Santiago de Liniers
Encyclopedia
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. He was populary regarded as the hero of the reconquest of Buenos Aires after the first British invasion of the Río de la Plata
, which led to his designation as viceroy, replacing Rafael de Sobremonte
. Such a thing, the replacement of a viceroy without the King's direct intervention, was completely unprecedented. He was confirmed in office by Charles IV of Spain
, and endured a second ill-fated British Invasion attempt and a mutiny
that sought to replace him. He was replaced in 1809 by Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
, designated as viceroy by the Junta of Seville, and retired from public activity. However, when the May Revolution
took place, Liniers decided to come out of his retirement and organized a monarchist uprising
in Cordoba
. However, Liniers was defeated, captured, and executed without trial.
, Captain in the Spanish Royal Navy was born in Niort
, France
, 4th son of Jacques Joseph Louis, comte de Liniers (1723-1785) captain of the French Navy, and Henriette Thérèse de Bremond (1725-1770).
Family Liniers is one of the most antique noble French family, known since the 11th century. One of its ancestor, Guillaume de Liniers died in the Battle of Poitiers
(1356), and seven of his members were Cavalier of the Order of San Juan.
In 1765, when he was 12 years old, as a younger son, he entered the military school at the Order of Malta, were after three years he graduated with the Cross of Cavalier (1768). Then, he became Sub-Lieutenant of Cavalry in the Royal-Piémont Regiment in France.
in Algiers
. He benefited from the third Pacte de Famille
(1761), that allowed Frenchmen to take part in Spanish military campaigns with equal rights and requirements as the Spaniards. At the campaign's conclusion he took an exam as a Midshipman
in Cádiz
, to serve as a volunteer for the Spanish Crown. In 1775 he earned the rank of Ensign
.
In 1776, under the orders of Pedro de Cevallos
, he sailed to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and took part on the occupation of Santa Catalina Island (Spain)
and the attack on Colonia del Sacramento
(modern day Uruguay
).
In 1779, he was an officer on the San Vicente, of the Spanish-French Naval Squadron fighting the Royal Navy
when Spain jointed the Franco-American alliance
in the American war of Independence as a renewal of the Bourbon Family Compact.
The American Revolution, to which Spain takes part alongside with France and the "insurgents" will allow him to shine. In 1780, with a few sloops, he takes a three-masted ship of 24 guns. In 1782, he distinguished himself particularly in the siege of Port Mahon
: under fire, he moved to the collision of two British ships laden with arms and ammunition, seized it and conveys to the Spanish lines. This feat of arms earned him another promotion, to Frigate Captain
.
Just finished the war with the British hereditary enemy, hostilities resumed with the Barbary pirates. Liniers participates in a new expedition, this time against the city of Algiers. The fight turns into a disadvantage of the Spanish navy, and Madrid had to resolve to negotiate. It Liniers which is charged with this delicate mission. It is doing so well that the Bey of Algiers, charmed, the height of regard and even consents to release of christian slaves jails Algiers.
The Spanish court the award of this diplomatic success in promoting him to the rank of captain and entrusting the command of the Rio de la Plata in 1788 to organize a flotilla of gunships.
He took with him in this trip his sun Luis and his first wife, Juana de Menviel, whom he had married in Málaga
. She died two years later in 1790. Liniers married again, this time in Buenos Aires, with María Martina Sarratea, daughter of one of the richest merchants of Buenos Aires.
The Spanish colonies do not follow closelly the revolutionary wars that ignite the Europe from 1792. Initially hostile to France, then Spain got closer to her, earning the wrath of Britain, that threatens its colonies.
