Argentina's Forgotten War of Independence

We’ve spent the last twenty episodes mapping the physical and political landscape of modern Argentina, from the speculative land booms of the 1880s to the social upheavals of Peronism. But before Buenos Aires became the Paris of South America, there was a brutal, fragmented struggle for sovereignty that is often overshadowed by San Martín’s campaigns in Chile and Peru. This episode turns our gaze northward, to the River Plate region itself, where the path to independence was paved with civil war, betrayal, and the fierce rivalry between two visionary but incompatible leaders: José Gervasio Artigas and Manuel Belgrano. We explore the Battle of Tacuembó, the siege of Montevideo, and the complex legacy of the Banda Oriental. You will hear about the federalist ideals that Artigas championed against the centralist ambitions of the Buenos Aires government, and how this internal conflict delayed Argentina’s unification for decades. Through letters, battle reports, and the personal struggles of these men, we uncover a story not just of foreign conquest, but of a nation tearing itself apart to decide what it would become.

#Artigas #Belgrano #IndependenceWar #BandaOriental #Montevideo #Federalism #RiverPlate #Tacuembó #UruguayHistory #LatinAmerica #SouthAmericanHistory #ColonialEra #SpanishEmpire #Gaucho #Centralism #CivilWar #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast

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