Battle of Acosta Ñu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Acosta Ñu was an infamous battle during the War of the Triple Alliance, where, in August 16, 1869, 20,000 men of the Brazilian Army crushed a Paraguayan battalion made up of 3,500 children.
Contents |
[edit] Background
In the middle of 1869, the Paraguayan Army had already been completely defeated, and Asunción was under allied occupation. This led Brazilian commander Duque de Caxias to suggest the signing of a peace treaty. Dom Pedro II, the Brazilian Emperor, refused to do so, and ordered the Army to pursue the Paraguayan president, Francisco Solano López. Caxias resigned and was replaced by the Emperor's son-in-law, Count d'Eu. Under the new command, the Brazilian Army continued a bloody campaign in Paraguay until finally killing López in 1870—Argentina and Uruguay, also members of the alliance against Paraguay, refused to do so.
[edit] The beginning
With almost every adult Paraguayan male killed during the War of the Triple Alliance, the Paraguayan Army was comprised mainly of children. After the occupation of Asunción, they desperately tried to protect President Solano López, who had fled to the countryside. At Acosta Ñu, a battalion of 3,500 children tried to stop 20,000 Brazilian troops in this pursuit. They stood in front of a forest where their mothers were hidden functioning as supply lines and medical support. The children even painted on mustaches in order to look like adults. In addition, some war-injured and elders were in the battalion. The Brazilian strategy was to encircle the Paraguayans and destroy them. On the morning of August 16, 1869, Brazilian cavalry rode against the Paraguayans and started killing everyone in their way. As the children were being decapitated, desperate mothers came out from the forest to protect their children, but the Brazilians simply rode over them.
[edit] The massacre
By the middle of the day, Count d'Eu realized the weakness of his opponents and their hiding place in the forest. He then decided to change his strategy and ordered his men to set the forest on fire. The fire spread quickly, terrible screams were heard, and eventually bodies turned into human torches began trying to escape from the forest until they swiftly perished. By evening, the field was completely devastated. The Brazilian High Command considered the eight-hour battle a success, and the Army proceeded with the pursuit of president Solano López.
[edit] Acosta Ñu in history
In Paraguay, Children's Day is celebrated on August 16. It is a national holiday to commemorate the War of the Triple Alliance and its devastating consequences. In Brazil, the Battle of Acosta Ñu is a neglected piece of history. Like other atrocities committed by the Brazilian Army in Paraguay, its occurrence is officially denied, and even more than 135 years later, the documents concerning the War of the Triple Alliance (known in Brazil as the "Paraguayan War") are still classified.