June 23, 1806, a British expeditionary force of 1,700 men landed on the left bank of the Rio de la Plata and invested Buenos Aires, which had been abandoned by the Viceroy. Liniers remained incognito in the city, staying in the convent of the Dominicans, where he vowed to offer at the altar of the Virgin the flags of the occupiers. He then secretly escaped to Montevideo
, and with the help of its governor Pascual Ruiz Huidobro
galvanized the people and raised a troop of 1,200 volunteers. This Early Liberation Army embarked on a few schooners, which joined a French privateer corvette. Landing on August 4, Liniers and his men rushed to Buenos Aires, across the marshes. The city was recovered after fierce street fighting that ended with the storming of the cathedral, which had been fortified by the British. British General William Carr Beresford capitulated and offered his sword; true to Liniers's vow, British flags (those of the Highlanders regiment and Green St. Helena) were transferred to the church of the convent of the Dominicans, where they still remain.
called an open cabildo
to discuss the next steps, including the actions to take regarding viceroy Sobremonte. It was decided to keep the viceroy from entering the city and designate Liniers, who was regarded as a hero, as commander-in-chief. Sobremonte accepted, and moved to Montevideo. Liniers drafted
all the male population capable of bearing arms, including slaves, into the defense of the city. He also allowed for the officials to be elected by voting inside each regiment. All the lead in the city was confiscated (even pipes and cutlery) to be melted into ordnance. The Cabildo requested other cities to lend gunpowder, and the horses were trained to run across the noise of cannon shots.
A new British task force, much larger than the first one, arrived the next year. It was led by Samuel Auchmuty, later replaced by John Whitelocke
. However, this time they did not aim at Buenos Aires but at Montevideo, which fell under their domination. The Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires
decided to depose Sobremonte from his role as viceroy, confirmed Liniers as commander-in-chief, and finally designated him as interim viceroy. It was an unprecedented action, the first time that a viceroy was deposed by local authorities, without the intervention of the King himself. Furthermore, it was also the first time that a non Spanish native became viceroy.
had been secured, the British prepared the attack to Buenos Aires. They were aware that the city was prepared for the invasion, but the troops were bigger than in the first one, 23 ships and 11.000 soldiers. John Whitelocke
, leader of the British forces, moved to Buenos Aires next to the River. Liniers left the city to battle him, being defeated, but managed to retreat and return to Buenos Aires. Álzaga, assuming that Liniers had died, put his defense plans in motions, and the morale of the troops raised when Liniers returned alive.
The British forced entered into the city and found a strong resistance, and many battalions were defeated, while others tried to resist at strategic points. Whitelocke suggested a truce, which was rejected by Liniers, who also attacked the British ships within cannon range. Whitelocke defeat was complete, and Liniers demanded that all British forces were removed from the territories of Viceroyalty, including the Banda Oriental, in no more than 2 months, as well as an exchange of prisoners. Whitelocke accepted the conditions and surrendered.
On one side, Spanish leaders criticized the new power of the Argentineous people issued from the formation of criollo armies, and thought that Spanish influence was in danger. On the opposite side, criollo people which was asking for more independence, had some difficulty to understand the perfect sense of loyalty of a navy officer issued from old French nobility who intended to respect his oath to the king of Spain.
In this context, every action coming from Liniers was became source of criticism. As an example, his relation with Ana Perichón was severely pointed out, forcing him to lock her at her home and later to deport her to colonial Brazil. In the same spirit, his French birth became highly controversial when France invaded Spain, and started the Peninsular War
, which included the removal of the Spanish kings by the French occupying forces. Despite the clear statements by Liniers of remaining loyal to the Spanish Empire
and his refusal to accept Joseph Bonaparte
as king, his political enemies created rumours that he was plotting to accept Bonaparte. They also promoted in the Río de la Plata the xenophobia
that was taking place in Spain against the French, as an indirect means to attack Liniers and lower his prestige. The arrival of Sassenay, an agent of Napoleon seeking recognition for Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain, boosted rumors and controversy.
The criollo peoples promoted the Carlotist
project, which tried to crown Charlotte of Spain
, sister of Ferdinand, as Regent of the Spanish territories in the Americas, under a Constitutional monarchy
. The project did not achieve success. The news of the creation of the Junta of Seville was seen by both criollos and peninsulars as a chance to create similar governments locally, but they had different perspectives on the political line such governments should have. Javier de Elío, governor of Montevideo and allied with Álzaga, created a Junta in the city. Álzaga set off a mutiny
to do the same in Buenos Aires, but the forces under the command of Cornelio Saavedra
defeated it and kept Liniers in power. Álzaga was jailed and the military bodies that took part in the mutiny were dissolved, which left only military bodies loyal to the criollos.
