Military history of Argentina

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History of Argentina
Pre-Colombian times
Indigenous peoples
Spanish rule
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
British invasions
An independent nation
May Revolution
Argentine War of Independence
Congress of Tucumán
Building a nation
Argentine Constitution of 1853
Conquest of the Desert
Generation of '80
Immigration in Argentina
The Age of Perón
Juan and Eva Perón
Montoneros and Triple A
Military government
Dirty War
Falklands/Malvinas War
Democracy and crisis
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo
Trials of the Juntas
Carapintadas
The Argentinazo
Present day Argentina
Modern Argentina
Topical
Military history of Argentina
Timeline of Argentine history
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• British invasions of the Río de la Plata 1806-1807
  • June 1806: 1st British Invasion. A British force of 1,500 men under Colonel William Carr Beresford landed near Buenos Aires and occupied the city on June 27, but was defeated by the colonial militia and forced to surrender in August 12th 1806.
  • May 1807: 2nd British Invasion. Lieutenant-General John Whitelock arrived to take overall command and attacked Buenos Aires on July 5. After having more than half his forces killed and captured, Whitelock signed a cease-fire and left for Great Britain, where he was court-martialed and cashiered.
• May 25, 1810: May Revolution. After the capture of Spanish King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon Bonaparte, the viceroyalty power was under question and the citizens of Buenos Aires formed the fist local government.
• 1810-1818 Argentine War of Independence. The battles fought against the royal Spanish army, still loyal to its overthrown King Ferdinand VII. The first Argentine army was created by the First Junta (Primera Junta) and commanded by Manuel Belgrano and Antonio González Balcarce. Then José de San Martín and José Rondeau replaced them.
  • February 3, 1813: Battle of San Lorenzo. This marks the creation of the Granaderos division by general José de San Martín. This body was professional and disciplined and the battle of San Lorenzo begins the path to victory and independence for Argentina, Chile and Perú.
• 1825–1828: Argentina-Brazil War over the control of Uruguay (the Banda Oriental), ending with the independence of Uruguay.
• 1833: The United Kingdom invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands and expelled the Argentine inhabitants, including Luis Vernet's colony on East Falkland where the UK established a protectorate. See 1833 invasion of the Falkland Islands
• November 20, 1845: Battle of Obligado. Combined forces from the United Kingdom and France seized control of the Paraná River in order to establish trade ralationships with Paraguayan ports blocked by Argentina. The Argentine Confederation's army, commanded by general Lucio Mansilla, expelled the invaders causing severe damage to the 11 warships by shooting from both river's shores, at the cost of 250 Argentinians killed and 400 wounded. Although the invading troops had less casualties (26 killed, 86 wounded), they decided to leave in order to preserve the remaining ships. It was the last attempt on Argentine rivers by the UK royal navy.
• 1864-1870: War of the Triple Alliance; Argentina, the Brazilian Empire and the puppet government of Uruguay invades and routs the militaristic Paraguay of López, after the strategic Rio Grande Do Sul in Southern Brazil is invaded.
• 1896: First conscription (Servicio Militar Obligatorio). 20-year-old men are drafted by a decree of President José Evaristo Uriburu, foreseeing a territorial conflict with Chile. [1]
• 1914–1919: Argentina remains neutral during World War I by orders of president Hipólito Yrigoyen.
• 1939–1945: World War II. At first, the country tried to maintain his neutral policy but eventually president Edelmiro Farrell was forced to declare war against Germany by foreign pressures. No troops were involved.
• 1978: As a result of territorial disagreements with Chile concerning the south west border, infamous general Jorge Rafael Videla moved troops to the Andes mountains. The conflict was stopped with mediation from the Holy See just in time.
• 1982: Falklands War. The Argentine Armed Forces invaded the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. In the following armed conflict, Argentine conscripts were finally repelled by professional British forces, with significant losses on both sides. See 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands.
• 1990s: Argentina became greatly involved in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world.
• 1991: Argentine Navy ships and Air Force transports participate in the UN 1991 Gulf War
• 1993: Argentina joins UNFICYP mission at Cyprus. As of 2006, ground troops and helicopters are serving there and since 1999 have other latin american countries troops embedded.
• 1995: End of the compulsory conscription regime caused by the murder of the young conscript Carrasco. Decree 1537 of 29 August, signed by President Carlos Menem, establishes a Regime for Personnel of Professional Soldiers. People 18–24 years of age can voluntarily enter the Armed Forces, signing a compromise, and receive a course. Law 24429 ("Law of Voluntary Military Service"), is passed by Congress on 14 December 1994. [2]
• Current: Participation in UN peacekeeping missions continues (particularly in Cyprus and Haiti), as well as regional integration efforts with Brazil and Chile.