THE BATTLE OF AYACUCHO

Almost 300 years after Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire, the colony was suppressed forever since December 9, 1824 at the Battle of Ayacucho. King Fernando VII was weakened in Europe by the revolts that occurred in Spain, the uprising managed to ensure the independence of Peru and the rest of America dominated by Spain.

PRECEDENTS OF THE BATTLE OF AYACUCHO

The first indications of problems for the Crown occurred in 1807, when Napoleon began to spread in central and western Europe, began to destabilize the regimes of the Iberian Peninsula to Austria. Peru remained loyal to the Spanish government at that time, realizing that they would have to deal with local governors appointed by the Viceroy of Peru José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa. While Spain wrote the new Spanish Constitution of 1812 with the monarchy in exile, the small rebellions were suppressed 1811-1815.

BATTLE START OF AYACUCHO

In 1821, the independence movements in other nations had extended to Peru. José de San Martín brought reinforcements from Chile, feeling comfortable enough with the successes to declare Peru's independence after capturing parts of Lima on July 12.

General José de la Serna - Viceroy of Peru after overthrowing his predecessor - marched with his army in pursuit of the nationalists. Knowing that his soldiers were the only ones who could gather reinforcements since they had refused to leave Spain since 1820.

As the colonial administration exploded into chaos towards the end of 1823 - Fernando managed to turn the Constitutional Government upside down - Bolívar felt the opportunity to enter Upper Peru to the south and sent his second in command, Antonio José de Sucre, to attack during the spring months.

Sucre, aware that he could not win a battle based on tactics, forced his army to retreat when he came face to face with a realistic attack in early December. He reorganized his soldiers near Ayacucho and managed to create an equalizing battle, the rebels only had about 500 fewer men than their realistic counterpart.

La Serna and the soldiers who support the Spanish domination marched in the direction of Sucre and his troops on December 9, 1824, they lost the element of surprise in the initial moments. A small hill on the side of the battlefield allowed Sucre to see the realist army forcing them to attack, allowing him to place his troops.

His men attacked, the rest of the army slipped in an attempt to counter the advance of the nationalists. The Sucre units moved like a cohesive front, capturing de la Serna. The battle was over, with more than 2,500 realists killed or wounded.

That afternoon at the end of the battle of Ayacucho, the acting leader José Canterac signed the capitulation of Ayacucho ending the War of Independence of Peru. In Spain, the act would be seen as a conspiracy against the crown.