Francisco Javier de Viana
Encyclopedia
Francisco Javier de Viana (1764–1820), Argentine
sailor and soldier, actively participated in the politics of his country as an ally of general Carlos María de Alvear
.
and later on in Spain
, possibly at the naval school in Cádiz
, then served in the navy and in scientific commissions to establish and map borders of the era. He served as writer and reporter on the four-year voyage of the ships Descubierta and Atrevida
, captained by Alejandro Malaspina.
After the British invasions of the Río de la Plata
, the city of Montevideo
had been left without a naval defense as the sailors had been taken prisoner to Great Britain
. The authorities had to rebuild it anew and Viana was sent as part of the new naval forces.
In 1809 Viana was sent by governor Francisco Javier de Elío
to rescue Martín de Álzaga
, who had been exiled to Carmen de Patagones
by order of viceroy Santiago de Liniers
.
Upon the May Revolution
he ended up in the royalist
side, fighting against the revolutionaries of the Banda Oriental
(present-day Uruguay). After the Battle of San José, colonel José Artigas attacked the town of Maldonado
, defeating the defending commander, Viana. He was then sent as prisoner to Buenos Aires.
was under Juan Bautista Azopardo
until his defeat at San Nicolás de los Arroyos
.
Hw was made colonel in June 1813 and a member of the Lautaro Lodge, and was named governor of the Córdoba del Tucumán Intendancy, a post he occupied only for a short time. His opposition accused him of governing his province (which at the time included the Cuyo
region and the La Rioja Province
as if it were enemy occupied territory, obtaining contributions by force, punishing and rewarding the citizens for their adherence - or not - to the Buenos Aires government. In February 1814 he was replaced by Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo, a native of La Rioja who, even though born in the interior, could not control the tendency of the population to favor provincial autonomy, which would soon arrive in any case.
Returning to Buenos Aires, Viana became a member of the consulting council for the Supreme Director
Gervasio Posadas, and accompanied general Carlos María de Alvear
to finish the siege
of Montevideo. He became good friends with Alvear and was. as him, a strong enemy of the Federal Party
led by Artigas.
Back in Buenos Aires, he was promoted to general and name minister of war and navy, a posthe maintained in the last few months of Posadas's government, and during the last three months of Alvear's government.
In March 1815 he organized and commanded an expedition against the federals of Santa Fe Province
, but before he could depart in that direction, the commander of his advance forces, colonel Ignacio Álvarez Thomas
, revolted at Fontezuelas
. That sublevation started the revolution which would force Alvear to resign and go into exile. Viana went with his friend and boss to Río de Janeiro
, and upon arriving found he had been deported for life.
took Montevideo, in 1818, he went to that city, explicitly accepting a foreign government in his own national soil. He returned to Buenos Aires during the anarchy of 1820 along with Alvear, to work on the revolution which would carry Alvear to a short-lived government in part of the province. Viana, ill at the time remained in the city when Alvear joined the Santa Fe people under Estanislao López
, and died in Buenos Aires in 1820.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
sailor and soldier, actively participated in the politics of his country as an ally of general Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....
.
Career beginnings
He studied at the Colegio de San CarlosColegio Nacional de Buenos Aires
Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires is a public high school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the tradition of the European gymnasium it provides a free education that includes classical languages such as Latin and Greek. The school is one of the most prestigious in Argentina...
and later on in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, possibly at the naval school in Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, then served in the navy and in scientific commissions to establish and map borders of the era. He served as writer and reporter on the four-year voyage of the ships Descubierta and Atrevida
Descubierta and Atrevida
The Descubierta and Atrevida were twin corvettes of the Spanish Navy, custom-designed as identical special exploration and scientific research vessels . Both ships were built at the same time for the Malaspina Expedition...
, captained by Alejandro Malaspina.
After the British invasions of the Río de la Plata
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
, the city of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
had been left without a naval defense as the sailors had been taken prisoner to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The authorities had to rebuild it anew and Viana was sent as part of the new naval forces.
In 1809 Viana was sent by governor Francisco Javier de Elío
Francisco Javier de Elío
Francisco Javier de Elío , was a Spanish military, governor of Montevideo and the last Viceroy of the Río de la Plata. He was also instrumental in the Absolutist repression after the restoration of Ferdinand VII as King of Spain...
to rescue Martín de Álzaga
Martín de Álzaga
Martín 'Macoco' de Álzaga was an Argentine racecar driver.-Indy 500 results:-External links:*...