The Junta of Seville designated a new viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
. Some Criollos proposed Liniers to resist the replacement with the forces under his command. It was considered that only a rightful kings could designate viceroys, and despite the circumstances of his designation Liniers had been confirmed in office by Charles IV; whereas Cisneros, designated just by the Junta, may lack such legitimacy. However, Liniers rejected the proposal, and gave up government without resistance.
After leaving government, he retired from politics and moved to Córdoba province, settling in the town of Alta Gracia
. However, he came out of his retirement shortly after, when news of the May Revolution
arrived to the province.
. At this time, Liniers' father in law, Martin de Sarratea, wrote a letter to ask him to stay away from the counter-revolution, which he refused in the name of honor and respect to his word.
The Córdoba Cabildo gave recognition instead to the Regency Council of Cádiz, and Cisneros secretly gave authorization to Liniers to sublevate the viceroyalty against the Junta. Liniers wrote to other Royalist leaders, trying to organize the forces to fight against Buenos Aires. The Junta decided that, among the many enemies that could threaten it, Córdoba was the most dangerous, so an army led by Ortiz de Ocampo was sent to fight against it. However, there wasn't fighting: the counter-revolutionary army was severely damaged by espionage, desertions, and sabotage. The mere proximity of the troops from Buenos Aires caused the complete dispersion of the army gathered by Liniers. Liniers and the other top personnel of the counter-revolution tried to flee in multiple directions, but Ocampo captured them all.
Ocampo refused to execute the prisoners, aware of their popularity, so he delivered them to Buenos Aires as prisoners instead. The Junta feared the effect that the entry of Liniers in the city may have, so Juan José Castelli
was sent, with orders to replace Ocampo and execute the prisoners. The execution took place at Cabeza de Tigre.
, most names of such streets were modified in 1822, during the government of Martín Rodríguez. The former Liniers street is composed by the modern Defensa and Reconquista ones. The higher recognition to the heroes of the War of Independence stayed, but Liniers got renewed recognition with time. The Buenos Aires neighborhood of Liniers
is named after him, as well as the Santiago de Liniers
municipality at the Misiones Province
.
In 1861, Queen Isabella II of Spain
formally requested Liniers' body from the Argentine Government. The remains were brought back to Spain and solemnly buried in the Pantheon of the island of Leon, Cadiz
. At this time, Liniers' descendants received the hereditary title of "Conde de la Lealtad" (Count of Loyalty).
His house at Alta Gracia was abandoned after his death, and bought in 1820 by José Manuel Solares. His family kept it for a long time, until it was expropriated in 1969 and turned into a museum in 1977. It was declared heritage of humanity by the Unesco on December 2, 2000.
One of the most known portraits of Liniers is La Reconquista de Buenos Aires
, by Charles Fouqueray.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
officer in the Spanish
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...
military service, and a viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
. He is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers. He was populary regarded as the hero of the reconquest of Buenos Aires after the first British invasion 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...
, which led to his designation as viceroy, replacing Rafael de Sobremonte
Rafael de Sobremonte
Don Rafael de Sobremonte y Núñez del Castillo, 3rd Marquis of Sobremonte , third Marquis of Sobremonte, was an aristocrat, military man and Spanish colonial administrator, and Viceroy of the Río de la Plata...
. Such a thing, the replacement of a viceroy without the King's direct intervention, was completely unprecedented. He was confirmed in office by Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
, and endured a second ill-fated British Invasion attempt and a mutiny
Mutiny of Álzaga
The Mutiny of Álzaga was an ill-fated attempt to remove Santiago de Liniers as viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It took place on January 1, 1809, and it was led by the merchant Martín de Álzaga...
that sought to replace him. He was replaced in 1809 by Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre was a Spanish naval officer born in Cartagena. He took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, and in the Spanish resistance against Napoleon's invasion in 1808. He was later appointed Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la...
