqui, was the base of the feeding of the soldiers.

The Army of the Andes, as it was baptized, left the Argentine province of Mendoza on January 12, 1817 and arrived in Chile on February 5.

Independence of Chile

On February 12, as soon as they reached Chilean soil, they achieved the decisive victory at Chacabuco.

The Chilean soldier Bernardo O'Higgins masterfully seconded San Martín and for this reason he is considered the father of the Chilean homeland; He was Supreme Director of Chile after independence (1817) and until 1823.

The rest of the army divisions were commanded by military personnel such as Miguel Soler, Las Heras, and Juan Manuel Cabot.

The battle of Maipú, which occurred on April 5, 1818, marked the definitive domination of the patriots over the Spanish and was the victory that allowed the independence of Chile to be shouted loudly.

A studied and imitated military feat

On the other hand, the epic of the Andes aroused a attention magnificent that never lost interest through the years and centuries.

Movies and books approached it countless times, and even large foreign armies studied it, and study it, in each of its phases and in the resources involved to emulate its crucial effectiveness.