, who had been exiled to Carmen de Patagones
Carmen de Patagones
- Geography :It is located 937 km from the city of Buenos Aires, on the north bank of the Río Negro , near the Atlantic Ocean, and opposite Viedma, capital of the province of Río Negro...
by order of viceroy Santiago de Liniers
Santiago de Liniers
Jacques de Liniers was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers...
.
Upon the May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
he ended up in the royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
side, fighting against the revolutionaries of the Banda Oriental
Banda Oriental
The Banda Oriental del Uruguay was the South American territory east of the Uruguay River and north of the Río de la Plata, coinciding approximately with the modern nation of Uruguay, the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina...
(present-day Uruguay). After the Battle of San José, colonel José Artigas attacked the town of Maldonado
Maldonado
Maldonado may refer to:In places:*Maldonado, Uruguay, a city in the Maldonado Department of Uruguay*Maldonado Department of Uruguay*Pedro Vicente Maldonado, a canton of Ecuador*Puerto Maldonado, a city in Peru...
, defeating the defending commander, Viana. He was then sent as prisoner to Buenos Aires.
Lautaro Lodge and Alvear's dictatorship
After being freed, he was incorporated to the Argentine Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel, in command of the navy. Until the end of 1811 he was the commander in chief of the comandante of the revolutionary navy, even though command of the squadronSquadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
was under Juan Bautista Azopardo
Juan Bautista Azopardo
Juan Bautista Azopardo was a Maltese Privateer and military man who fought under the flags of The Netherlands, Spain and Argentina.- Early life :...
until his defeat at San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
.
Hw was made colonel in June 1813 and a member of the Lautaro Lodge, and was named governor of the Córdoba del Tucumán Intendancy, a post he occupied only for a short time. His opposition accused him of governing his province (which at the time included the Cuyo
Cuyo (Argentina)
Cuyo is the name given to the wine-producing, mountainous area of central-west Argentina. Historically it comprised the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza. The term New Cuyo is a modern one, which indicates both Cuyo proper and the province of La Rioja...
region and the La Rioja Province
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...
as if it were enemy occupied territory, obtaining contributions by force, punishing and rewarding the citizens for their adherence - or not - to the Buenos Aires government. In February 1814 he was replaced by Francisco Ortiz de Ocampo, a native of La Rioja who, even though born in the interior, could not control the tendency of the population to favor provincial autonomy, which would soon arrive in any case.
Returning to Buenos Aires, Viana became a member of the consulting council for the Supreme Director
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
The Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , was a title given to the executive officers of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, according to the form of government established in 1814 by the Asamblea del Año XIII...
Gervasio Posadas, and accompanied general Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....
to finish the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of Montevideo. He became good friends with Alvear and was. as him, a strong enemy of the Federal Party
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
led by Artigas.
Back in Buenos Aires, he was promoted to general and name minister of war and navy, a posthe maintained in the last few months of Posadas's government, and during the last three months of Alvear's government.
In March 1815 he organized and commanded an expedition against the federals of Santa Fe Province
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, but before he could depart in that direction, the commander of his advance forces, colonel Ignacio Álvarez Thomas
Ignacio Álvarez Thomas
José Ignacio Álvarez Thomas was a South American military commander and politician of the early 19th century....
, revolted at Fontezuelas
Pergamino, Buenos Aires
Pergamino is an Argentine city in the Province of Buenos Aires. It has a population of about 104.922 inhabitants as per the and is the seat of the partido of the same name. Its UN/LOCODE is ARPGO.-History:...
. That sublevation started the revolution which would force Alvear to resign and go into exile. Viana went with his friend and boss to Río de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, and upon arriving found he had been deported for life.
Last years
When the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
took Montevideo, in 1818, he went to that city, explicitly accepting a foreign government in his own national soil. He returned to Buenos Aires during the anarchy of 1820 along with Alvear, to work on the revolution which would carry Alvear to a short-lived government in part of the province. Viana, ill at the time remained in the city when Alvear joined the Santa Fe people under Estanislao López
Estanislao López
Estanislao López was a governor and caudillo of the , between 1818 and 1838, a hero of provincial federalism and an ally of Juan Manuel de Rosas during the Argentine Civil War.-Biography:...
, and died in Buenos Aires in 1820.