Bolivian Independence: The Fight Against Spanish Rule

The Bolivian War of Independence was sparked by a combination of factors, including growing discontent in Spanish colonies, the previous proto-revolution led by Túpac Amaru II, and the Napoleonic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 1807. The war spanned from 1809 to 1825, with the first wave of uprisings in Bolivia occurring in 1809, inspired by the political turmoil in Spain. The conflict was driven by the desire for self-governance and freedom from colonial rule, with the people of Charcas (modern-day Bolivia) seeking to break free from Spanish colonial rule, which had been in place since the 16th century.

The Chuquisaca and La Paz revolutions

The Chuquisaca Revolution, also known as the "First Cry of Freedom", was a popular uprising against the Governor-Intendant of the city of Chuquisaca (now Sucre) on 25 May 1809. The Real Audiencia of Charcas, supported by the university faculty and pro-independence sectors, deposed the governor and formed a governing board or junta. The movement was initially loyal to King Ferdinand VII of Spain, but it was suspected that the governor, Ramón García de León y Pizarro, planned to hand over the country to Princess Carlota Joaquina de Borbón, sister of Ferdinand VII. This provided a framework for pro-independence sectors to spread the rebellion to La Paz, where a Junta Tuitiva ("protecting junta") was established on 16 July.

The La Paz junta openly broke with Spanish authority and the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, declaring independence. This was the second and more radical uprising, which was violently repressed by an army sent by the Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros. The movement in Chuquisaca lost all external support and was ultimately defeated by forces sent from Lima by Viceroy José Fernando de Abascal.

The Chuquisaca Revolution and the La Paz revolution sparked the Bolivian War of Independence, which lasted from 1809 to 1825. The conflict grew into a guerrilla war, the War of the Republiquetas, which prevented the royalists from strengthening their presence.

The May Revolution

The ideas of independence were spread through pamphlets distributed by students at the university in Chuquisaca, inspired by the writings of Aquinas, a church father who wrote about politics. The political situation in Spain was also a factor, as the Mutiny of Aranjuez on 17 March 1808 and the abdication of Ferdinand VII in favour of Joseph Bonaparte on 6 May 1808 created a sense of uncertainty in the colonies. The first wave of nationalist uprisings in Bolivia occurred in 1809, with the formation of government juntas in Sucre and La Paz, known as the Chuquisaca Revolution and the La Paz Revolution, respectively. These juntas were short-lived, as they were defeated and the cities fell back under Spanish control.

Guerrilla warfare

The republiquetas were strong enough to withstand interference by royalist forces for over 15 years. However, they lacked the size and organization to bring about independence for Charcas. Instead, they maintained a stalemate with royalist regions while fending off attempts by Buenos Aires to control the area. Most of these quasi-states were so isolated that they were unaware of each other's existence.

The term "guerrilla warfare" comes from the Spanish word "guerrilla," meaning "little war." It became popular during the early 19th-century Peninsular War when Spanish and Portuguese people rose against Napoleonic troops and defeated a superior army using guerrilla tactics in combination with a scorched earth policy and people's war. The term was adopted into English by Arthur Wellesley in 1809.

In the Bolivian context, guerrilla warfare was also used in the 1960s by Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, who attempted to foment a socialist revolution in the country. Guevara's band of guerrillas was ultimately defeated by the Bolivian government, with the help of the US-trained Bolivian military and CIA operatives.

The War of the Republiquetas

The republiquetas were led by caudillos, whose power was based on their personality and ability to win military engagements. This allowed them to create quasi-states that attracted a diverse range of followers, including political exiles, cattle rustlers and other fringe members of Criollo and Mestizo society. These Criollo and Mestizo republiquetas often allied themselves with local indigenous communities, although it was challenging to maintain their loyalty. Ultimately, the republiquetas never had the size or organisation to bring about the independence of Charcas, but they did maintain a fifteen-year stalemate with royalist regions, while holding off attempts by Buenos Aires to control the area. Most of these quasi-states were so isolated that they had no knowledge that the others existed.

The Battle of Tumusla

After the Royalist armies' decisive defeat in the Battle of Ayacucho in Peru on December 9, 1824, and the capture of Spanish Viceroy José de la Serna e Hinojosa, the continent's only remaining Royalist army was that of Pedro Antonio Olañeta in Upper Peru, now Bolivia. This army was hopelessly outnumbered and low on morale, and it was unable to stop the advance of the patriot army led by Antonio José de Sucre in 1825. When Olañeta's second-in-command, Carlos Medinaceli Lizarazu, defected with half of the troops to the patriots, Olañeta furiously ordered an attack on his former troops, now led by Colonel Medinaceli.

On April 2, 1825, the two forces clashed at the village of Tumusla, south of Potosí. Olañeta was mortally wounded and died the following day. All remaining Royalist soldiers either surrendered or defected.

There are controversies surrounding the events of the battle. Some sources claim that there was no actual battle and that Olañeta was killed by his own men or took his own life. Other accounts suggest that the battle's significance was later downplayed by Sucre because he had failed to capture Olañeta.

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