The Battle of Caseros

In 1852, the Battle of Caseros occurred to the west of Buenos Aires. Forces under Juan Manuel de Rosas were against the province of Corrientes, the Empire of Brazil, and enemies in Uruguay (“Caseros, Battle of”). The Buenos Aires forces were defeated, resulting in Rosas fleeing to England. After the battle, Urquiza, who had led the triple alliance against Rosas began a process of national unification that resulted in the Constitution of 1853 which Buenos Aires abstained from until 1860 (“Caseros, Battle of”). This battle is important in Argentine history because it, “marked  a sharp division in the history of Argentina” (“Battle of Caseros”) that led to the creation of a national constitution which would later lead to unity and the Argentina that we know today.

This painting of the battle by Juan Manuel Blanes portrays an aspect of the battle. In this painting we can see Urquiza leading his forces against Rosas in the background. As shown, the Triple Alliance far exceeds Rosas’ forces. The defeat of Rosas’ forces issued in the beginning of Argentina’s process of becoming a single nation under one leadership rather than provinces ruling themselves. This battle exemplifies power struggles and relationships between nations in Latin America during the nineteenth century. This event also ties into the larger themes of identity within Argentina and the rise of leaders to push for progress.

Sources:

“Caseros, Battle Of.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Encyclopedia.com, March 21, 2020. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/caseros-battle.

“Battle of Caseros.” Military Wiki. Accessed April 26, 2020. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caseros.

Blanes, Juan Manuel. “Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia Commons, February 9, 2018. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Batalla_de_Caseros_2.JPG