Manuel Baquedano: Difference between revisions

{{family name hatnote|Baquedano|González|lang=Spanish}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| death_place=[[Santiago, Chile]]

| vicepresident=

}}

 

 

 

==Early life==

Baquedano's military strategy in this war consisted mainly in frontal attack to break the often over-extended enemy lines.<ref name=faelc/><ref name="Bradford2004">{{cite book|author=James C. Bradford|title=International Encyclopedia of Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ELDlCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT816|date=1 December 2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-95034-7|pages=816–}}</ref> Although he had little training in strategy, he is remembered as a general who personally directed battles resulting in decisive victories.<ref name=faelc/><ref name=gv>[[Gonzalo Vial Correa|Vial Correa, Gonzalo]]. ''Chilenos del bicentenario: Manuel Baquedano''.</ref> He was a strict disciplinarian: he had a soldier shot for cowardice at the Battle of Chorrillos. Of a stubborn and obstinate nature, he tolerated no argument once he had taken a decision.<ref name="Geocities">{{cite web|url=//www.geocities.com/cpl_1879/solda/chilenos/baquedano.html |title=Biografía del general Baquedano |publisher=www.geocities.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010417001749/http://www.geocities.com/cpl_1879/solda/chilenos/baquedano.html |archive-date=April 17, 2001 }}</ref>

 

 

==Later life ==

Baquedano retired from military life in May 1881.<ref name=pel/> He was twice offered a presidential candidacy, but on both occasions the campaign did not prosper.<ref name="CollierSater2004">{{cite book|author1=Simon Collier|author2=William F. Sater|title=A History of Chile, 1808-2002|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y2h3KuCIQI4C&pg=PA145|date=18 October 2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-53484-0|pages=145–}}</ref> By means of a law passed in August 1881, the government of [[Domingo Santa María]] granted him lifelong honors, pay and allowances at the level of an active commander in chief.

 

 

During the [[1891 Chilean Civil War]], Baquedano did not side with either political party. But, after Balmaceda's forces were overcome and destroyed at the [[1891 Chilean Civil War#Battle of La Placilla|battle of La Placilla]], it was clear that the President could no longer hope to find a sufficient strength amongst his adherents to maintain himself in power. On August 29, 1891, Balmaceda officially handed power to General Baquedano, who attempted to keep order in Santiago until the arrival of the congressional leaders on the 30th.<ref name=pel/><ref>{{cite book |author=Vial Correa, Gonzalo |title=Historia de Chile. Triunfo y decadencia de la oligarquía. (1891-1920). Vol. 2. |chapter=Capítulo I - El interregno |pages=28–80 }}</ref> He then handed power to Navy captain [[Jorge Montt]] on the 31st, and retired permanently to private life.

[[Category:1823 births]]

[[Category:1897 deaths]]

[[Category:Chilean people of Basque descent]]

[[Category:People of the Occupation of Araucanía]]

[[Category:Chilean military personnel of the War of the Pacific]]

[[Category:People of the Chilean Civil War of 1891]]