Latin America has a lot dark stories, one of the most terrible and bloody is murder whole country, "Hearts of America" ​​(Paraguay). This assassination went down in history as the Paraguayan War, which lasted from December 13, 1864 to March 1, 1870. In this war, an alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, supported by the then "world community" (the West), came out against Paraguay.

A bit of background

The first European visited the land of the future Paraguay in 1525, and the beginning of the history of this Latin American country August 15, 1537 is generally considered to be the date Asuncion was founded by the Spanish colonists. The area was inhabited by the Guarani Indians.

Gradually, the Spaniards founded several more strongholds, from 1542 in Paraguay (translated from the language of the Guarani Indians, “paraguay” means “from the great river” - meaning the Parana River) they began to appoint special managers. From the beginning of the 17th century, Spanish Jesuits began to create their settlements in this territory (“Society of Jesus” - male monastic order).

They create in Paraguay a unique theocratic-patriarchal kingdom (Jesuit reductions - Indian reservations of the Jesuits). Its basis was the primitive communal tribal way of the local Indians, the institutions of the Inca Empire (Tauantinsuyu) and the ideas of Christianity. In fact, the Jesuits and Indians created the first socialist state (with local specifics). It was the first large-scale attempt to build a just society based on the rejection of personal property, the priority of the public good, the primacy of the collective over the individual. The Jesuit Fathers studied the experience of governance in the Inca Empire very well and creatively developed it.

The Indians were transferred from a nomadic way of life to a sedentary one, the basis of the economy was agriculture and cattle breeding, and handicrafts. The monks instilled in the Indians the foundations of the material and spiritual culture of Europe, and in a non-violent way. When necessary, the communities fielded militias to fight off the attacks of the slave traders and their mercenaries. Under the leadership of the monastic brethren, the Indians reached high degree autonomy from the Spanish and Portuguese empires. The settlements prospered, the work of the Indians was quite successful.

As a result, the independent policy of the monks led to the decision to expel them. In 1750, the Spanish and Portuguese crowns entered into an agreement under which 7 Jesuit settlements, including Asuncion, were to come under Portuguese control. The Jesuits refused to submit to this decision; as a result of a bloody war that lasted 4 years (1754-1758), the Spanish-Portuguese troops won. The complete expulsion of the Jesuit Order from all Spanish possessions in America (it ended in 1768). The Indians began to return to their former way of life. By the end of the 18th century, about a third of the population consisted of mestizos (descendants of whites and Indians), and two-thirds were Indians.

Independence

In the process of collapse Spanish Empire, in which Active participation young predators are English, Buenos Aires became independent (1810). The Argentines tried to start an uprising in Paraguay, during the so-called. "Paraguayan expedition", but the militias of the Paraguayans defeated their troops.

But the process was launched, in 1811 Paraguay declared independence. The country was headed by the lawyer Jose Francia, the people recognized him as the leader. Congress, elected by popular vote, recognized him as a dictator with unlimited powers, first for 3 years (in 1814), and then dictator for life (in 1817). Francia ruled the country until his death in 1840. The country was introduced autarky (an economic regime involving the self-sufficiency of the country), foreigners were rarely allowed into Paraguay. The regime of José Francia was not liberal: rebels, spies, conspirators were mercilessly destroyed and arrested. Although it cannot be said that the regime was monstrous - during the entire reign of the dictator, about 70 people were executed and about 1 thousand were thrown into prison.

Francia carried out secularization (confiscation of church and monastery property, land), mercilessly liquidated criminal gangs, as a result of which, after a few years, people forgot about crime. Francia partially revived the ideas of the Jesuits, although "without excesses." In Paraguay, a special national economy arose, based on social labor and private small business. In addition, the country has amazing phenomena(the first half of the 19th century was in the yard!), as free education, free medicine, low taxes and public food funds. As a result, in Paraguay, especially given its rather isolated position relative to world economic centers, a strong state industry. This made it possible to be an economically independent state. By the middle of the 19th century, Paraguay had become the fastest growing and wealthiest state in Latin America. It should be noted that this was a unique state where poverty was absent as a phenomenon, although there were enough rich people in Paraguay (the rich stratum was quite peacefully integrated into society).

After the death of Francio, which became a tragedy for the entire nation, by decision of the Congress, the country was headed by his nephew Carlos Antonio Lopez (until 1844 he ruled with consul Mariano Roque Alonso). It was the same tough and consistent person. He ran a series liberal reforms, the country was ready to be “opened” - in 1845 access to Paraguay was opened to foreigners, in 1846 the former protective customs tariff was replaced by a more liberal one, the harbor of Pilar (on the Parana River) was opened for foreign trade. Lopez reorganized the army according to European standards, brought its strength from 5 thousand. up to 8 thousand people. Several fortresses were built, a river fleet was created. The country withstood seven years war with Argentina (1845–1852), the Argentines were forced to recognize the independence of Paraguay.

Work continued on the development of education, opened learned societies, the possibilities of means of communication, navigation were improved, shipbuilding was improved. The country as a whole has retained its originality, so in Paraguay almost all the lands belonged to the state.

In 1862 Lopez died, leaving the country to his son Francisco Solano Lopez. The new people's congress approved his powers for 10 years. At this time, the country reached the peak of its development (then the country was simply killed, preventing it from going along a very promising path). Its population reached 1.3 million people, there were no public debts (the country did not take external loans). At the beginning of the reign of the second Lopez, the first railway, 72 km long, was built. More than 200 foreign specialists were invited to Paraguay, who paved telegraph lines and railways. This helped develop the steel, textile, paper, printing, gunpowder, and shipbuilding industries. Paraguay created its own defense industry, produced not only gunpowder and other ammunition, but cannons and mortars (a foundry in Ibiqui, built in 1850), built ships in the shipyards of Asuncion.

The reason for the war and its beginning

Neighboring Uruguay looked closely at the successful experience of Paraguay, and after it the experiment could triumphantly pass throughout the continent. Possible merger Paraguay and Uruguay were challenging the interests of Great Britain, the local regional powers - Argentina and Brazil. Naturally, this caused discontent and fears of the British and Latin American ruling clans. In addition, Paraguay had territorial disputes with Argentina. A pretext for war was needed and it was quickly found.

In the spring of 1864, the Brazilians sent to Uruguay diplomatic mission and demanded compensation for the losses caused to Brazilian farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. The head of Uruguay, Atanasio Aguirre (from the National Party, which stood for union with Paraguay), rejected the Brazilian claims. Paraguayan leader Solano López offered to mediate negotiations between Brazil and Uruguay, but Rio de Janeiro opposed the offer. In August 1864, the Paraguayan government broke diplomatic relations with Brazil, and announced that the intervention of the Brazilians and the occupation of Uruguay would be an imbalance in the region.

In October, Brazilian troops invaded Uruguay. Supporters of the Colorado Party (a pro-Brazilian party), backed by Argentina, allied themselves with the Brazilians and overthrew the Aguirre government.

Uruguay was a strategically important partner for Paraguay, since almost all Paraguayan trade went through its capital (Montevideo). And the Brazilians occupied this port. Paraguay was forced to enter the war, the country was mobilized, bringing the size of the army to 38 thousand people (with a reserve of 60 thousand, in fact it was a people's militia). On December 13, 1864, the Paraguayan government declared war on Brazil, and on March 18, 1865, on Argentina. Uruguay, already under the control of the pro-Brazilian politician Venancio Flores, entered into an alliance with Brazil and Argentina. On May 1, 1865, in the Argentine capital, the three countries signed the Treaty of the Triple Alliance. Global community(primarily Great Britain) supported the Triple Alliance. "Enlightened Europeans" provided substantial assistance to the union with ammunition, military advisers, and gave loans for the war.

Army of Paraguay initial stage was more powerful, both numerically (at the beginning of the war, the Argentines had about 8.5 thousand people, the Brazilians - 16 thousand, the Uruguayans - 2 thousand), and in terms of motivation, organization. In addition, she was well armed, paraguayan army there were up to 400 guns. The basis of the military forces of the Triple Alliance - the Brazilian armed forces consisted mainly of detachments of local politicians and some parts of the National Guard, often they were slaves who were promised freedom. Then, in parts of the coalition, they poured different kind volunteers, adventurers from all over the continent who wanted to take part in the robbery of a rich country. It was believed that the war would be short-lived, Paraguay and the three countries had too different indicators - the population, the power of the economies, the help of the "world community". The war was actually sponsored by loans from the Bank of London and the banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and sons.

But we had to fight with the armed people. At the initial stage, the Paraguayan army won a number of victories. In the northern direction, the Brazilian fort Nova Coimbra was captured, in January 1865 they took the cities of Albuquerque and Corumba. On the southbound Paraguayan units successfully operated in the southern part of the state of Mata Grosso.

