Jose de San Martin led an army of 5,000 men across the Andes through six differe

1817 Event

San Martin Crosses Andes: Chile Liberated at Chacabuco

Jose de San Martin led an army of 5,000 men across the Andes through six different passes in January 1817, a logistical feat comparable to Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. The army climbed to altitudes above 12,000 feet, losing hundreds of mules and horses to cold and altitude sickness. San Martin divided his forces to confuse the Spanish about which routes he would use, then converged on the Chacabuco valley north of Santiago. The battle on February 12, 1817, lasted about two hours. San Martin's two-pronged assault overwhelmed the royalist defenders, killing roughly 500 Spanish soldiers while losing only 12 of his own. Santiago fell within days. The victory liberated central Chile from Spanish control, though royalist forces held the south for another year. San Martin then turned his attention to Peru, taking his army by sea to attack the viceroyalty's heartland and complete the liberation of South America's Pacific coast.

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February 12, 1817

209 years ago

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San Martin Crosses Andes: Chile Liberated at Chacabuco

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