, designated as viceroy by the Junta of Seville, and retired from public activity. However, when 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...
took place, Liniers decided to come out of his retirement and organized a monarchist uprising
Liniers Counter-revolution
When the May Revolution took place in Buenos Aires in 1810, the former viceroy Santiago de Liniers led an ill-fated counter-revolutionary attempt from the city of Córdoba. It was quickly thwarted by the patriotic forces from Buenos Aires led by Ortiz de Ocampo, who captured the leaders and...
in Cordoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. However, Liniers was defeated, captured, and executed without trial.
Biography
Santiago de Liniers y Bremond, Cavalier of the Order of San Juan, Cavalier of the Order of MontesaOrder of Montesa
The Order of Montesa is a Christian military order, territorially limited to the Kingdom of Aragon.-Templar background:The Templars had been received with enthusiasm in Aragon from their foundation in 1128...
, Captain in the Spanish Royal Navy was born in Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 4th son of Jacques Joseph Louis, comte de Liniers (1723-1785) captain of the French Navy, and Henriette Thérèse de Bremond (1725-1770).
Family Liniers is one of the most antique noble French family, known since the 11th century. One of its ancestor, Guillaume de Liniers died in the Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
(1356), and seven of his members were Cavalier of the Order of San Juan.
In 1765, when he was 12 years old, as a younger son, he entered the military school at the Order of Malta, were after three years he graduated with the Cross of Cavalier (1768). Then, he became Sub-Lieutenant of Cavalry in the Royal-Piémont Regiment in France.
Serving the Spanish Crown
In 1774 he requested dismissal and re-enlisted as a volunteer in the campaigns against the moorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. He benefited from the third Pacte de Famille
Pacte de Famille
The Pacte de Famille is one of three separate, but similar alliances between the Bourbon kings of France and Spain.- The first Pacte de Famille :...
(1761), that allowed Frenchmen to take part in Spanish military campaigns with equal rights and requirements as the Spaniards. At the campaign's conclusion he took an exam as a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
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....
, to serve as a volunteer for the Spanish Crown. In 1775 he earned the rank of Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
.
In 1776, under the orders of Pedro de Cevallos
Pedro Antonio de Cevallos
Pedro Antonio de Cevallos Cortés y Calderón, also spelled Ceballos , was a Spanish military, Governor of Buenos Aires between 1757 and 1766, and the first Viceroy of the Río de la Plata in 1776....
, he sailed to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and took part on the occupation of Santa Catalina Island (Spain)
Isla de Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina is a small island off the north coast of the Península de Almina in Ceuta, Spain....
and the attack on Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
(modern day Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
).
In 1779, he was an officer on the San Vicente, of the Spanish-French Naval Squadron fighting the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
when Spain jointed the Franco-American alliance
Franco-American alliance
The Franco-American alliance refers to the 1778 alliance between Louis XVI's France and the United States, during the American Revolutionary War. Formalized in the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, it was a military pact in which France provided arms and money, and engaged in full-scale war with Britain. ...
in the American war of Independence as a renewal of the Bourbon Family Compact.
The American Revolution, to which Spain takes part alongside with France and the "insurgents" will allow him to shine. In 1780, with a few sloops, he takes a three-masted ship of 24 guns. In 1782, he distinguished himself particularly in the siege of Port Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
: under fire, he moved to the collision of two British ships laden with arms and ammunition, seized it and conveys to the Spanish lines. This feat of arms earned him another promotion, to Frigate Captain
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
Just finished the war with the British hereditary enemy, hostilities resumed with the Barbary pirates. Liniers participates in a new expedition, this time against the city of Algiers. The fight turns into a disadvantage of the Spanish navy, and Madrid had to resolve to negotiate. It Liniers which is charged with this delicate mission. It is doing so well that the Bey of Algiers, charmed, the height of regard and even consents to release of christian slaves jails Algiers.
The Spanish court the award of this diplomatic success in promoting him to the rank of captain and entrusting the command of the Rio de la Plata in 1788 to organize a flotilla of gunships.
He took with him in this trip his sun Luis and his first wife, Juana de Menviel, whom he had married in Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
. She died two years later in 1790. Liniers married again, this time in Buenos Aires, with María Martina Sarratea, daughter of one of the richest merchants of Buenos Aires.