In March 1865, the Paraguayan government turned to Argentine President Bartolome Mitra with a request to let 25,000 troops pass through the province of Corrientes to invade the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul. But Buenos Aires refused, March 18, 1865 Paraguay declared war on Argentina. The Paraguayan squadron (at the beginning of the war, Paraguay had 23 small steamers and a number of small ships, and the flagship was the Takuari gunboat, most of them were conversions from civilian ships), descending the Parana River, blocked the port of Corrientes, and then ground forces they took him. At the same time, the Paraguayan units crossed the Argentine border, and through the territory of Argentina they hit the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, on June 12, 1865, the city of San Borja was taken, on August 5, Uruguayana.

Continuation of the war

The situation was complicated by the defeat of the Paraguayan squadron on June 11, 1865 at the Battle of Riachuelo. The Triple Alliance from that moment began to control the rivers of the La Plata basin. Gradually, the superiority in forces began to affect, by the end of 1865, the Paraguayan troops were driven out of the previously occupied territories, the coalition concentrated 50 thousand army and began to prepare for the invasion of Paraguay.

The invading army could not immediately break into the country, they were detained by fortifications near the confluence of the Paraguay and Parana rivers, where the battles went on for more than two years. So the Umaita fortress became a real Paraguayan Sevastopol and delayed the enemy for 30 months, it fell only on July 25, 1868.

After that, Paraguay was doomed. The interventionists, being supported by the "world community", slowly and with heavy losses simply pushed through the defense of the Paraguayans, actually grinding it down, paying for it with numerous losses. And not only from bullets, but also from dysentery, cholera and other delights of a tropical climate. In a series of battles in December 1868, the remnants of the Paraguayan troops were practically destroyed.

Francisco Solano López refused to surrender and retreated into the mountains. Asuncion fell in January 1969. I must say that the people of Paraguay defended their country almost without exception, even women and children fought. Lopez continued the war in the mountains northeast of Asuncion, people went to the mountains, the selva, to partisan detachments. During the year there was a guerrilla war, but in the end the remnants of the Paraguayan forces were defeated. On March 1, 1870, the Solano Lopez detachment was surrounded and destroyed, the head of Paraguay died with the words: “I am dying for the Motherland!”

Results

The Paraguayan people fought to the last, even the enemies noted the massive heroism of the population, the Brazilian historian Roche Pombu wrote: “Many women, some with peaks and stakes, others with small children in their arms, furiously threw sand, stones and bottles at the attackers. The rectors of the parishes of Peribebuy and Valenzuela fought with guns in their hands. Boys 8-10 years old were lying dead, and their weapons were lying next to them, other wounded showed stoic calmness, not uttering a single groan.

In the battle of Acosta New (August 16, 1869), 3.5 thousand children aged 9-15 fought, and the Paraguayan detachment was only 6 thousand people. In memory of their heroism, the Day of the Child is celebrated on August 16 in modern Paraguay.

In battles, skirmishes, acts of genocide, 90% of the male population of Paraguay was killed. Of the more than 1.3 million people in the country, by 1871, about 220 thousand people remained. Paraguay was completely devastated and thrown to the sidelines of world development.

The territory of Paraguay is cut in favor of Argentina and Brazil. The Argentines generally proposed to completely dismember Paraguay and divide it "fraternally", but Rio de Janeiro did not agree. The Brazilians wanted to have a buffer between Argentina and Brazil.

It was Britain and the banks behind it that benefited from the war. The main powers of Latin America, Argentina and Brazil, found themselves in financial dependence, having borrowed huge amounts. The possibilities offered by the Paraguayan experiment were destroyed.

The Paraguayan industry was liquidated, most of the Paraguayan villages were devastated and abandoned, the remaining people moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. People switched to subsistence farming, a significant part of the land was bought by foreigners, mostly Argentines, and turned into private estates. The country's market was opened to British goods, and the new government took out a foreign loan of £1 million for the first time.

This story teaches that if the people are united and defend their homeland, the idea, it can only be defeated with the help of total genocide.

Paraguayan War

Background to the conflict

Starting from the very appearance of the Portuguese in Brazil, border clashes continued between them and the Spaniards. There have been numerous attempts at settlement (Treaty of Utrecht, Treaty of Madrid, First Treaty of San Ildefonso), but the border has not been fully defined. The fact that the reference points specified in the agreements were often understood by the parties in different ways also played a role; So, the example of the Igurei River is very indicative. According to the Spanish (and later Paraguayan) side, it was she who was the border; the Portuguese called this river Vakaria in the upper reaches and Ivinheim in the lower, and the name Igurey, in their opinion, was borne by the river flowing much to the south. The Spaniards, for their part, called this river Karapa and did not consider it a border.

Thus, by the time Paraguay declared its independence, the problem of territorial demarcation with Brazil had not been resolved. However, in fact, the disputed territories were under the control of Asuncion. As long as Brazilian-Paraguayan relations remained warm, this dispute did not play a big role. However, since the 1850s, after their deterioration, the issue of borders has become importance. In the early 1860s, Brazil finally broke the status quo by building the Doradus fortress on the Igurei River.

It should be noted that the pre-war development of Paraguay differed significantly from the development of the neighboring states of South America. Under the rule of José Francia and Carlos Antonio López, the country developed almost in isolation from the rest of the region. The leadership of Paraguay supported the course of building a self-sufficient, autonomous economy. The Lopez regime (in 1862, Carlos Antonio Lopez was replaced as president by his son, Francisco Solano Lopez) was characterized by rigid centralization, leaving no room for the development of civil society.

Most of the land (about 98%) was in the hands of the state; the state also carried out a significant part of the production activity. There were so-called "estates of the Motherland" (Spanish: Estancias de la Patria) - 64 government-run economy. More than 200 foreign specialists invited to the country laid telegraph lines and railways, which contributed to the development of the steel, textile, paper, printing, shipbuilding and gunpowder industries.

The government completely controlled exports. The main goods exported from the country were valuable species of wood and mate. The policy of the state was rigidly protectionist; imports were actually blocked by high customs duties. Unlike neighboring states, Paraguay did not take external loans. Francisco Solano Lopez continued this policy of his predecessors.

At the same time, the government began to modernize the army. The foundry at Ibikui, built in 1850, made guns and mortars, as well as ammunition of all calibers; warships were built in the shipyards of Asuncion.

The growth of industrial production urgently required contact with the international market. However, Paraguay, located in the interior of the continent, had no access to the sea. To reach it, ships leaving the river ports of Paraguay had to go down the Parana and Paraguay rivers, reach La Plata, and only then go out into the ocean. Lopez's plans were to acquire a port on Atlantic coast, which was possible only with the capture of part of the Brazilian territory.

In preparation for the implementation of these goals, the development of the military industry was continued. Compulsory to the army military service a significant number of soldiers were called up; they were intensively trained. Fortifications were built at the mouth of the Paraguay River.

Diplomatic training was also carried out. An alliance was concluded with the National Party ruling in Uruguay ("Blanco", "White"); accordingly, Blanco's rival, the Colorado Party ("Colored"), found support from Argentina and Brazil.

Since Brazil and Argentina gained independence, there has been an ongoing struggle between the governments of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro for hegemony in the La Plata basin. This rivalry largely determined the foreign and domestic policies of the countries of the region. In 1825-1828, the contradictions between Brazil and Argentina led to war; its result was the independence of Uruguay (finally recognized by Brazil in 1828). After that, twice more the governments of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires almost started hostilities against each other.

The goal of the Argentine government was to unite all the countries formerly part of the Viceroyalty of La Plata (including Paraguay and Uruguay). Starting from the first half of XIX centuries, it has attempted to achieve this, but without success - largely due to the intervention of Brazil. It was Brazil, then ruled by the Portuguese, that was the first country to recognize (in 1811) the independence of Paraguay. Fearing an excessive strengthening of Argentina, the government of Rio de Janeiro preferred to maintain a balance of power in the region, helping Paraguay and Uruguay maintain their independence.

In addition, Paraguay itself has repeatedly interfered in the politics of Argentina. So, from 1845 to 1852, Paraguayan troops fought against the Buenos Aires government, along with detachments from the provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios. During this period, Paraguay's relations with Brazil were especially warm, also at enmity with Argentine President Juan Manuel Rosas. Until his overthrow in 1852, the Brazilians continued to provide Asuncion with military and technical assistance, paying special attention to the fortifications on the Parana River and strengthening the Paraguayan army.

It is also worth noting that the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso was not connected to Rio de Janeiro by land roads and Brazilian ships were required to pass through Paraguayan territory along the Paraguay River in order to reach Cuiaba. However, it was often difficult to obtain permission from the Paraguayan government to do so.

