Americans have often ignored the Latin American Wars of Independence as an area for simulations. The size of the opposing forces involved in battles was small when compared to the Napoleonic battles fought in Europe. Their size was limited by a number of factors including the lack of a large population base from which to draw manpower, the poor condition of the road system and the isolated nature of the towns from which reserves and supply could be drawn. I think that a main reason for this is that the more popular rules systems use a 1:50 scale or larger. This severely limits the number of battles that can be re-fought with a decent number of castings. However, with "Shako" and the recent release of "War Eagles" the use of 1:30 scale rules is growing in popularity. For those players who enjoy skirmish gaming, this era does provide a number of challenging scenarios.

This is not to say that research has not being done in the area. The "El Dorado" magazine often contains articles on the Independence Wars. A bibliographic list is provided at the end of the article.

The wars for independence in Latin America were fought in numerous locations and over an extended period of time. Most writers tend to begin the revolt in 1810. Frustration with Spanish Colonial policies came to a boiling point as Spain itself was in turmoil with foreign armies marching across the countryside either as occupiers or liberators. Creoles began to doubt the purpose of following policies that continued to be issued by juntas in Spain who failed to place any significance on the problems in South America. As a result, Spain’s Latin American colonies instead of becoming a source of manpower to help liberate Spain, became Spain’s own growing ulcer.

Distinct theatres of operation can be identified. The nature of the fighting and composition of various factions varied between the regions. Some of these areas were linked to others as armies from one faction marched long distances to attack the home bases of their foes. Mexico and some of the revolts that occurred on individual Caribbean islands is not covered in this article as the presence of armies and battles that could be used in simulations are limited. The New Granada Theatre includes the area of the Viceroyalty of New Granada with actions occurring in modern Venezuela, Panama, Columbia and even Ecuador. The Argentina Theatre included the parts of the Viceroyalty of Rio de Plata that comprise modern, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. The Chile-Peru Theatre covers actions in the Royalist stronghold of Peru and area of Chile that was divided in loyalty between not only Spain and the cause of independence but also between various liberation groups. The area of modern Bolivia was one of the transition zones where Creole forces from Argentina often fought Royalist forces from Peru.

The New Granada Theater contained areas in which the ethnic make up of the population influenced the supporters of the Royalist, Creoles and Caudillos. Venezuela had a very percentage of Negroes. The Negroes viewed the Creoles as the evil task masters and often supported the Royalist or Caudillos in an effort to find a better life or at least plundered riches. This attitude was also prevalent among the largely Negro population of the harsh Llaneros region. Though once the powerful Caudillo Paez declared support for the Creoles, his success caused many of the soldiers to switch allegiances. In Columbia the Creole merchant class tended to support the Royalist as long as they were winning. In Ecuador the largely native Indian population remained neutral or supported the Creoles when the liberation forces finally arrived. Warfare in this theater was especially bloody. Both sides declared a "Victory or Death" policy that resulted in numerous massacres of prisoners and civilians. Both sides experienced highs and lows in this region as both won and lost control of specific areas several times during the war.

The Argentina Theatre was simultaneously a location of stability and factionalism. It was isolated from the Royalist stronghold of Peru by distance and the Andes Mountains. Their size and location made them a difficult objective for an expedition. However, these same factors made it difficult for a centralized government in Buenos Aires to control the entire region. Paraguay and Bande Oriental (Uruguay) both established separate countries. Even in the Interior area several independent towns established various forms of self-government under caudillos. Argentine forces even fought a lengthy war with Portuguese troops from Brazil. Still the protected isolation provided a base for troops to be trained to re-conquer Chile. So in this region, you had Creoles vs Royalists, Portenos vs Caudillos, Royalist vs Portuguese, Portenos vs Portuguese and Caudillos vs Caudillos.

The Chile-Peru Theatre contained the Royalist stronghold of Peru and a large Pro-Crown Loyalist population. There was a constant struggle between the Royalist and Creoles as several towns in Chile changed hands several times. The Loyalist strength can also be seen by the difficulty that the Creoles had in capturing several towns in Chile. It also includes some civil war activity between rival Creole factions.

The area of Upper Peru was a transition point as it linked Peru and the Argentine territory. Activity here can be regarded as either in the Argentina Theatre or the Chile-Peru Theatre. It was known for guerrilla activity during the war.

Latin American Wars of Independence

Background Data
Key Terms and Definitions
Organization and Character of the Armies
Operations in Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Operations in Upper Peru (Bolivia) and Argentina
Operations in Chile and Peru
Key Leaders
Bibliographic Appendix