The Spanish colonies do not follow closelly the revolutionary wars that ignite the Europe from 1792. Initially hostile to France, then Spain got closer to her, earning the wrath of Britain, that threatens its colonies.
First British Invasion
Buenos Aires in 1806 was a choice prey for the United Kingdom, the mistress of the seas: the city was full of fabulous treasures brought back from Peru; it was badly governed by a viceroy put in place by Madrid and its defenses were very poor, held only by one small garrison with no firm loyalty.June 23, 1806, a British expeditionary force of 1,700 men landed on the left bank of the Rio de la Plata and invested Buenos Aires, which had been abandoned by the Viceroy. Liniers remained incognito in the city, staying in the convent of the Dominicans, where he vowed to offer at the altar of the Virgin the flags of the occupiers. He then secretly escaped 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...
, and with the help of its governor Pascual Ruiz Huidobro
Pascual Ruiz Huidobro
Pascual Ruiz Huidobro , Spanish soldier in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, who fought against the British invasions of the Río de la Plata as Governor of Montevideo....
galvanized the people and raised a troop of 1,200 volunteers. This Early Liberation Army embarked on a few schooners, which joined a French privateer corvette. Landing on August 4, Liniers and his men rushed to Buenos Aires, across the marshes. The city was recovered after fierce street fighting that ended with the storming of the cathedral, which had been fortified by the British. British General William Carr Beresford capitulated and offered his sword; true to Liniers's vow, British flags (those of the Highlanders regiment and Green St. Helena) were transferred to the church of the convent of the Dominicans, where they still remain.
Designation as viceroy
After the victory, the society stayed on military alert, suspecting that the British might counter-attack soon. The Buenos Aires CabildoBuenos 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...
called an open cabildo
Open cabildo
The open cabildo was a special mode of assembly of the inhabitants of Latin American cities during the Spanish colonial period, in case of emergencies or disasters. Usually, the colonial cities were governed by a Cabildo, municipal-type institutions composed of officials appointed by the colonial...
to discuss the next steps, including the actions to take regarding viceroy Sobremonte. It was decided to keep the viceroy from entering the city and designate Liniers, who was regarded as a hero, as commander-in-chief. Sobremonte accepted, and moved to Montevideo. Liniers drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
all the male population capable of bearing arms, including slaves, into the defense of the city. He also allowed for the officials to be elected by voting inside each regiment. All the lead in the city was confiscated (even pipes and cutlery) to be melted into ordnance. The Cabildo requested other cities to lend gunpowder, and the horses were trained to run across the noise of cannon shots.
A new British task force, much larger than the first one, arrived the next year. It was led by Samuel Auchmuty, later replaced by John Whitelocke
John Whitelocke
-Military career:Whitelocke entered the army in 1778 and served in Jamaica and in San Domingo. In 1805 he was made a lieutenant-general and inspector-general of recruiting, and in 1807 he was appointed to command an expedition to seize Buenos Aires from the Spanish Empire, which was in disarray due...
. However, this time they did not aim at Buenos Aires but at Montevideo, which fell under their domination. The Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires
Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires
The Real Audiencia de Buenos Aires, were two audiencias, or highest courts, of the Spanish crown, which resided in Buenos Aires. The authority of the first extended to the territory of the Governorate of the Río de la Plata and operated from 1661 to 1671...
decided to depose Sobremonte from his role as viceroy, confirmed Liniers as commander-in-chief, and finally designated him as interim viceroy. It was an unprecedented action, the first time that a viceroy was deposed by local authorities, without the intervention of the King himself. Furthermore, it was also the first time that a non Spanish native became viceroy.
Second British Invasion
Once the Banda OrientalBanda 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...
had been secured, the British prepared the attack to Buenos Aires. They were aware that the city was prepared for the invasion, but the troops were bigger than in the first one, 23 ships and 11.000 soldiers. John Whitelocke
John Whitelocke
-Military career:Whitelocke entered the army in 1778 and served in Jamaica and in San Domingo. In 1805 he was made a lieutenant-general and inspector-general of recruiting, and in 1807 he was appointed to command an expedition to seize Buenos Aires from the Spanish Empire, which was in disarray due...
