Аннотация: A Great Drama. 1810 - 1817. A note on chapters 4-7 of Joseph Lavretsky's book "Bolivar"
A Great Drama. 1810 - 1817. A note on chapters 4-7 of Joseph Lavretsky's book "Bolivar"
Napoleon is active in France, in Europe, in Spain. In Spain, power fluctuates.
Accordingly, there are fluctuations of the Spanish authorities in Venezuela (the Spanish colony). The prospects are felt. Three options are possible: to recognize the power of Napoleon, to recognize the power of the patriotic pro-British Seville junta, to recognize the power of the (state) body created by the locals of Venezuela if they declare independence.
On April 19, 1810, the population of the Venezuelan capital Caracas (under the leadership of Simon Bolivar and others) overthrew the captain general. The power passed to the Patriotic Supreme Junta [de la Junta Suprema de Caracas], which, although it swore allegiance to Ferdinand VII, actually strove for complete independence from Spain.
On July 5, 1811 the independence of Venezuela was proclaimed, the First Venezuelan Republic appeared.
On March 26, 1812, a powerful earthquake of great magnitude occurred, causing the deaths of many thousands of Venezuelan residents. Many considered this earthquake a warning from Above.
The first Venezuelan republic was defeated by a small detachment of Spaniards.
Bolivar was forced to flee Venezuela.
From New Granada (can be conditionally considered as a modern Colombia), Bolivar 'went with a handful of fighters 1,200 kilometers across the territory occupied by the enemy, crossed two highest mountain ranges, won six major battles and dozens of small battles, never having been defeated, captured hundreds of enemy soldiers, captured 50 cannons and freed from the Spaniards the entire west of Venezuela. All this was accomplished in just three months. ' [Here and further, quotes from the book by Joseph Lavretsky 'Bolivar']
1813 year. Bolivar receives a dictatorial powers. A Second Venezuelan republic appears.
After the emergence of the Second Venezuelan Republic, events begin that somewhat resemble some events of the 20th century.
Creoles, supporters of independence from Spain, have major problems, their number begins to decline.
(Creoles are local natives of Spanish descent, that is, they people born from Spanish parents in Spanish America during the 300-year rule of Spain in those edges.)
The "Legion of the Devils" appears, led by José Tomás Boves (Rodriguez). 'He [Boves] had only one passion: to torture, to torment, to rape, to kill.'
'Against the advancing llaneros [who were led by Boves], Bolivar sent a detachment under the command of one of the most talented officers - Vicente Campo Elías, who could be a worthy opponent of Boves.
'Campo Elías was a Spaniard, but there was no other person in the army of patriots who would hate the Spaniards with a such force. 'The damned Spanish race must disappear,' said Campo Elías. 'I would have destroyed her all, and then I killed myself, so that there would be no trace of her in Venezuela.' Campo Elias even shot his own uncle for his sympathy for the Spaniards'.)
'The war was becoming more and more brutal and merciless. Boves was killing all the creoles [Bolivar was a creole] falling into his hands. Many families were completely exterminated by him. Llamosas, chaplain of the Spanish army in Venezuela, subsequently reported to King Ferdinand VII: '... Boves ordered the killing of all whites, which was carried out all the way to San Mateo (Bolivar family estate. - Joseph Lavretsky). White women were sent to the island of Argun. Boves handed out to blacks the houses and property of the dead and of the deported and issued them property certificates. "In the village of Santa Rosa, all white prisoners were killed ... The same thing happened in Cuman, San Joaquin, Santa Ana ... Boves executed subordinates who refused to comply with these barbaric orders."
Somehow these events resemble something from the 20th century ...
'In June 1814, Bolivar, trying to stop the invasion of Boves, launched an offensive in the area of La Puerta, but could not resist the onslaught of the cavalry half-wild llaneros and was defeated. More than a thousand patriots laid their heads on the battlefield, and those who surrendered were killed. And yet Bolivar did not lose a fighting spirit. He repeated again and again to his associates: 'The art of winning is arriving through defeat.'
Finally, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, was surrendered to the 'Legion of the Devils'.
More than twenty thousand people (inhabitants) left Caracas.
"And again, before leaving his native land, Bolivar turned to his compatriots with a manifesto in which he pointed out the reasons that caused the death of the Second Republic."
Bolivar and Marigno headed to Cartagena.
'- We are participants in a great drama, the scene of which is the whole continent,' Bolivar began his speech."
With the fall of Caracas, with the victory of the 'Legion of the Devils' and with Bolivar's move to Cartagena, coincided the start of the Spanish expedition of Marshal Pablo Morillo (consisting of 60 transports, accompanied by 25 warships. They carried an 11,000-strong army from selected Spanish regiments who had gone through a harsh school of war with Napoleon).
'A junta of sequestrators was created, which took up the confiscation of property of wealthy Creoles - participants in the liberation movement. A special junta for a cleaning was depriving Creoles, who were suspected of sympathizing with the patriots [supporters of independence], of posts in the colonial administration. '
'The junta of sequestrations confiscated over 300 estates worth 15 million pesos. So the Creole aristocrats paid for their freethinking. '
A strange phrase appears on the pages of Joseph Lavretsky's book: "The color of Granada society died on a scaffold [a place of execution]."
It seems that the number of creoles and their influence have declined sharply.
A former supporters of the Spaniards, those activists, who opposed Creoles, who opposed Bolivar and who opposed the independence of Venezuela (and Spanish America), begin to change the front - they are looking for a leader to fight against the Spaniards ...
Apparently, the relevance of the fight against Creoles has decreased. The task of fighting against the Spaniards began to come to the fore ...
The great drama is heading for yet another historical climax.
We continue to read the book by Joseph Lavretsky 'Bolivar' ...
May 14, 2020 07:09
Translation from Russian into English: May 14, 2020 08:24.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Великая драма. 1810 - 1817. Заметка о главах 4-7 книги Иосифа Лаврецкого 'Боливар''.