Another hotbed of tension in the region was Uruguay. Brazil had significant financial interests in this country; its citizens enjoyed considerable influence - both economic and political. Thus, the company of the Brazilian businessman Irineu Evangelista de Suza was actually the state bank of Uruguay; the Brazilians owned about 400 estates (port. estancias), which occupied about a third of the country's territory. Particularly acute for this influential stratum of Uruguayan society was the issue of a tax on livestock driven from the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul.

Three times during this period Brazil undertook political and military intervention in the affairs of Uruguay - in 1851, against Manuel Oribe and Argentine influence; in 1855, at the request of the Uruguayan government and Venancio Flores, leader of the Colorados party (a traditional ally of the Brazilians); and in 1864, against Atanasio Aguirre - the last intervention and served as the impetus for the start of the Paraguayan War. Probably, in many ways these actions were facilitated by Great Britain, which did not want to unite the La Plata basin into a single state capable of solely using the resources of the region.

In April 1864, Brazil sent a diplomatic mission to Uruguay, headed by José António Zarayva. Its purpose was to demand compensation for the losses caused to Brazilian Gaucho farmers in border conflicts with Uruguayan farmers. Uruguayan President Atanasio Aguirre (National Party) rejected the Brazilian claims.

Solano López offered to mediate the negotiations, but the Brazilians opposed the offer. In August 1864, Paraguay severed diplomatic relations with Brazil, and announced that the occupation of Uruguay by Brazilian troops would upset the balance of the region.

On October 12, Brazilian units invaded Uruguay. Supporters of Venancio Flores and the Colorado party, backed by Argentina, allied with the Brazilians and overthrew Aguirre.

War

Attacked by the Brazilians, the Uruguayan "Blancos" asked Lopez for help, but Paraguay did not provide it immediately. Instead, on November 12, 1864, the Paraguayan ship Takuari captured the Brazilian ship Marquis Olinda, heading along the Paraguay River to the province of Mato Grosso; among other things, on board was a cargo of gold, military equipment, and the newly appointed governor of the province of Rio Grande do Sul, Frederico Carneiro Campos. On December 13, 1864, Paraguay declared war on Brazil, and three months later, on March 18, 1865, on Argentina. Uruguay, already under the rule of Venancio Flores, entered into an alliance with Brazil and Argentina, thus completing the formation of the Triple Alliance.

At the start of the war, the Paraguayan army had 38,000 well-trained soldiers out of 60,000 in reserve. The Paraguayan fleet consisted of 23 small steamships and a number of small vessels grouped around the gunboat Takuari, almost all of these ships were converted from civilian ones. The 5 newest battleships ordered in Europe did not have time to arrive before the start of hostilities, and later they were even outbid by Brazil and became part of its fleet. Paraguayan artillery consisted of about 400 guns.

The armies of the states of the Triple Alliance were inferior to the Paraguayan ones in numbers. Argentina had about 8,500 men in regular units, as well as a squadron of four steamships and one schooner. Uruguay entered the war without a navy and with less than 2,000 men. Most of the 16,000th Brazilian army was previously garrisoned in the south of the country; at the same time, Brazil had a powerful fleet, consisting of 42 ships with 239 guns and a staff of 4,000 sailors. At the same time, a significant part of the fleet under the command of the Marquis of Tamandare was already concentrated in the La Plata basin (for intervention against Aguirre).

Despite the significant number of troops, Brazil was not ready for war. Her army was poorly organized; the troops used in Uruguay consisted mainly of detachments of regional politicians and some parts of the National Guard. In this regard, the Brazilian troops that fought in the Paraguayan War were not professional, but were recruited by volunteers (the so-called Volunteers of the Motherland). Many were slaves sent by farmers. The cavalry was formed from the National Guard of the Province of Rio Grande do Sul.

On May 1, 1865, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay signed the Triple Alliance Treaty in Buenos Aires, uniting these three countries in the struggle against Paraguay. Supreme Commander allied troops became Argentine President Bartolome Miter.

In the first period of the war, the initiative was in the hands of the Paraguayans. The first battles of the war - the invasion of Mato Grosso in the north in December 1864, Rio Grande do Sul in the south in early 1865, and the Argentine province of Corrientes - were forced on the allies by the advancing Paraguayan army.

Two groups of Paraguayan troops simultaneously invaded Mato Grosso. Due to their numerical superiority, they were able to quickly capture the province.

Five thousand people under the command of Colonel Vicente Barrios in ten ships went up the Paraguay River and attacked the Brazilian fort of Nova Coimbra (now in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul). A small garrison of 155 men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ermengildo de Albuquerque Port Carrera (later promoted to Baron Fort Coimbra) defended the fort for three days. Having exhausted supplies, the defenders left the fort and set off on board the gunboat Anyambai in the direction of Corumba. Having occupied the abandoned fort, the attackers continued to advance north, and in January 1865 they took the cities of Albuquerque and Corumba. Several Brazilian ships, including Anyambai, went to the Paraguayans.

The second column of Paraguayan troops, numbering four thousand people under the command of Colonel Francisco Isidoro Reskin, invaded the territory of Mato Grosso to the south. One of the detachments of this group, under the command of Major Martin Urbieta, on December 29, 1864, ran into fierce resistance from a small detachment of Brazilians, numbering 16 people under the command of Lieutenant António Joan Ribeiro. Only by completely destroying them, the Paraguayans were able to move on. Having defeated the troops of Colonel José Diaz da Silva, they continued their offensive in the direction of the Nioaque and Miranda regions. In April 1865, the Paraguayans reached the Cochin area (now the north of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul).

Despite successes, the Paraguayan troops did not continue their advance on Cuiaba, the provincial capital of Mato Grosso. The main reason for this was that the main purpose of the Paraguayan strike in this area was to divert Brazilian forces from the south, where the decisive events of the war were to unfold in the La Plata basin.

The second stage of the Paraguayan offensive was the invasion of the Argentine province of Corrientes and the Brazilian Rio Grande do Sul. The Paraguayans could not help the Uruguayan "Blancos" directly - for this it was necessary to cross the territory belonging to Argentina. Therefore, in March 1865, the government of F. S. Lopez turned to the Argentine President Bartolome Mitra with a request to let an army of 25,000 people under the command of General Wenceslao Robles pass through the province of Corrientes. However, Mitre, who had recently been an ally of the Brazilians in the intervention against Uruguay, refused.

On March 18, 1865, Paraguay declared war on Argentina. The Paraguayan squadron, descending the Parana River, locked the Argentine ships in the port of Corrientes, and the units of General Robles that followed took the city.

Invading Argentine territory, the López government tried to enlist the support of Justo José de Urquiza, the governor of the province of Corrientes and Entre Rios, who was the head of the federalists and an opponent of Miter and the government in Buenos Aires. However, Urquiza took an ambiguous stance towards the Paraguayans, who were forced to halt their advance after marching south for about 200 kilometers.

Simultaneously with the troops of Robles, the Argentine border south of Encarnación was crossed by the 10,000th detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia. In May 1865, he reached the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, went down the Uruguay River and on June 12, 1865 took the city of Sao Borja. Uruguayana, located to the south, was taken on August 5 without much resistance.

The outbreak of war with Paraguay did not lead to the consolidation of forces within Argentina. The opposition was extremely wary of Miter's initiative to enter into an alliance with Brazil. Many in the country saw the war with Paraguay as fratricidal; the notion that the true cause of the conflict was not Paraguayan aggression, but the exorbitant personal ambitions of President Mitre, has become widespread. Supporters of this version noted that Lopez invaded Brazil, having every reason to consider Miter his supporter and even ally, and the transition of Argentina to the side of Brazil was completely unexpected for the Paraguayans. However, the development of events was quite favorable for the supporters of the war. Very timely, news was received about the abduction of local residents by Paraguayans in the province of Corrientes. As a result, the war continued.

Throughout the war in Argentina, speeches continued, demanding, in particular, an end to the war. So, on July 3, 1865, an uprising of 8,000 soldiers of the militia of the province of Entre Rios took place in Basualdo, who refused to fight against the Paraguayans. In this case, the Buenos Aires government refrained from taking punitive measures against the rebels, but the next uprising in Toledo (November 1865) was decisively suppressed with the help of Brazilian troops. In November 1866, the uprising, starting in the province of Mendoza, spread to the neighboring provinces of San Luis, San Juan and La Rioja. A significant part of the Argentine forces was sent to suppress this speech, President Mitre was forced to return from Paraguay and personally lead the troops. In July 1867, the province of Santa Fe rebelled, and in 1868, the province of Corrientes. The last uprising took place after the end of hostilities: in April 1870, the province of Entre Rios rebelled against Buenos Aires. These speeches, although they were suppressed, nevertheless significantly weakened the Argentines.

