Archives - History: Page 30
Author: amparo enriquez (Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:14 am)
Title: Triple Alliance War forgotten in American universities?
SOUTH AMERICAN TRIPLE ALLIANCE’S WAR
Not to much research have been done in United State’s universities about the war of the Triple Alliance that took place in South America as well as its consequences for today’s Mercosur nations.
The conflict occurred in between the years of 1865 and 1870 in between the countries of Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. It all started with Uruguay’s civil war, brought about by the animosity between the white and red political parties.
Brazil invaded Uruguay to help the red party meanwhile Paraguay rush to help the white party. Later, Argentina became involved in the conflict because it did not allowed Paraguayan troops to go thru its territory. Paraguay, in March 1865, declared war on Argentina.
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay signed a treaty on May 1st of that year against Paraguay. At the end of the war, the army of Paraguay was defeated in Cora’s Hill on March 1, 1870. For Paraguay the consequences of the war were disastrous. Its initial number of 250,000 men in 1864 dwindled to 25,000 at the end of the war. Also, approximately 100,000 adult women died fighting during the same period.
In spite of this war’s magnitude and its consequences, little is known or studied by history college students at American universities.