, leader of the British forces, moved to Buenos Aires next to the River. Liniers left the city to battle him, being defeated, but managed to retreat and return to Buenos Aires. Álzaga, assuming that Liniers had died, put his defense plans in motions, and the morale of the troops raised when Liniers returned alive.
The British forced entered into the city and found a strong resistance, and many battalions were defeated, while others tried to resist at strategic points. Whitelocke suggested a truce, which was rejected by Liniers, who also attacked the British ships within cannon range. Whitelocke defeat was complete, and Liniers demanded that all British forces were removed from the territories of Viceroyalty, including the Banda Oriental, in no more than 2 months, as well as an exchange of prisoners. Whitelocke accepted the conditions and surrendered.
Government
There was a large number of celebrations after the victory against the British. Liniers was officially appointed as viceroy in May 1808, and award of the title of "Count of Buenos Aires". However, this victory of the Argentine people which was obtained without any military help from Spain led to a new political situation where some independence will started to emerge. In this configuration, Liniers who appeared to be a fantastic leader during the emergency crisis began to be criticized by the different parts including the conservative members of the Cabildo, led by Álzaga.On one side, Spanish leaders criticized the new power of the Argentineous people issued from the formation of criollo armies, and thought that Spanish influence was in danger. On the opposite side, criollo people which was asking for more independence, had some difficulty to understand the perfect sense of loyalty of a navy officer issued from old French nobility who intended to respect his oath to the king of Spain.
In this context, every action coming from Liniers was became source of criticism. As an example, his relation with Ana Perichón was severely pointed out, forcing him to lock her at her home and later to deport her to colonial Brazil. In the same spirit, his French birth became highly controversial when France invaded Spain, and started the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, which included the removal of the Spanish kings by the French occupying forces. Despite the clear statements by Liniers of remaining loyal to the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
and his refusal to accept Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
as king, his political enemies created rumours that he was plotting to accept Bonaparte. They also promoted in the Río de la Plata the xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
that was taking place in Spain against the French, as an indirect means to attack Liniers and lower his prestige. The arrival of Sassenay, an agent of Napoleon seeking recognition for Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain, boosted rumors and controversy.
The criollo peoples promoted the Carlotist
Carlotism
Carlotism was a political movement that took place in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata between 1808 and 1812; it intended to make Carlota Joaquina of Spain its queen. After Napoleon's invasion of Spain, Fernando VII was forced to abdicate and give the throne to Joseph Bonaparte...
project, which tried to crown Charlotte of Spain
Charlotte of Spain
Doña Carlota Joaquina of Spain was a Queen consort of Portugal as wife of John VI...
, sister of Ferdinand, as Regent of the Spanish territories in the Americas, under a Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. The project did not achieve success. The news of the creation of the Junta of Seville was seen by both criollos and peninsulars as a chance to create similar governments locally, but they had different perspectives on the political line such governments should have. Javier de Elío, governor of Montevideo and allied with Álzaga, created a Junta in the city. Álzaga set off a mutiny
Mutiny of Álzaga
The Mutiny of Álzaga was an ill-fated attempt to remove Santiago de Liniers as viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It took place on January 1, 1809, and it was led by the merchant Martín de Álzaga...
to do the same in Buenos Aires, but the forces under the command of Cornelio Saavedra
Cornelio Saavedra
Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...
defeated it and kept Liniers in power. Álzaga was jailed and the military bodies that took part in the mutiny were dissolved, which left only military bodies loyal to the criollos.
The Junta of Seville designated a new viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre was a Spanish naval officer born in Cartagena. He took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, and in the Spanish resistance against Napoleon's invasion in 1808. He was later appointed Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la...
. Some Criollos proposed Liniers to resist the replacement with the forces under his command. It was considered that only a rightful kings could designate viceroys, and despite the circumstances of his designation Liniers had been confirmed in office by Charles IV; whereas Cisneros, designated just by the Junta, may lack such legitimacy. However, Liniers rejected the proposal, and gave up government without resistance.
