British invasions of the Rio de la Plata

British invasions of the River Plate

Above: William Beresford surrenders to Santiago de Liniers (1806)

Date	1806–1807
Location	Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento, Maldonado (present-day Argentina and Uruguay)
Result	Decisive Spanish victory

Belligerents

Spain

Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata

United Kingdom

Commanders and leaders

Santiago de Liniers

Juan Martín de Pueyrredón

Martín de Álzaga

Home Riggs Popham

William Beresford (POW)

John Whitelocke

Strength

First invasion:

~2,500 soldiers

Second invasion:

~2,000 soldiers in Montevideo
~7,000–8,000 soldiers in Buenos Aires

First invasion:

~1,668 soldiers

Second invasion:

~6,000 soldiers in Montevideo
~9,000-12,000 in Buenos Aires

Casualties and losses

First invasion:
205 dead and wounded
Second invasion (Montevideo):
1,500 casualties
Second invasion (Buenos Aires):
600 killed and wounded

First invasion:
157 dead and wounded, 1,300 captured
Second invasion (Montevideo):
600 casualties
Second invasion (Buenos Aires):
311 killed, 208 missing, 679 wounded, 1,600 captured

Spain

First invasion:

Second invasion:

First invasion:

Second invasion:

The British invasions of the River Plate were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of areas in the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata that were located around the Río de la Plata in South America — in present-day Argentina and Uruguay. The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of Napoleonic France.

The invasions occurred in two phases. A detachment from the British army occupied Buenos Aires for 46 days in 1806 before being expelled. In 1807, a second force stormed and occupied Montevideo, remaining for several months, and a third force made a second attempt to take Buenos Aires. After several days of street-fighting against the local militia and Spanish colonial army, in which half of the British forces were killed or wounded, the British were forced to withdraw.

The social effects of the invasions are among the causes of the May Revolution. The criollos, who had so far been denied important positions, could get political strength through military roles. The successful resistance with little help from Spain fostered the desire for self-determination. An open cabildo and the Royal Audience of Buenos Aires deposed the viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte and designated instead the French popular hero Santiago de Liniers, which was a completely unprecedented action: before that, the viceroy was only subject to the King of Spain himself, and no one from the colonies had authority over him.

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Wikipedia