Juan José Viamonte
Encyclopedia
Juan José Viamonte González (February 9, 1774 — March 31, 1843) was an Argentine
general in the early 19th century.
and entered the army in his youth following in his father's footsteps. He fought in the First British Invasion
with the rank of lieutenant
, and after his participation in the Second Invasion, having distinguished himself in the defense of the Colegio de San Carlos, was promoted to captain.
He took part on the Buenos Aires Cabildo
of May 22 1810 and after the revolution
he fought at the battles of Suipacha
and Huaqui
. After this latter battle he was accused of not joining with the 1,500 men under his command, while he was doing military exercises nearby. This accusation led to a long court-martial which finally acquitted him and he remained in the army.
In November 1814, when the civil between Federales
and Unitarians
had started, he was named governor of Entre Ríos Province
.
The following year he took part in the revolution against Supreme Director Carlos María de Alvear
, and later he was sent to Santa Fe Province
to control de advance of the federalists. The day after his arrival governor Francisco Candioti died, which gave Viamonte the opportunity to make the province depend again on Buenos Aires. The following year he was expelled in a rising organized by local caudillo
s Mariano Vera
and Estanislao López
, and he was sent to be imprisoned at Artigas
encampment.
In May 1818 he was a deputy to the Congress of Tucumán
, and the following year he was named chief of the expediniotasry army of Santa Fe, replacing Juan Ramón Balcarce
. Estanislao López immobilized the army directed from Córdoba by Juan Bautista Bustos and captured Viamonte at Rosario, forcing him to sign the armistice of Santo Tomé.
He was exiled to Montevideo
after the Battle of Cepeda (1820)
, but he returned a year later 1821 and was named governor of Buenos Aires Province due to the absence of Martín Rodríguez.
He was a deputy to the General Congress of 1824 and he supported the unitarian constitution of 1826, butlater on he changed sides and joined the Dorrego's Federal Party. After the failed unitarian experiment of Juan Lavalle
, he was interim governor in 1829, a post in which he did practically nothing but ensure the ascent to power of Juan Manuel de Rosas
.
In 1833, when governor Balcarce was deposed in the Revolution of the Restorers
, he returned to the governorship but Rosas forced to resign in June 1834, a resignation that was not readily accepted as nobody wanted to take the post. Finally in October the legislature reached a compromised and its president Manuel Vicente Maza
, was forced to take the governorship.
Viamonte was exiled in Montevideo
in 1839 for the last time where he died in 1843. His remains were transported back to Buenos Aires, and were interred in the La Recoleta Cemetery
.
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...
general in the early 19th century.
Biography
Viamonte was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and entered the army in his youth following in his father's footsteps. He fought in the First British Invasion
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...
with the rank of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and after his participation in the Second Invasion, having distinguished himself in the defense of the Colegio de San Carlos, was promoted to captain.
He took part on the Buenos Aires Cabildo
Buenos Aires Cabildo
The Buenos Aires Cabildo is the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as seat of the ayuntamiento during the colonial times and the government house of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...
of May 22 1810 and after the 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 fought at the battles of Suipacha
Battle of Suipacha
The Battle of Suipacha was fought on 7 November 1810 in Bolivia during the Bolivian War of Independence between the Spanish colonial army and the Republican forces sent by the Primera Junta from Buenos Aires. At the time Bolivia was known as Upper Peru . It was the first decisive defeat of the...
and Huaqui
Battle of Huaqui
The Battle of Huaqui , was a battle between the Primera Junta's revolutionary troops and the royalist troops of the Viceroyalty of Peru on the border between Upper Peru, , and the Viceroyalty of Peru on June 20, 1811.- Prelude :The army commanded by Juan...
. After this latter battle he was accused of not joining with the 1,500 men under his command, while he was doing military exercises nearby. This accusation led to a long court-martial which finally acquitted him and he remained in the army.
In November 1814, when the civil between Federales
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...
and Unitarians
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
had started, he was named governor of Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
.
The following year he took part in the revolution against Supreme Director 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....
, and later he was sent to 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...
to control de advance of the federalists. The day after his arrival governor Francisco Candioti died, which gave Viamonte the opportunity to make the province depend again on Buenos Aires. The following year he was expelled in a rising organized by local caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
s Mariano Vera
Mariano Vera
Mariano Vera was a caudillo and governor of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, between 12 April 1816 and 23 July 1818.Vera was a supporter of federalism, against the idea of a centralized government...
and 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 he was sent to be imprisoned at Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...
encampment.
In May 1818 he was a deputy to the Congress of Tucumán
Congress of Tucumán
The Congress of Tucumán was the representative assembly, initially meeting in Tucumán, that declared the independence of the United Provinces of South America on July 9, 1816, from the Spanish Empire....
, and the following year he was named chief of the expediniotasry army of Santa Fe, replacing Juan Ramón Balcarce
Juan Ramón Balcarce
Juan Ramón González de Balcarce was an Argentine military leader and politician.Juan was the older brother of Antonio González de Balcarce and of Marcos González de Balcarce. He fought against the British in 1807, and in the 1812 military campaign in Peru under General Manuel Belgrano. He was...
. Estanislao López immobilized the army directed from Córdoba by Juan Bautista Bustos and captured Viamonte at Rosario, forcing him to sign the armistice of Santo Tomé.
He was exiled to 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...
after the Battle of Cepeda (1820)
Battle of Cepeda (1820)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1820 took place on February 1 in Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina.It was the first major battle that saw Unitarians and Federals as two constituted sides. Federal League Provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos joined forces to topple the 1819 centralist Constitution, and...
, but he returned a year later 1821 and was named governor of Buenos Aires Province due to the absence of Martín Rodríguez.
He was a deputy to the General Congress of 1824 and he supported the unitarian constitution of 1826, butlater on he changed sides and joined the Dorrego's Federal Party. After the failed unitarian experiment of Juan Lavalle
Juan Lavalle
Juan Galo de Lavalle was an Argentine military and political figure.-Biography:Lavalle was born in Buenos Aires to María Mercedes González Bordallo and Manuel José de La Vallée y Cortés, general accountant of rents and tobacco for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.In 1799, the family moved to...
, he was interim governor in 1829, a post in which he did practically nothing but ensure the ascent to power of Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
.
In 1833, when governor Balcarce was deposed in the Revolution of the Restorers
Revolution of the Restorers
The Revolution of the Restorers was a rebellion that took place in Buenos Aires in 1833. The governor Juan Ramón Balcarce was ousted from office and replaced by Juan José Viamonte. The rebellion was motivated by actions taken by Balcarce against former governor Juan Manuel de Rosas...
, he returned to the governorship but Rosas forced to resign in June 1834, a resignation that was not readily accepted as nobody wanted to take the post. Finally in October the legislature reached a compromised and its president Manuel Vicente Maza
Manuel Vicente Maza
Manuel Vicente Maza was an Argentine lawyer and federal politician. He was governor of Buenos Aires, and was killed after the discovery of a failed plot to kill Juan Manuel de Rosas.-Biography:...
, was forced to take the governorship.
Viamonte was exiled in 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...
in 1839 for the last time where he died in 1843. His remains were transported back to Buenos Aires, and were interred in the La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.- History :...
.