The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadliest and bloodiest inter-state war in Latin American history. Paraguay sustained large casualties, but even the approximate numbers are disputed. Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. The war began in late 1864, as a result of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the Uruguayan War. Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance."
The Treaty of the Triple Alliance was a treaty that allied the Empire of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against Paraguay. Signed in 1865, after the outbreak of the Paraguayan War, its articles prescribed the allies' actions both during and after the war. An English translation of the text is reproduced in this article.
In the Paraguayan War, the Battle of Yatay was fought on August 17, 1865, between the troops of the Triple Alliance and the soldiers of Paraguay near Paso de los Libres, Corrientes, Argentina.
The military history of Brazil comprises centuries of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Brazil, and the role of the Brazilian Armed Forces in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For several hundreds of years, the area was the site of intertribal wars of indigenous peoples. Beginning in the 16th century, the arrival of Portuguese explorers led to conflicts with the indigenous peoples; a notable example being the revolt of the Tamoio Confederation. Sporadic revolts of African slaves also marked the colonial period, with a notable rebellion led by Zumbi dos Palmares. Conflicts were fought with other European nations as well – two notable examples being the France Antarctique affair, and a conflict with the Netherlands in the early 17th century over control of much of Northeastern Brazil. Although Portugal retained its possessions during conflicts with other nations, it lost control of the colony after the Brazilian war of Independence, which led to the establishment of the Empire of Brazil.
The Battle of Estero Bellaco was one of the bloodiest battles of the Paraguayan War. The battle was fought on 2 May 1866 with the Paraguayan Army suffering 2,000 casualties among the dead and wounded. Likewise, 300 of their men were taken prisoner by the troops belonging to the Triple Alliance: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The allies lost nearly 2,000 men, mostly wounded, and the Uruguayan troops of General Venancio Flores - commanded by León de Pallejas - were severely decimated, accounting for the vast majority of allied deaths.
The Uruguayan War was fought between Uruguay's governing Blanco Party and an alliance consisting of the Empire of Brazil and the Uruguayan Colorado Party, covertly supported by Argentina. Since its independence, Uruguay had been ravaged by intermittent struggles between the Colorado and Blanco factions, each attempting to seize and maintain power in turn. The Colorado leader Venancio Flores launched the Liberating Crusade in 1863, an insurrection aimed at toppling Bernardo Berro, who presided over a Colorado–Blanco coalition (fusionist) government. Flores was aided by Argentina, whose president Bartolomé Mitre provided him with supplies, Argentine volunteers and river transport for troops.
The siege of Humaitá was a military operation in which the Triple Alliance flanked, besieged and captured the Fortress of Humaitá, a Paraguayan stronghold that was referred to as the Gibraltar of South America. It fell on 26 July 1868. It can be considered the key event of the Paraguayan War since the fortress had frustrated the allied advance into Paraguay for more than two years. However it did not surrender as the defenders escaped, most of them to fight another day.
The siege of Uruguaiana was an engagement in the Paraguayan War that began in late August 1865, and ended on 18 September that year when the Paraguayans were forced to surrender due to low food supplies. Paraguayan forces surrendered in spite of President López's order to the Paraguayan commander, Colonel Estigarribia, not to do so. After the allied victory at Uruguaiana, Lopéz withdrew his army from Argentina and Brazil.
The Battle of Pehuajó, also known as Battle of Corrales or Battle of Itati was fought during the Paraguayan War on 31 January 1866.
Events in the year 1866 in Brazil.
The Battle of Boquerón was fought on 16 July 1866 and the Battle of Sauce on 18 July 1866, between an allied force of Uruguayans, Brazilians, and Argentines on one side and Paraguay on the other in the Paraguayan War. The Spanish-born Uruguayan officer León de Pallejas (1816–1866) and the Paraguayan officer Elizardo Aquino were killed in the battle.
The Fortress of Humaitá (1854–68), known metaphorically as the Gibraltar of South America, was a Paraguayan military installation near the mouth of the River Paraguay. A strategic site without equal in the region, "a fortress the likes of which had never been seen in South America", it was "the key to Paraguay and the upper rivers". It played a crucial role in the deadliest conflict in the continent's history – the Paraguayan War – of which it was the principal theatre of operations.
The Passage of Humaitá was an operation of riverine warfare during the Paraguayan War − the most lethal in South American history − in which a force of six Imperial Brazilian Navy armoured vessels was ordered to dash past under the guns of the Paraguayan fortress of Humaitá. Some competent neutral observers had considered that the feat was very nearly impossible.
The Battle of Corrientes occurred at the beginning of the Paraguayan War during the second stage of the Paraguayan offensive, after the invasion of Mato Grosso at the beginning of 1865.
The passage of Curupayty was an allied naval operation carried out on 15 August 1867, in the context of the Paraguayan War, which aimed to force the passage of Brazilian battleships against the defensive fortifications installed in the Curupayty fort on the banks of the Paraguay river. There was a second crossing on 13 February 1868 with a fleet of armored monitors destined to join the fleet that had crossed first to form the squadron responsible for forcing the Passage of Humaitá.
Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia was a Paraguayan Lieutenant colonel who was notable for his service in the Paraguayan War. He served as one of the main Paraguayan commanders during the Invasion of Rio Grande do Sul, organizing the Battle of São Borja and the Siege of Uruguaiana before his surrender.
The Corrientes campaign or the Paraguayan invasion of Corrientes was the second campaign of the Paraguayan War. Paraguayan forces occupied the Argentinian city of Corrientes and other towns in Corrientes Province. The campaign occurred at the same time as the Siege of Uruguaiana.
The Humaitá campaign or the Cuadrilátero campaign was the third, longest and deadliest campaign of the Paraguayan War. The campaign lasted from 16 April 1866 to 5 August 1868. After the initial Paraguayan success in the Mato Grosso campaign and its failure in the Corrientes campaign, the armed forces of the Triple Alliance, Argentina, the Empire of Brazil and Uruguay, invaded the south of Paraguay. At a very short distance, they found the Paraguayan defensive device made up of four fortifications, the so-called "Cuadrilátero", which obstructed the passage to Asunción both by land and by the Paraguay River. A long series of battles cost huge numbers of casualties on both sides, with operations coming to a complete halt after the allied defeat at the Battle of Curupayty. Casualties on both sides were even higher from disease than from battle due to a cholera epidemic which was added to the appalling food and sanitary conditions.
The assault on the battleship Barroso and the monitor Rio Grande, also known as assault on the battleships at Tagy, was a Paraguayan naval operation carried out during the Paraguayan War. The Imperial Brazilian Navy was present in the main actions of the allied forces. President Francisco Solano López knew of the threat that the navy posed and wanted to capture some of its ships, the ironclads. The seizure was also seen as a form of compensation for the losses incurred as a result of the war. Assault plans were created and executed in 1868.
Juan Bautista Charlone, born Pietro Giovanni Battista Chiarlone was an Italian-born Argentine Colonel who participated in the Uruguayan Civil War, the Argentine Civil Wars and the early to mid years of the Paraguayan War. He was known for being a major commander at the Battle of Tuyutí before falling during the Battle of Curupayty.
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