The history of the Great Paraguayan War — senseless and merciless
War is always death, destruction and grief. And it does not matter what it is called — a World War, an anti-terrorist operation or an armed conflict. But the Great Paraguayan War of 1864-1870 is most often called a massacre or even a massacre. Senseless and incredibly bloody, it forever changed the fate of the countries of South America. Its echoes are still felt, because such things do not have a statute of limitations and cannot be forgotten.
The key figure of the war was the Paraguayan General Francisco Solano Lopez — a narrow-minded man, but incredibly ambitious. It is unlikely that he would have achieved anything in life if he had not inherited power and respect. Francisco became a general as a child, and in 1862 he accepted the presidency from his dying father.
The middle of the 19th century was full of military conflicts. A civil war was raging in the United States, Mexico was at war with France, which, in turn, was destroying Vietnam. It was relatively calm only in South America, where new states with symbolic borders coexisted. This region lacked its own Napoleon, who could take everything into his own hands.
At that time, Brazil was a monarchy, rich landowners ruled in Argentina, and a small Uruguay, sandwiched between them, was plunged into a long-term sluggish civil war. Paraguay, which had no access to the sea, was at the mercy of a dictator. Francisco Lopez has his eye on Uruguay, the capture of which would allow his country to become a maritime power.
In 1864, a suitable case turned up. The Brazilian authorities threatened Uruguay with war and were preparing for intervention. Lopez sent a formidable ultimatum to the Brazilians, but they ignored him and entered the neighboring country. The Paraguayans could not stand such insolence and captured a Brazilian warship patrolling the Paraguay River.
A month later, Francisco Lopez declared war on Brazil and invaded its territory in the northern province of Mato Grosso. He gathered an army of 100 thousand people, calling 64 thousand men into service in just a year. At that time, Brazil successfully defeated Uruguay in the south and appointed its president Venancio Flores there.
At the beginning of 1865, Lopez had the audacity and demanded that Argentina let his troops into Uruguay. The general still had the idea of capturing this country by the sea. When the Argentines refused, he declared war on them. Thus, Paraguay was opposed by Argentina, Brazil and controlled by it Uruguay. The politicians of these countries came up with the idea of liquidating a neighbor who had lost touch with reality.
If Francisco Lopez had any common sense, he would have capitulated immediately. But the general threw his people into a desperate battle with three serious rivals. Lopez warmed to the idea that his army was twice the size of the alliance's forces. But as you know, they win not by numbers, but by skill. Paraguay lost the first battles on enemy territory. After that, the theater of military operations moved to the aggressor's lands.
Fighting in Paraguay lasted from 1866 to 1868. It was possible to complete everything faster, but the indecision of the members of the triple alliance prevented it. Instead of going to the capital, the armies of those countries attacked enemy forts along the rivers, wasting time and energy on exhausting sieges. In 1868, the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion, was still taken. But Francisco Lopez was not broken by this — he started a guerrilla war.
The sides fought in different ways. If the Brazilians treated their soldiers with care, then Lopez's subjects fought to the end. The Paraguayans' losses were huge. If the alliance lost 76 thousand people killed, then in More than 300 thousand military and civilians were killed in Paraguay. By the way, most of the losses were non-combat. Untrained soldiers recruited from peasants and townspeople drowned in swamps, died of overheating or cholera, and passed away from hunger.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the Paraguayan commanders. They could easily send unarmed warriors to attack, telling them to get weapons in battle. A detachment with knives could be put up against cavalry, and armed with sticks could be thrown into fortified positions. In the last year of the war, Lopez was so short of soldiers that children and teenagers began to be taken into the army.
The Paraguayans flatly refused to admit defeat, preferring to lay down their heads in an unequal battle. Those who doubted the expediency of further war were mercilessly killed by their own officers. Brazilians were shocked when they were attacked by children aged 9-15, armed with sticks and dummy guns. They refused to kill them and the commanders had to explain that the enemy, even such an absurd one, should be destroyed.
Surprisingly, Paraguay, which lost the war, remained on the world map, however, having lost part of its territories. The capital was completely looted by Brazilians and Argentines, not even sparing foreign embassies. Francisco Lopez himself died on February 28, 1870, having received a bullet while crossing the Akidaban River. Before his death, the 43-year-old President-General exclaimed: "I am dying for my country!".
Lopez's squad, including his beloved, were captured. The woman was forced to bury the general, digging his grave with her bare hands. It was the end of a war that destroyed 60 percent of the population, including 90 percent of men, with bullets, disease and hunger. The mother and sister of General Lopez were miraculously not among the dead. No, they were not threatened by bloodthirsty Brazilians. The president himself signed a death sentence to the native women, accusing them of betrayal. Fortunately, he died before he could deal with his relatives.