British invasions of the River Plate

The British invasions of the River Plate were two unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colony of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, located around the Río de la Plata in South America – in present-day Argentina and Uruguay. The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, at a time when Spain was an ally of Napoleonic France. In Argentine historiography, the two successive defeats of the British expeditionary forces are known collectively as the "Reconquista" and the "Defensa", respectively.

Not to be confused with Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata or Battle of the River Plate.

British invasions of the River Plate
Part of Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)

William Beresford surrenders to Santiago de Liniers (1806)
Date1806–1807
Location
River Plate, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, Spanish Empire
(present-day Argentina and Uruguay)
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain
United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Rafael de Sobremonte
Santiago de Liniers
Pascual Ruiz Huidobro
Martín de Álzaga
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón		 Home Riggs Popham
William Beresford
John Whitelocke
Samuel Auchmuty
Charles Stirling
George Murray
Strength

First invasion:

  • ~2,500 soldiers

Second invasion:

  • ~2,000 soldiers in Montevideo
  • ~7,000–8,000 soldiers in Buenos Aires

First invasion:

  • ~1,668 soldiers

Second invasion:

  • ~6,000 soldiers in Montevideo
  • ~9,000–12,000 in Buenos Aires
Casualties and losses
First invasion:
205 dead and wounded
Second invasion (Montevideo):
1,500 casualties
Second invasion (Buenos Aires):
600 killed and wounded		 First invasion:
157 dead and wounded, 1,300 captured
Second invasion (Montevideo):
600 casualties
Second invasion (Buenos Aires):
311 killed, 208 missing, 679 wounded, 1,600 captured
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.