August 12: The Reconquest of Buenos Aires

Every August 12, the anniversary of the Reconquest of Buenos Aires is commemorated; a historical event without which the history of Argentina cannot be understood. Read on and find out how it was.

History of the Reconquest of Buenos Aires

The Reconquest of Buenos Aires took place 215 years ago , when these lands still belonged to the Spanish crown. Thus, on August 12 , the troops commanded by the head of the Buenos Aires Naval Station, Santiago de Liniers, defeated more than 1660 Englishmen who had landed on June 25 from 5 warships and 5 transport ships with the purpose of invading Buenos Aires.

However, the Reconquest of Buenos Aires also occurred, thanks to the fact that the highest authority of the viceroyalty of La Plata at that time, Viceroy Sobremonte, made a series of bad decisions such as withdrawing the veterans of arms and the militias to the fortress without even knowing the number of the invading forces or also, the one to quickly withdraw from the place towards Monte Grande.

On the other hand, the Viceroy followed what the Spanish crown ordered in cases like these, which was to protect the treasure and retreat to the city to prepare a reconquest with the armed forces there.

In this way, several citizens of the province of Buenos Aires do not wait for the reconquest to arrive and decide to get down to work designing a plan in a few days and gathering men to carry it out.

A few days later, Santiago de Liniers enters the scene, who is going to perfect the plan, gather more men and finally on August 9 the troops begin to march to carry out the attack.

On August 12, the attack on the Plaza Mayor where the English were, succeeded in defeating the invading forces and taking William Carr Beresford prisoner; commander of the English. In this way, at the end of the afternoon of August 12, the Reconquest of Buenos Aires was already a fact.