Battle of Carabobo

Battle of Carabobo
Part of the Venezuelan War of Independence
Detail of La Batalla de Carabobo by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Oil on canvas.
Date 24 June 1821 Location Carabobo, Venezuela Result Decisive Patriot victory
Belligerents
Patriots Foreign volunteers British Legions	Royalists
Commanders and leaders
Simón Bolívar	Miguel de la Torre
Strength
6,500-8,000 Total 4,000 infantry 900-1,200 British 2,500 cavalry	4,000-5,000 Total No cavalry fought
Casualties and losses
200 dead	2,908 captured, wounded or dead.

The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela.

Order of battle

Army of Gran Colombia

• Commander in Chief: Gen. Simon Bolivar
• 1st Army Division (Commander: Gen. Jose Antonio Paez)
  • 1st Infantry Brigade
    • Apure Braves
    • British Legions
  • 1st Cavalry
    • Honor, Paez's Own Lancers
    • Honored Lancers, The Death
    • Valiant Horse Rifles, The Vengeance
• 2nd Army Division (Commander: Gen. Manuel Cedeno)
  • 2nd Infantry Brigade
    • Vargas
    • Boyaca
    • Guaicaiapuro Foot
    • Tiralleurs Battalion
  • Sacred Cavalry Squadron
• 3rd Army Division (Commander: Gen. Ambrosio Plaza)
  • 3rd Infantry Brigade
    • • Battalion of the Victorious
      • Foot Grenadiers
      • Rifles Regiment
      • Anzoátegui Foot Battalion
  • 2nd Cavalry
    • Dragoons
    • Hussars
    • Horse Guards

Royalist Army

Royal Army

Commander in Chief of the Royal Armies: Field Marshal Juan Miguel de la Torre

• Division Commanders: Gen. Morales (1st), Cols. Jose María Herrera (4th Vanguard) and Tomás Garcia (5th).
• Infantry Battalions attached under the three divisions:

Garcia Division: 1st Infantry Brigade

4th Division: Vanguard Brigade

Morales Division: 3rd Infantry Brigade

• • 2nd Valencay Infantry
  • Barbastro Foot
  • Burgos Foot
  • Hostalrich Foot
  • Infante Don Francisco
  • Principe
• Cavalry Brigade
  • General's Bodyguards
  • Loyal Dragoons
  • HM King Ferdinand VII's Own Hussars
  • King's Own Lancers
• 2 artillery pieces, each attached to the Garcia and the 4th Divisions

History

Painting by Martín Tovar y Tovar

The Royalists occupied the road leading from Valencia to Puerto Cabello. As Bolívar's force of 6,500 approached the Royalist position, Bolívar divided his force and sent half on a flanking maneuver through rough terrain and dense foliage. De la Torre likewise split his force and sent half to deal with this flank attack. Hitting the Patriots with musket fire, the Royalists held back the attack for a while. The Venezuelan infantry failed and retreated, but the men of the "British Legions", among them many members of the former King's German Legion, fought hard and took the hills. They sustained about 50% of Bolívar's casualties. The cavalry militia of royalist "Llanero" fled from battlefield, and the patriot cavalry eventually broke through the Royalist lines on the center, and marched towards the rear of de La Torre's force. The Spanish infantry formed squares and fought to the end under the attack of the Patriot cavalry. The rout was so bad that only some 400 of one infantry regiment managed to reach safety at Puerto Cabello. With the main Royalist force in Venezuela crushed, independence was ensured. Subsequent battles included a key naval victory for the independence forces on 24 July 1823 at the Battle of Lake Maracaibo and in November 1823 José Antonio Páez occupied Puerto Cabello, the last Royalist stronghold in Venezuela.

Commemoration

Painting by Martín Tovar y Tovar

24 June is celebrated as Battle of Carabobo Day .This day is also called "Army Day" in Venezuela. Every year during the month of June the 24th specifically, commemorates the Battle of Carabobo, it was the biggest fight for the Venezuela’s independence from the Spanish Empire.

It is a national event, televised, lasts all day with a military procession, showing to public all armaments, tanks, battalions, weapons, etc of nowadays Army. Also performed with an aircraft show with high speed Jets.

This military parade doesn’t have any sponsorship except the government.

It’s the largest military show in the country after the celebration of the birth of General Simon Bolivar on July 24, 1783.

See also

• Ambrosio Plaza
• Nevado, Bolivar's dog, who died in the Battle of Carabobo

External links

Animated Demo

• http://www.prodi.com.ve/home/presentacion1.htm (in Spanish language)

General

• Venezuela on Encyclopedia of Days
• Carabobo 1821 on Prodiseño Escuela de Comunicación Visual y Diseño
• Bolivar's British Legion by Ian Fletcher from Ian Fletcher Battlefield Tours
• Pages of Glory on Simón Bolívar, The Southamerican Washington from Don Mabry's Historical Text Archive.