In April 1865, a column of Brazilian troops, numbering 2,780 people, under the command of Colonel Manuel Pedro Dragou, left the city of Uberaba in the province of Minas Gerais. The goal of the Brazilians was to move to the province of Mato Grosso to repulse the Paraguayans who invaded there. In December 1865, after a difficult 2,000-kilometer march through four provinces, the convoy arrived in Koshin. However, Koshin had already been abandoned by the Paraguayans. In September 1866, the troops of Colonel Dragou arrived in the Miranda region, also abandoned by the Paraguayans. In January 1867, a column reduced to 1,680 men, with a new commander, Colonel Carlos de Morais Camisan, at the head, attempted to invade Paraguayan territory, but was repulsed by the Paraguayan cavalry.

At the same time, despite the successes of the Brazilians, who took Corumba in June 1867, in general, the Paraguayans firmly entrenched themselves in the province of Mato Grosso, and retreated from it only in April 1868, being forced to move troops to the south of the country, to the main theater of the military actions.

In the La Plata basin, communications were limited exclusively to rivers; there were only a few roads. Control over the rivers decided the course of the war, in connection with which the main Paraguayan fortifications were concentrated in the lower reaches of the Paraguay River.

On June 11, 1865, the battle of Riachuelo took place between the fleets of the parties. According to the plan of F. S. Lopez, the Paraguayan fleet was supposed to surprise attack the larger Brazilian squadron. However, due to technical problems, the attack was not as sudden as planned, and the Brazilian ships under the command of Francisco Manuel Barroso da Silva managed to defeat the strong Paraguayan fleet and prevent the Paraguayans from further advancing into Argentine territory. The battle practically decided the outcome of the war in favor of the Triple Alliance, which from that moment controlled the rivers of the La Plata basin.

While Lopez was already ordering the retreat of the units that occupied Corrientes, the troops advancing from Sant Borj continued to successfully advance south, occupying Ithaca and Uruguayana. On August 17, one of the detachments (3200 soldiers under the command of Major Pedro Duarte), who continued to move to Uruguay, was defeated by the allied forces under the command of the Uruguayan President Flores in the battle of Zhatai on the banks of the Uruguay River.

On June 16, the Brazilian army crossed the border of Rio Grande do Sul with the aim of encircling Uruguayana; Allied forces soon joined in. The Alliance troops were assembled in a camp near the city of Concordia (in the Argentine province of Entre Rios). The general command was carried out by Mitre, the Brazilian troops were commanded by Field Marshal Manuel Luis Ozoriu. Part of the force under the command of Lieutenant General Manuel Marques de Suza, Baron of Porto Alegre, was sent to complete the defeat of the Paraguayan troops near Uruguayana; the result was not slow to affect: on September 18, 1865, the Paraguayans surrendered.

In the following months, Paraguayan troops were driven out of the cities of Corrientes and San Cosme, leaving the last piece of Argentine land still in Paraguayan hands. Thus, towards the end of 1865, the Triple Alliance went on the offensive. His armies, numbering over 50,000, were ready to invade Paraguay.

The Allied invasion followed the course of the Paraguay River, starting from the Paraguayan fortress of Paso de la Patria. From April 1866 to July 1868, military operations took place near the confluence of the Paraguay and Parana rivers, where the Paraguayans located their main fortifications. Despite the initial successes of the Triple Alliance troops, these defenses delayed the advance of the allied forces for more than two years.

The fortress of Itapir was the first to fall. After the battles of Paso de la Patria (fell April 25, 1866) and Estero Bellaco, allied forces camped in the swamps of Tuyuti. Here, on May 24, 1866, they were attacked by the Paraguayans; in this battle, the allies again prevailed. The First Battle of Tuyuti was the largest pitched battle in South American history.

In July 1866, instead of the ill Field Marshal Osoriu, General Polidora da Fonseca Quintanilla Jordan took command of the 1st Corps of the Brazilian Army. At the same time, the 2nd Brazilian Corps, 10,000 men under the command of Baron Porto Alegre, arrived in the area of ​​operations from Rio Grande do Sul.

To open the way to the most powerful Paraguayan fortress of Umaite, Mitre gave the order to capture the Kurusu and Kurupaiti batteries. Kurus was able to take a surprise attack by the troops of Baron Porto Alegre, but the Curupaiti battery (commander - General José Eduvihis Diaz) put up significant resistance. An attack by 20,000 Argentine and Brazilian soldiers under the command of Mitre and Porto Alegre, supported by Admiral Tamandare's squadron, was repulsed. heavy losses(5,000 men in just a few hours) led to a crisis in command allied forces and stop the attack.

On September 12, 1866, Francisco Solano López met with Argentine President Mitre. However, this attempt to conclude peace failed - primarily because of the opposition of the Brazilians, who did not want to end the war. The fighting continued.

On October 10, 1866, Marshal Luis Alvis de Lima y Silva, Marquis of Caxias (later duke) became the new commander of the Brazilian forces. Arriving in Paraguay in November, he found the Brazilian army practically paralyzed. Argentine and Uruguayan troops, devastated by disease, were stationed separately. Mitre and Flores forced to deal with questions domestic policy their countries, returned home. Tamandare was removed and Admiral Joaquín José Inacio (future Viscount Inhauma) was appointed in his place. Osorio organized in Rio Grande do Sul the 3rd Corps of the Brazilian Army, which consisted of 5,000 people.

In Miter's absence, Caxias took command and immediately began reorganizing the army. From November 1866 to July 1867, he took a number of measures to organize medical institutions (to help the many injured soldiers and to fight the cholera epidemic), and also significantly improved the supply system for the troops. During this period, hostilities were limited to small-scale skirmishes with the Paraguayans and the bombardment of Curupaiti. Lopez took advantage of the disorganization of the enemy to strengthen the defense of the Umaita fortress.

The idea of ​​Caxias was to attack the flank of the left wing of the Paraguayan fortifications. Bypassing the fortress, the allies were supposed to cut off the communication between Umaita and Asuncion, thus surrounding the Paraguayan units. To implement this plan, Kashias gave the order to advance towards Tuyu-Kue.

However, Miter, who returned to command of the army in August 1867, insisted on new attack against the right wing of the Paraguayan fortifications, despite the previous failure of a similar attack at Curupaiti. On his orders, the Brazilian squadron advanced beyond the unconquered battery, but was forced to stop at the Umaita fortress. Disagreements arose again in the Allied leadership: Miter wanted to continue the assault, but the Brazilians took the towns of San Solano, Pique and Tayi located to the north, isolating Humaita from Asuncion and thus fulfilling the original plan of Caxias. In response, the Paraguayans tried to attack the Allied rearguard at Tuyuti, but suffered another defeat.

In January 1868, after Mitre returned to Argentina, Caxias again took command of the allied forces. On February 19, 1868, on his orders, a squadron of Brazilian ships under the command of Captain Delfin Carlos de Carvalho (later received the title of Baron Passagem) bypassed Curupaiti and Umaita, cutting them off from the rest of Paraguay. On July 25, after a long siege, Umaita fell.

Going on the offensive on Asuncion, the allied army marched 200 kilometers to the Pikissiri River, on which the Paraguayans built a defensive line that used the properties of the terrain and included the forts of Angostura and Ita-Ibate. Lopez managed to concentrate about 18,000 people here.

Not wanting to be drawn into frontal battles, Caxias decided to be more flexible. While the fleet attacked the fortifications of Fort Angostura, the troops crossed to the right bank of the river. Having built a road through the Chaco swamps, the Caxias soldiers were able to advance to the northeast, and at the city of Villeta they again crossed the river, thus bypassing the Paraguayan fortifications and cutting them off from Asuncion. Later, these actions were called the "Pikissiri maneuver". Having completed the crossing, Caxias did not take the almost defenseless Asuncion; instead, the Allies struck south, into the rear of the Paraguayan fortifications.

In December 1868, Caxias managed to win a series of victories over the encircled Paraguayan army. The battles of Ittororo (December 6), Avai (December 11), Lomas Valentinas and Angostura (December 30) practically destroyed the remnants of the Paraguayan troops. On December 24, three commanders of the Alliance troops (Caxias from Brazil, Gelly and Obes from Argentina and Enrique Castro from Uruguay) invited Francisco Solano López to surrender. However, Lopez rejected this offer, and fled to the highlands of Cerro Leon.

On January 1, 1869, Asuncion was occupied by troops under the command of Colonel Hermes Ernesto da Fonseca (father of the future Marshal and 8th President of Brazil, Ermes Rodriguez da Fonseca). The arsenal and the metropolitan shipyards fell into the hands of the Brazilians intact, making it possible to repair the fleet, which was seriously damaged. Five days later, Field Marshal Caxias arrived in the city with the rest of the army; thirteen days later he left the command.

