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Thirteen feet of snow. Mules carrying cannons. San Martín's army didn't just cro
1817 Event

January 19

San Martín Crosses the Andes: 5,423 Soldiers March to Free Chile

Thirteen feet of snow. Mules carrying cannons. San Martín's army didn't just cross a mountain range—they rewrote the rules of military strategy. Dragging 1,600 mules and enough artillery to shock the Spanish colonial forces, these Argentine revolutionaries traversed the treacherous Andes in just 21 days. Most experts said it was impossible. But impossibility wasn't in San Martín's vocabulary. And by the time they descended into Chile, the Spanish colonial grip was about to shatter forever.

January 19, 1817

209 years ago

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