After leaving government, he retired from politics and moved to Córdoba province, settling in the town of Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia
Alta Gracia is a city located in the north-centre of the . Its name means "High Grace". It is built upon the Sierras Chicas, in a region that the Comechingón Indians used to call Paravachasca. It has about 43,000 inhabitants .- History :...
. However, he came out of his retirement shortly after, when news of 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...
arrived to the province.
Counterrevolution and death
The governor of Córdoba, Juan Antonio Gutiérrez de la Concha, called for a meeting of the social elite of Córdoba, Liniers included, in order to discuss the reactions towars the Primera JuntaPrimera Junta
The Primera Junta or First Assembly is the most common name given to the first independent government of Argentina. It was created on 25 May 1810, as a result of the events of the May Revolution. The Junta initially had representatives from only Buenos Aires...
. At this time, Liniers' father in law, Martin de Sarratea, wrote a letter to ask him to stay away from the counter-revolution, which he refused in the name of honor and respect to his word.
The Córdoba Cabildo gave recognition instead to the Regency Council of Cádiz, and Cisneros secretly gave authorization to Liniers to sublevate the viceroyalty against the Junta. Liniers wrote to other Royalist leaders, trying to organize the forces to fight against Buenos Aires. The Junta decided that, among the many enemies that could threaten it, Córdoba was the most dangerous, so an army led by Ortiz de Ocampo was sent to fight against it. However, there wasn't fighting: the counter-revolutionary army was severely damaged by espionage, desertions, and sabotage. The mere proximity of the troops from Buenos Aires caused the complete dispersion of the army gathered by Liniers. Liniers and the other top personnel of the counter-revolution tried to flee in multiple directions, but Ocampo captured them all.
Ocampo refused to execute the prisoners, aware of their popularity, so he delivered them to Buenos Aires as prisoners instead. The Junta feared the effect that the entry of Liniers in the city may have, so Juan José Castelli
Juan José Castelli
Juan José Castelli was an Argentine lawyer. He was one of the leaders of the May Revolution, which started the Argentine War of Independence...
was sent, with orders to replace Ocampo and execute the prisoners. The execution took place at Cabeza de Tigre.
Legacy
Liniers was recognized in life with a street of Buenos Aires named after him, after the triumph against the British Invasions. However, after the counter-revolution and the new number of heroes of the Argentine War of IndependenceArgentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
, most names of such streets were modified in 1822, during the government of Martín Rodríguez. The former Liniers street is composed by the modern Defensa and Reconquista ones. The higher recognition to the heroes of the War of Independence stayed, but Liniers got renewed recognition with time. The Buenos Aires neighborhood of Liniers
Liniers
Liniers is a barrio of Buenos Aires on the edge of the city, centered on Rivadavia Avenue. It is also an important train station and bus hub, connecting western Gran Buenos Aires with the Buenos Aires Metro...
is named after him, as well as the Santiago de Liniers
Santiago de Liniers (Misiones)
Santiago de Liniers is a village and municipality in Misiones Province in northeastern Argentina.-References:...
municipality at the Misiones Province
Misiones Province
Misiones is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamiсa region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes Province of Argentina to the southwest.- History :The province was...
.
In 1861, Queen Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
formally requested Liniers' body from the Argentine Government. The remains were brought back to Spain and solemnly buried in the Pantheon of the island of Leon, Cadiz
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....
. At this time, Liniers' descendants received the hereditary title of "Conde de la Lealtad" (Count of Loyalty).
His house at Alta Gracia was abandoned after his death, and bought in 1820 by José Manuel Solares. His family kept it for a long time, until it was expropriated in 1969 and turned into a museum in 1977. It was declared heritage of humanity by the Unesco on December 2, 2000.
One of the most known portraits of Liniers is La Reconquista de Buenos Aires
La Reconquista de Buenos Aires
La Reconquista de Buenos Aires is an Argentine portrait by Charles Fouqueray in 1909. It depicts the victory of Santiago de Liniers against William Carr Beresford during the first of the British invasions of the Río de la Plata, and the subsequent liberation of Buenos Aires from British rule...
, by Charles Fouqueray.