The son-in-law of the Emperor of Brazil, Pedro II, Luis Filipe Gastán di Orléans, Count d'E, was appointed to lead the Brazilian troops at the final stage of the war. His goal was not only the complete defeat of Paraguay, but also the strengthening of Brazilian positions in the region. In August 1869, the Triple Alliance established the provisional government of Paraguay in Asuncion; It was headed by Cirilo Antonio Rivarola.

Francisco Solano López continued the war in the mountains northeast of Asuncion. For a year, an allied army of 21,000 men, led by the Comte d'Eu, crushed the resistance of the Paraguayans. In the battles of Piribebui and Acosta New, more than 5,000 people died on the Paraguayan side; a significant part of them were children drafted into the army.

Two detachments were sent to catch Solano Lopez, who was hiding in the forests in the north with a detachment of 200 people. On March 1, 1870, the troops of General José António Correia da Camara surprised the last camp of the Paraguayan troops in Cerro Cora. Francisco Solano López was killed while trying to swim across the Akidabana River. His last words were: "I'm dying for the Motherland!". Lopez's death marked the end of the Paraguayan War.

The fighting on both sides was fierce. So, there are known cases of cruel punishments in relation to the guilty military personnel of the Paraguayan army (Lopez did not even spare his own brother, the Bishop of Paraguay). After the death of a significant number of adult men, even women and children were drafted into the army; so, on August 16, 1869, 3,500 children and adolescents from 9 to 15 years old fought in the battle of Acosta New (out of a total of 6,000 Paraguayan forces). In memory of their heroism, today's Paraguay celebrates Children's Day on August 16.

Both sides treated the prisoners very cruelly. Some of the captured Paraguayans were even sold into slavery by the allies; in addition, captured Paraguayans were recruited into the so-called Paraguayan Legion - troops who fought on the side of the Triple Alliance (in total, about 800 people fought against their homeland in its composition).

Consequences of the war

Paraguay suffered heavy human losses during the war. Their scale is still the cause of discussion, but the very fact of the death of most of the population is not disputed by anyone.

According to one of the most reasonable estimates, the population of Paraguay in 1871 was about 221,000 people, while before the war, about 525,000 people lived in the country, that is, losses are estimated at 300,000 dead. A particularly heavy blow was dealt to the male population: according to the same 1871, there were only about 28,000 men in the country; the loss of the male population during the war is estimated at 90%. According to some other versions, the total losses of the country's population are estimated at 90% (1,200,000 people). Such high casualties are often associated with the fanatical devotion of the inhabitants of the country to the power of Lopez; following the fall of the capital and the flight of Lopez to mountainous areas fierce guerrilla warfare, apparently, also became one of the causes of human losses. High mortality The population was also due to diseases that spread rapidly during the war.

Allied losses were also quite high. Of the 123,000 Brazilians who took part in the war, about 50,000 died; some of them, however, were civilians (the province of Mato Grosso was especially affected). Argentina (30,000 soldiers) lost an estimated 18,000 people (the highest death toll civilians was in the province of Corrientes), Uruguay - 3,100 people out of approximately 5,600 (some of these soldiers were foreigners).

At the same time, it is necessary to note the high percentage of non-combat losses. Many lives have been lost due to poor nutrition and poor sanitation. Two-thirds of the losses of the Brazilian army were soldiers who died in hospitals and on the march; the Brazilian navy lost 170 men in action, 107 from accidents and 1,470 from disease. The specific problem of the Brazilians at the beginning of the war was that most of the soldiers were natives of the northern and northeastern regions of the country. A sharp change in climate from hot to very moderate, along with a change in the usual food, led to serious consequences. Drink river water often led to disastrous consequences for entire battalions of Brazilians. Cholera probably remained the leading cause of death throughout the war.

In 1870, after the final defeat of Paraguay, Argentina offered Brazil a secret agreement, according to which the Paraguayan region of the Gran Chaco, rich in the so-called quebracho, a product used for leather tanning, was to go to the Argentines. At the same time, Paraguay itself would be divided in half between Argentina and Brazil. However, the Brazilian government, not interested in the disappearance of the Paraguayan state, which serves as a kind of buffer between Argentina and the Brazilian Empire, rejected this proposal.

The Brazilian army remained in Paraguay for another six years after the end of the war. Only in 1876 she was withdrawn from the country. During this period, the Brazilians helped to defend the independence of Paraguay from Argentina, which still wanted to take control of the Gran Chaco region; despite the very real threat new war, now between former allies, Paraguay remained independent.

No single peace treaty was concluded. The state border between Argentina and Paraguay was established after lengthy negotiations, culminating in an agreement signed on February 3, 1876. Argentina received about a third of the territory it claimed (most of the Misiones region and part of the Gran Chaco between the Pilcomayo and Rio Belmejo rivers); the ownership of part of the land (between the Verde Rivers and the main branch of the Pilcomayo River), on which an agreement was never reached, was brought to the court of an arbitrator, in the role of US President Rutherford Hayes. Hayes decided the dispute in favor of Paraguay; one of the departments of the country was named after him.

Brazil concluded a separate peace treaty with Paraguay on January 9, 1872. According to this agreement, freedom of navigation along the Paraguay River was established, the borders between the countries were determined in accordance with the pre-war claims of Brazil (due to the disputed border territories, the borders of the province of Mato Grosso expanded). The treaty also provided for the payment of Brazilian military expenses (this debt was canceled only by Getúlio Vargas in 1943 in response to a similar Argentine initiative). Thus, in total, Argentina and Brazil received about 140,000 square kilometers, which amounted to slightly less than half of the then Paraguayan territory.

In December 1975, after the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation by the Presidents - Brazilian Ernesto Beckman Geisel and Paraguayan Alfredo Stroessner, the Brazilian government returned the trophies taken during the war to Paraguay.

Brazil paid dearly for the victory. The war was actually financed by loans from the Bank of London and the banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and sons. In five years, Brazil spent twice as much as it received, sparking a financial crisis. The payment of a significantly increased public debt had a negative impact on the country's economy for several decades. There is an opinion that a long war in the future contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Brazil; in addition, there are suggestions that she was one of the reasons for the abolition of slavery (in 1888). The Brazilian army gained new importance as a political force; united by war and relying on emerging traditions, it will play later history countries a significant role.

In Argentina, the war led to the modernization of the economy; for several decades it became the most prosperous country in Latin America, and the annexed territories made it the strongest state in the La Plata basin.

In fact, the only country that benefited from the Paraguayan War was Great Britain - both Brazil and Argentina borrowed huge sums, some of which continue to be repaid to this day (Brazil paid off all British loans during the Getúlio Vargas era).

As for Uruguay, neither Argentina nor Brazil interfered so actively in its politics anymore. The Uruguayan Party of Colorado gained power in the country and ruled until 1958.

Most of the Paraguayan villages devastated by the war were abandoned, and their surviving inhabitants moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. These settlements in the central part of the country have practically switched to subsistence farming; a significant part of the land was bought by foreigners, mainly Argentines, and turned into estates. Paraguayan industry was destroyed, the country's market was opened to British goods, and the government (for the first time in the history of Paraguay) took out an external loan of 1 million pounds. Paraguay also had to pay an indemnity (it was never paid), and remained occupied until 1876.

To this day, the war remains a controversial topic - especially in Paraguay, where it is perceived as a fearless attempt by a small people to defend their rights - or as a suicidal, doomed to failure struggle against a superior enemy, which almost destroyed the nation to the ground.

In modern Russian journalism, the Paraguayan War is also perceived extremely ambiguously. At the same time, the views of the authors of the articles play a key role, while the events of the war are used to illustrate these views. Thus, Paraguay of that time can be presented as a forerunner of the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, and the war as a criminal consequence of the aggressive policy of this regime. In another, directly opposite version, the regime of Francia and Lopez looks like a mustache

There are wars that are called armed conflicts or antiterrorist operations. The two world wars were called by the late Kurt Vonnegut " unsuccessful attempts civilization to commit suicide”, and during the Cold War, almost every Soviet family acquired a refrigerator. As for the Great Paraguayan War of 1864-1870, in discussions they prefer to call it not a war, but a massacre. Or massacre. Having become the apotheosis of human cruelty, this slaughter-massacre forever changed the fate of the countries drawn into it and the fraternal peoples of South America in many respects. The lesson the world has learned is this: do not attack a country whose population is ten times larger. Especially for two or three such countries at once. At the same time, Napoleons and Pyrrhas continued to be born and make mistakes at all latitudes in all the times that followed the nightmare of Paraguay.

The name of the man with Napoleonic dreams was Francisco Solano Lopez, he inherited the right to wage war. The general from childhood, the popularly beloved president and de facto owner of the country of Paraguay, became the main person in the country after the death of his father in 1862.

