As we alluded to last night, today is Cinco de Mayo- a very important day in Mexican history. It is not the country’s day of independence; rather, it’s the commemoration of one of Mexico’s most famous military victories.In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’re reproducing our annual post showing some of the best-known military battles in Latin American history. Enjoy!
* Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot (1802) - One of the first major battles in the Haitian Revolution. Though the French would win the battle, Haitian rebels ultimately prevailed after the French suffered massive losses.
* Battle of Chacabuco (1817) - Despite being outnumbered by nearly a 3:1 margin, Jose de San Martin and Bernardo O’Higgins led Chilean forces against the Spanish in this battle fought just outside Santiago.
* Battle of Boyacá (1819) - El Libertador Simón Bolivar commanded about 3000 soldiers including “a small British Legion” in this battle which would assure independence for Nueva Granada.
* Battle of Ayacucho (1824) - This was the decisive battle for Peru’s independence; as a result of the Independence army’s victory, Spanish forces agreed to leave Peru.
* Battle of Cerro Corá (1870) - The final battle in the brutal War of the Triple Alliance which would lead to Brazilian occupation of Paraguay for several years.
* Battle of Celaya (1915) - “The single bloodiest battle of the Mexican Revolution” which led to the beginning of the end for Pancho Villa’s forces.
* Battle of Carrizal (1916) - Battle between U.S. Expeditionary Forces and Mexican troops nearly led to a war between the neighboring nations.
* Battle of Yaguajay (1958) - A turning point in the Cuban revolution; the battle was won by rebel forces led by Fidel Castro and would soon lead to the end of Fulgencio Batista’s rule in Cuba.
Image- daylife.com (“Mexicans wearing period costumes re-enact the battle of Puebla during an anniversary in Mexico City May 5, 2008. The battle marked the defeat by Mexican troops and local Indians in the central state of Puebla of an invasion by a much better-equipped French force in 1862. Firing homemade shotguns loaded with gunpowder, hundreds of men dressed as female Indian peasants with blackened faces, straw hats and embroidered blouses fought mock running battles against French invaders in white bloomers.”)
Online Sources- Wikipedia, The Latin Americanist
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