At that time, a civil war was raging in the United States, France fought with Mexico and finished off Vietnam, something brave was missing in the south of the New World, where the borders between the young powers were not precise, which aroused the appetite of the rulers, who are always short of everything. And so, Paraguay, which does not have access to the sea, began to build and equip its own fleet, at the same time ordering expensive armored ships in Europe.

After 8 years, Marshal-President Francisco Lopez will sign the death warrants for his sisters and mother, but will not live to see their execution. On February 28, 1870, Lopez was mortally wounded, overcoming the Akidaban River with a sword and his faithful detachment of two hundred fighters, trying to escape from the advancing Brazilian soldiers. Before his death, the 43-year-old dictator shouted "I am dying for my country." The ring of "omnipotence" with the inscription "Win or Die" was removed from the corpse's finger. forced to bury Lopez with bare hands.

This scene was the final in Paraguay's war against the Triple Alliance, which killed 60% of Paraguay's population, including 90% of men, by starvation, disease, chaos and bullets. Since then, Paraguay has ceased to earn on the mat.

In the middle of the century before last, Brazil was a monarchy with an emperor on the throne, relying on a small elite, at the same time - the largest and most powerful country on the continent. Argentina was urged on by the oligarchy, power and lands were divided among themselves by large landowners. And Paraguay, the most land-dwelling of the countries in the region, fond of isolationism and all literate, followed the model of an openly dictatorial regime. A small Uruguaychik trembled between Argentina and Brazil, inside which the “whites” and “Colorados” were constantly fighting for power, and the latter were supported by the northern super-neighbor.

Young and ambitious to the point of inadequacy, hereditary dictator Francisco Lopez, the rhyme "Paraguay - Uruguay" seemed promising in terms of going to the ocean. Therefore, when Brazil threatened Uruguay with intervention in 1864, Lopez, carried away by militarism, put forward an ultimatum to the Brazilians, with which they “wiped themselves off” and entered Uruguay. For this, the Paraguayans detained a Brazilian warship in the waters of the Paraguay River, and a month later they attacked Brazil from the north, attacking the province of Mato Grosso with three thousand soldiers. In total, Lopez and his military leaders drafted 64 thousand men into the army that year, and its total number exceeded one hundred thousand. At this time, in the south, the Brazilians successfully took control of Uruguay and "selected" the president they needed there, Venancio Flores.

In early 1865, Lopez had the idea to ask Argentina for permission to let Paraguayan troops into its territory in order to help the Uruguayan opposition stop the Brazilians. When Argentina refused, Lopez declared war on her too, soon Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay became the Tripartite Alliance, and some geopoliticians liked the idea of ​​​​eliminating Paraguay as a state.

Further, the tragedy of the war was played in three acts. In other words, it had three phases. If suddenly there was an adequate person at the helm of Paraguay, he would capitulate, without waiting for marauders in the capital and landscapes littered with the dead.

But at the beginning of the first act of the massacre, it seemed that more than 50 thousand people ready to go into battle for Paraguay were cooler than 26 thousand soldiers of the enemy alliance. The Paraguayan militarists invaded their neighbors, captured something and rejoiced, got involved in several battles with the Argentines and Brazilians, who lost.

In the second phase, from 1866 to 1868, the war was fought on the territory of Paraguay. Two years could be reduced to two months, if the forces of the alliance had a desire to deliver one decisive blow and divide Paraguay as we would like. But the alliance was in no hurry, because neither the soldiers nor the generals wanted to shed blood. All the inevitable battles with the Paraguayans, except for one, were won by the interventionists. All of them took place on the banks of the rivers, where the army forts stood.

In the final act, the Brazilians took Asuncion and the war became guerrilla, smoldering until the death of the national hero Francisco Lopez, as if it were his dream.

The Brazilians sought to preserve their personnel, took care of the soldiers, and the soldiers of Paraguay, under the command of amateurs, fought to the last. As a result, the alliance lost 71 thousand people, and Paraguay - more than 300 thousand (some say that a million with something). Most losses cannot be called deaths of the brave. This is death from cholera and other diseases, from exhaustion or overheating, from bullets or even arrows of their own comrades in arms. It was not uncommon for Paraguayan officers to send recruits into battle unarmed. Say, take from the killed comrades. Indians with knives could be sent against the cavalry, and at the end of the war, when there were almost no men of military age in Paraguay, they began, as usual, to call on the front lines of children. Mostly hungry and scared.

The fact that the war lasted so long and claimed so many lives is a consequence of the inability of Paraguayan commanders and propagandists to soberly see reality and admit defeat. Losing one battle after another, they preferred to die rather than surrender. Because even for talking about surrendering, they killed their own “political officers”.

When Paraguay drafted children from 9 to 15 years old, armed with spears and dummies of guns, and sent the boys to the front line, adult Brazilian soldiers refused to kill them, but their commanders knew one thing: to win means to destroy the entire enemy army, even the “funny” one. and paranoid.

You might think that the reason for the Great Paraguayan massacre become Napoleonic plans tyrant with unlimited power. But the main factors were the political differences between the participants in the massacres, the fuzzy borders between states and the lack of sound diplomacy.

After the war, Paraguay was left on the world map, distributing large pieces of territory to the winners - Argentina and Brazil. Thirty thousand soldiers of the alliance, having occupied the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, plundered 100% of the buildings in the once proud city, including the embassies of European empires. The mental health of the Paraguayan people (dying but not surrendering) was undermined for a long time.

It seemed to the surviving Paraguayans that the country had received a lifelong right to blame the war of the 1860s for all failures. True, she chose - not without a coup - a new president, this time not a dictator. For another seven decades, Paraguay paid, crying, indemnity to the winners. The country's strange introduction to and Latin American fascists came less than a century later, but that's another story.

: So who started the hostilities? I read that on November 12, 1864, Paraguay captured a Brazilian warship, and on November 13, Paraguay declared war on Brazil, which started the war (yes, to give Paraguay much-needed access to the sea). It's right?

Well, firstly, it would be interesting to know who told you such, let's say, a somewhat cartoonish version of the conflict (which, by the way, can be safely put on a par with the South American war for independence, the Cuban revolution, etc.). I can also add that personally, from under those South American realities of 150 years ago, no, no, and, among others, such seemingly distant alignments as "Russia-Ukraine-Belarus-2014" appear.

In order not to spread my mind too much on the tree, I will try to state my vision of that story as concisely as possible. Well, if suddenly "mine" (i.e. comrades Juan Bautista Alberdi, José María Rosa, León Pomer, Eduardo Galeano, Felipe Pigna, Pelham Horton Box, etc.) version will not be to your taste (if you, for example, a devout liberal and Anglophile), then writings of the opposite direction - like dirt (Mariano Molas, Domingo Sarmiento, Ramón Cárcano, Francisco Doratioto, etc.).

In general, here, of course, we should start with a map - although, unfortunately, I have not yet seen maps of real economic interests and cash flows. And although it is not clear from the physical map why there was suddenly no normal trade route from Rio de Janeiro to Mato Grosso, at least, one medical fact from it follows quite clearly - the lack of direct access to the sea in Paraguay. And personally I don't know any more or less developed country(with the exception of safe deposit boxes marked "Switzerland", "Luxembourg" and "Liechtenstein") without such conditio sine qua non.

Although Paraguay did not have direct access to maritime trade, it was a "curve" - ​​along the river to Montevideo. Moreover, the degree of its "curvature" depended on who was sitting on the banks of this river (first of all, we are talking about Uruguay and the "federalist" at that time Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Entre Rios): if conditional "friends" - you can breathe more or less if opponents - drain the water. "Friends" are, roughly speaking, the rivals of the Buenos Aires pro-English comprador port bourgeoisie, which crushes the "separatists" and dreams of Argentina at least within the borders of the former Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata.

At the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870. there were a lot of reasons and reasons: immediate, local, chronic, global, etc. Some of them can be distinguished:

1) "World economic crisis", big problems in the UK, caused by a disruption in the supply of cotton (oil of that time) from the USA as a result of the Civil War. The birth of imperialism (in 1876, according to Lenin), one of the first victims of which, in fact, Paraguay became (if India - directly through British bayonets, then Paraguay - by other people's narrow-minded hands on English loans and gifts). In general, Great Britain rushed frantically to look for cotton in all the nooks and crannies of the globe. By the way, if in 1862 the colonial territories accounted for 29.4% of the planet's territory, by 1912 they will already be 62.3%, and then - the well-known redistribution of the loot, "ending" with October and Versailles.

2) The interests of the great powers: first of all, Great Britain - the expansion of markets aka "freedom of trade". "free markets", etc., cheap raw materials, incl. high-quality Paraguayan cotton (not so much in stock at the moment as in the future); growing USA; well, France (here more because of the status and the desire to spoil the British).

3) The "bad example" of Paraguay H. G. Francia and Lopez for South America and not only for it (one might say the first socialist state in history, a kind of unscientific state-farmer socialism of the early 19th century).

4) The Brazilian slave trade empire with still greedy encroachments, skillfully fueled and financed by Great Britain, both in the Eastern Paraguayan territories and in Sisplatina (the former province of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve, since 1828 - like an independent Uruguay). Yet again, eastern lands Paraguay as the only land route at that time to the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso from Rio de Janeiro.

5) Argentina (Argentine Confederation): "gathering lands" by the port bourgeoisie built into the world market, the struggle of Buenos Aires with the rebellious provinces that rub shoulders with Paraguay as a counterweight to Buenos Aires (on and Paraguay, of course, is also neatly friends with them, not to be devoured by Argentina). The meaning is simple: if we crush Paraguay, it will be easier to crush our "oppositionists". Here is the role of Justo José de Urquis, whom Paraguay hoped for, incl. during the attack by the Brazilians of Paysandu, but with whom the Brazilians concluded an extremely favorable deal for him very well in time. Eduardo Galeano: “Paraguay was squeezed between Argentina and Brazil, which could well have strangled it by squeezing the throat of its rivers and imposing any unbearable duty on the transit of its goods. This is exactly what Rivadavia and Rosas did. On the other hand, the desire to consolidate the power of the oligarchy in these states caused an urgent need to end the dangerous neighborhood with a country that managed to provide for itself and did not want to kneel before British merchants.

6) One of the reasons for the (subjective) conflict, some call excessive self-confidence, lack of diplomacy, youth and inexperience of the then Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López ("dictators" in Paraguay looked more like Lukashenka than Pinochet).

Actually, the war could have started much earlier (various aggressive gestures by Great Britain, Brazil, the USA, etc. in the pre-war decades). Realizing this, even under Carlos Antonio Lopez, Paraguay began to prepare for it (recruit sets, ordering warships in Europe, which did not have time to approach, which largely determined the defeat of Paraguay - see the battle of Riachuelo, loss of control over the river).

Some major events of the beginning of the war in dotted lines:

1) In 1862, the political regime in Brazil changes to a more liberal one (in the sense of "freedom of trade", that is, "we lie even more tightly under Great Britain") and more aggressive towards Paraguay and Uruguay (Paraguay's key ally in the region and a kind of guarantor of its economic innocence, provided that the party of the so-called "whites" is in power).

2) Both Brazil and Buenos Aires actively contribute to the putsch of Venancio Flores (the "colored" party) (1863) and his advance to the capital.

3) On August 30, 1864, Paraguay protests that Brazil violated the terms of the treaty of December 25, 1850, and that Paraguay will consider as casus belli the military occupation of its ally Uruguay, also noting that such actions will upset the balance of power in the region.

4) In October 1864, the Brazilians invade Uruguay under a slightly less than far-fetched pretext, ally with Flores, in January 1865 Flores takes Paysanda, in February enters Montevideo. Buenos Aires also supports the "colored", in general, the "white" party is eventually thrown off.

5) Around November 10, Francisco Solano Lopez learns about the occupation of Uruguay by the Brazilians, orders the capture of the Brazilian merchant ship "Marquês de Olinda" with the governor of Mato Grosso on board. On November 12, the ship is captured, which actually becomes the official date for the start of the war.

6) However, the problem remains: in order to grapple with the Brazilians, Paraguay needs to pass through the Argentine province of Corrientes. Paraguay asks to let its troops through, Buenos Aires refuses under the pretext of its neutrality (while not forgetting, however, to provide military support Venancio Flores in Uruguay). Paraguay has no choice but to declare war on Argentina (March 1865). In May 1865, Brazil, Argentina and the “blossomed” Uruguay conclude a Triple Alliance Treaty (Tratado de la Triple Alianza) between themselves and joyfully go to wet Paraguay (although some historians argue that the Triple Alliance was actually formed at least in August 1864 ).

Eduardo Galeano: "Venancio Flores invaded Uruguay, supported by both powerful neighbors, and after the massacre in Paysandu, he created his own government in Montevideo, which began to act at the behest of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. […] Before that, Paraguayan President Solano Lopez threatened to start a war if an invasion of Uruguay was organized. He knew well that in this case, iron pincers would close at the throat of his country, driven into a corner by geography and enemies."

The bloodiest and most murderous war of the second half of the 19th century were not at all the war of the North against the South in the USA 1861-1865, the Franco-Prussian 1870-1871. or Russian-Turkish 1877-1878, and war of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay) against Paraguay in 1864-1870.

During this war adult male population of Paraguay - most economically developed country in South America that time - has undergone almost total destruction. The economy of Paraguay was then thrown back 100 years ago, and the industry completely disappeared.

The Paraguayan dictator who unleashed the war Francisco Lopez Solano during the years of his reign raised his country to unprecedented high level development, and actually tried to build there - in the middle 19th century(!) - a kind of "socialist" society.

Francisco Solano Lopez (1827-1870) .

The pre-war development of Paraguay differed significantly from the development of neighboring states. Under the rule of José Francia and Carlos Antonio López, the country developed almost in isolation from the rest of the region. The leadership of Paraguay supported the course of building a self-sufficient, autonomous economy. The Lopez regime (in 1862, Carlos Antonio Lopez was replaced as president by his son Francisco Solano Lopez) was characterized by strict centralization, left no room for the development of civil society.

Most of the land (about 98%) was in the hands of the state. The so-called "estates of the Motherland" were created - 64 government-run farms, in fact, "state farms". More than 200 foreign specialists invited to the country laid telegraph lines and railways, which contributed to the development of the steel, textile, paper, printing, shipbuilding and gunpowder industries.

Government fully controlled exports. The main goods exported from the country were valuable species of quebracho wood and mate tea. State policy was rigidly protectionist; import actually overlapped high customs duties. Unlike neighboring states, Paraguay did not take external loans.

Francisco Solano López also started systematic rearmament of the army of Paraguay, among other things, with the support of the then President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. The latter promised him a mass of modern weapons, in particular, the famous multi-stemmed mitraliasis, known to the Russian audience from the costume-adventure film by Edward Zwig " The Last Samurai» (2003). The artillery factory built in 1851 mass-produced guns and mortars. In France, the Lopez government ordered several modern river artillery monitors - especially for operations on the Parana, Paraguay, etc.

The immediate cause for the war was Brazilian aggression against neighboring Uruguay in October 1864. Taking advantage of this, Francisco Lopez Solano decided to satisfy his territorial claims to Brazil, as well as get access to the ocean. And at the end of 1864 declared war on Brazil. The latter managed to drag Argentina and Uruguay, which was practically under its control, into the conflict the following year.

During the first year of hostilities, the Paraguayans, whose morale and military skills were superior to the enemy, managed to capture vast territories from Brazil and Argentina: the provinces of Mato Grosso and Corrientes.

However Fr's plans Lopez came into conflict with the interests of an influential banking house Rothschild , who financed the Brazilian armed forces and actually sponsored the invasion of the Triple Alliance army (in reality, mainly Brazilian and Argentine) into little Paraguay.

And now let's give the floor to professional historians:

“On November 12, 1864, the Paraguayan ship Tacuari, near Asuncion, captured as a prize the Brazilian merchant ship Marques de Olinda, bound for the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso, with a new governor, a cargo of gold and military equipment on board. "Tacuari" until recently he was in Europe. It was one of only two ships in the Paraguayan navy converted for military chains, but until now the ship has been used exclusively as a merchant ship, transporting goods to and from Europe.

A number of sources estimate Paraguay's population of 1,400,000, the figure seems more likely 1 350 000 . The population of Uruguay was about half that. Argentina and Brazil by the time the war began, had respectively 1,800,000 and 2,500,000 people population. Paraguay put under arms 100,000 people, and apparently up to 300,000 men and women were employed in support services. Later many women were also forced to take part in the fighting.

Brazil went to war with an army of approximately 30,000, at the end of the war bringing this figure to 90,000. Greatly weakened by long civil wars, Argentina had a small army, which at the best of times numbered up to about 30,000 people. Uruguayan troops numbered a maximum of 3,000.

Besides, approximately 10,000 Paraguayans took part in the war against López. These were unreliable elements expelled from the country, and deserters and Allied-liberated prisoners of Paraguayan prisons. All of them also contributed to the victory over Lopez.

Lopez built two strong fortresses: Yumaita on the Paraguay River and Paso de Patria on the Parana River. But their many weapons were mostly obsolete, consisting of muzzle-loading guns. Paraguay ordered large batches of the latest weapons from Europe, but before the start of the war, only a few of them were received.

While the cadre army was well equipped with modern rifles, the recruits of later drafts were often armed with only clubs, knives or bows and arrows. The Paraguayan fleet was small and also poorly armed. He counted in his composition 12-20 river propeller or paddle steamers. But, ultimately, being completed mainly sailing ships, barges or chatos (without any mechanical drive) and often even a canoe could be considered military - their purpose was to moor an enemy ship in order to crush it with their crew during boarding battle.

Lopez also ordered five battleships in Europe: three turrets and two batteries. After the announcement blockade of Paraguay shipbuilders began to vigorously look for a new customer, which was Brazil... So, unwillingly, Lopez significantly strengthened the Navy of his enemy ... "

After the first successes of the Paraguayan troops on land and at sea, they began to suffer defeats from a heavily outnumbered enemy. June 11, 1865 between the fleets of the parties occurred battle of Riachuelo(on the La Plata River), during which the Paraguayan flotilla was completely destroyed by the Brazilians. Having lost river fleet, Lopez lost the main channels for the transport of ammunition and food for the army which further exacerbated his situation.

Battle of Riachuello. Painting by V. Meirellis.

It is an indisputable fact that assassination of American President Lincoln who supported Francisco López Solano on April 15, 1865 in a suspicious manner coincided with a turning point in the Paraguayan War in favor of Triple Alliance . By the way, the river monitors ordered in Europe were also not delivered to Paraguay, and most of them were bought by the Brazilians.

The systematic invasion of the Triple Alliance into Paraguay began in 1866, and immediately met with fierce resistance from not only the military, but also local population. May 24, 1866 in the swamps of Tuyuti happened the largest in the history of South America in the 19th century. pitched battle, in which, at the cost of huge losses, the Allies managed to defeat the Paraguayans and launch an offensive against their capital Asuncion.

Included in military history textbooks successful defense of the Kurupaiti artillery battery on the outskirts of the Paraguayan fortress of Umaite On September 22, 1866, about 5,000 of the 20,000 advancing Brazilian and Argentine soldiers died.

Defense of Kurupaity. Painting by Candido Lopez.

However long time Paraguay, which did not receive any outside help, was bled dry, and by the end of 1869 it was not able to offer serious resistance to the constantly growing forces of the Allies. AT Battle of Avai December 11, 1869 the regular army of Paraguay actually ceased to exist.

After the death of a significant number of adult male Paraguayans, even women and children were drafted into the Paraguayan army. August 16, 1869 at the Battle of Acosta New 3,500 children and adolescents from 9 to 15 years old fought - out of a total of 6,000 Paraguayan forces. Eyewitnesses - Brazilian officers and journalists - describe violent attacks by Paraguayan women and teenagers, armed only with pikes and machetes, against the ranks of the regular Brazilian army. In memory of the heroism of the Paraguayan child militias, every year on August 16, Paraguay celebrates Day of the child.

Scene from the Battle of Acosta New.

The heroic resistance of the local population led to massive punitive operations by the Brazilians and their allies, during which most of the country's settlements were simply depopulated. Several thousand government soldiers, militias and refugees continued guerrilla war in the mountains.

The site of the last clash of the Paraguayans with the allied armies of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay May 1, 1870. became a river Aquidaban. Francisco Lopez Solano with a small Paraguayan detachment of 200 people. and 5,000 local Indians met allies under the command of the Brazilian General Camera and after a bloody battle in which both Lopez himself and Vice President Sanchez were killed, his army was completely destroyed.

“The Brazilians wanted to catch Lopez alive, until finally his squad was pinned to a narrow strip of land at river Aquidaban.

The "hated tyrant" Francisco Solano Lopez behaved heroically and expressed the will of the people, calling for the defense of the homeland; the Paraguayan people, who had not known war for half a century, fought under his banner not for life, but for death. Men and women, children and old people, all fought like lions.

On March 15, 1870, Lopez led his army (about 5,000-7,000 people), already looking like a host of ghosts - old men and boys who put on fake beards to seem older to their enemies - deep into the selva. The invaders, ready to cut everyone, stormed the ruins of Asuncion. Lopez tried to force it, but the banks of the river were so swampy that his horse was powerless. Then he rushed back to the right bank, where parts of the Brazilian general Camarra were already stationed.

Refusing to surrender, while attempting to fire on Camarra, López was hit by the pike of a nearby Brazilian soldier. The wound was not fatal - the pike hit the knee. But at this time, an unexpected shot was heard from the Brazilian side, but more likely from Paraguayan, who finished him on the spot ...

Before dying, he exclaimed: "I'm dying with my homeland!" It was the pure truth. Paraguay died with him. Shortly before this, Lopez ordered the execution of his own brother and the bishop, who went with him in this caravan of death, so that they would not fall into the hands of enemies.

Around the same time, Eliza Lynch and her squad were also surrounded by the Brazilians. Her eldest son Pancho (by López) resisted by rushing to the attack and was killed. Taken under the protection of the Brazilians, she was able to safely leave for exile in Europe, despite the demand of the new Paraguayan government, formed from immigrants, to extradite her».

Monument to Elizabeth Lynch (1835-1886), the Irish girlfriend of Francisco Lopez in Asuncion.

Thus, Francisco Lopez Solano died heroically in battle without surrendering to the enemy. His doom strongly reminiscent of the death of the Libyan leader, which, like him, also tried to build in his country a highly developed economy independent of foreign powers.

The result of the war was the complete defeat of Paraguay and the loss of 90% of the adult male population. Last thing from 1,350,000 people on the eve of the war (also called the more "scientific" figure of 525,000 people) decreased to 221,000 after it (1871), and only 28,000 of the latter were adult males.

Paraguayan War 1864-1870 also interesting in that it practically remained "unknown" to civilized Europeans. Even Russian newspapers wrote about her extremely sparingly. The question immediately arises Didn't the Rothschilds finance the European press then? occupied mainly with coverage of the American Civil War 1861-1865. and Polish uprising 1863-1864?

The French primer gun of the middle of the 19th century is the most advanced weapon of the Brazilian army. The Paraguayans managed mainly flint ...

Well, now I give the floor again specialist historian:

“Brazil paid dearly for the victory. The war was actually financed by loans from the Bank of London and banking houses of the Baring brothers and N. M. Rothschild and sons».

For five years Brazil spent twice as much as it received, sparking financial crisis. Paying off the massively increased public debt had a negative impact on the country's economy for several decades.

There is an opinion that a long war in the future contributed to the fall of the monarchy in Brazil; In addition, there are suggestions that she was one of the reasons for the abolition of slavery (in 1888).

The Brazilian army gained new importance as a political force; united by the war and based on emerging traditions, it would play a significant role in the later history of the country.

In Argentina, the war led to the modernization of the economy; for several decades it became the most prosperous country in Latin America, and the annexed territories made it the strongest state in the La Plata basin.

Britain - was, in fact, the only country to benefit from the Paraguayan War. In the UK, both Brazil and Argentina borrowed huge sums, the payment of some of which continues to this day(Brazil paid off all British loans during the era of Getúlio Vargas).

As for Uruguay, neither Argentina nor Brazil interfered so actively in its politics anymore. The Uruguayan Party of Colorado gained power in the country and ruled until 1958 ...

Most of the Paraguayan villages devastated by the war were abandoned, and their surviving inhabitants moved to the vicinity of Asuncion. These settlements in the central part of the country almost switched to subsistence farming; a large part of the land was bought by foreigners, mainly Argentines, and turned into estates.

Paraguayan industry was destroyed, the country's market was open for UK goods, and the government (for the first time in the history of Paraguay) took external loan of £1 million.

Paraguay also had to pay an indemnity (it was never paid), and remained occupied until 1876.

To this day, the war remains a controversial topic - especially in Paraguay, where it is perceived as a fearless attempt by a small people to defend their rights - or as a suicidal, self-defeating struggle against a superior enemy, almost to the ground destroyed the nation ...

In modern Russian journalism, the Paraguayan War is also perceived extremely ambiguously.. Wherein the views of the authors of the articles play a key role, while the events of the war are used to illustrate these views.

So, Paraguay of that time can be represented as forerunner of 20th century totalitarian regimes, a war - as a criminal consequence of the aggressive policy of this regime.

In another, directly opposite version, the regime of Francia and Lopez looks like a successful attempt to create an economy independent of neighbors and the then world leader - Great Britain. War, according to this point of view, is nothing but deliberate genocide of a small people who dared challenge the most powerful power in the world and the imperialist system of the world as a whole.

The results of the war long time crossed out Paraguay from the list of states that have at least some weight in international affairs. It took decades for the country to recover from the chaos and demographic imbalance. Even today, the consequences of the war have not been completely overcome - Paraguay still remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America...»