Carlos María de Alvear facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos María de Alvear
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
In office 9 January 1815 – 18 April 1815
Preceded by	Gervasio Antonio de Posadas
Succeeded by	Third Triumvirate: José de San Martín Matías de Irigoyen Manuel de Sarratea
Personal details
Born	Carlos Antonio del Santo Ángel Guardián de Alvear y Balbastro (1789-10-25)25 October 1789 Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul
Died	3 November 1852(1852-11-03) (aged 63) New York City, United States
Resting place	La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires
Nationality	Argentine
Spouse	María del Carmen Sáenz de la Quintanilla
Children	María Carlota Emilio Marcelo Camilio Urbelino Carlos F. Torcuato Antonio Joaquina del Carmen Virginia Mercedes Diego Juan Nepomuceno León Gabino
Profession	Politician, soldier

Carlos María de Alvear (born October 25, 1789, in Santo Ángel, Rio Grande do Sul; died November 3, 1852, in New York) was an Argentine soldier and leader. He served as the Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815.

Early Life and Family

Carlos María de Alvear was born in Santo Ángel. This area was then part of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. Today, it is in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state. His father was a Spanish nobleman, Diego de Alvear y Ponce de León. His mother, María Balbastro, was a Criolla, meaning she was of Spanish descent but born in the Americas. He was named Carlos Antonio del Santo Ángel Guardián at birth.

In 1804, when Carlos was 15, he traveled to Spain with his family. Their ship was part of a Spanish fleet. A British fleet attacked them. During this battle, Carlos lost his brothers and mother. He and his father survived but were taken as prisoners to England. While in England, Carlos met and married an Irish woman.

To honor his mother, Carlos adopted the name Carlos María de Alvear. He received an English-style education during his time in Britain. Some people later thought this made him too friendly to British interests. Like many important Argentines of his time, he was also a freemason.

Military Career and Leadership

Alvear was one of the few trained military officers who fought for Argentina's independence. He had served in the Spanish Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He became an active Freemason. In Cadiz, Spain, he helped start a secret society called Sociedad de los Caballeros Racionales. This group was made up of South Americans. José de San Martín, another important leader, also joined this society. Alvear and San Martín often had disagreements.

Alvear returned to Buenos Aires on a British ship. Other soldiers, including San Martín, were also on board. When he arrived, Alvear became a Lieutenant Colonel in the new Argentine army. He led a fight against the Spanish army in Montevideo. This action made the local leader, José Gervasio Artigas, his enemy.

Alvear was a key figure in the Assembly of 1813. He wanted more political power. He helped create a "Unitarian" government. This meant the central government in Buenos Aires had most of the power. His uncle, Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, was then named Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. This was the top executive position.

In early 1814, Alvear became the commander of the forces defending Buenos Aires. A few months later, he took over the army that was surrounding Montevideo. Montevideo was the last Spanish stronghold in the River Plate area. It was defended by 5,000 Spanish troops. In June 1814, Alvear forced the Spanish troops in Montevideo to surrender. This was a huge victory for the independence movement. Alvear was only 25 years old and was seen as a very successful general. He returned to Buenos Aires as a hero. However, a revolt forced him back to the Banda Oriental (modern-day Uruguay). He quickly defeated the local leaders who were against the government.

By the end of 1814, Alvear was named commander of the Army of the North. But he didn't have enough support from his uncle Posadas. He was also not popular with the troops. He had other disagreements, too. For example, he wanted to create a constitutional monarchy and sent this idea to Europe. This plan was strongly opposed by the League of Free Peoples. Because of these issues, he returned to Buenos Aires. On January 9, 1815, at age 25, he became Supreme Director. He replaced his uncle Posadas.

As Supreme Director, Alvear did not have strong support from the army or the people in the other provinces. He tried to make a deal with Artigas. He offered Artigas the independence of the Banda Oriental (now Uruguay). In return, Artigas would move his army out of the Argentine Littoral. But Artigas refused the offer. So, Alvear sent troops to take control of the area.

Around this time, Alvear wrote to the British ambassador, Viscount Strangford, in Rio de Janeiro. He asked for Britain to get involved. After his own troops rebelled, and under pressure from the local government (the Cabildo), Alvear resigned on April 15. He then left the country. He lived in exile in Rio de Janeiro until 1818. Later that year, he moved to Montevideo. There, he joined his friend, the Chilean Jose Miguel Carrera. Carrera was also in exile because of political differences with San Martín.

Diplomatic Missions

Alvear returned to Argentina in 1822. This was possible because of an amnesty law, which allowed exiles to come back. In late 1823, Bernardino Rivadavia appointed him as a special ambassador to the United States. Before going to Washington, Alvear stopped in London. He met with George Canning, the British Foreign Secretary. Weeks after this meeting, the British government officially recognized the independence of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.

In 1825, Alvear and José Miguel Díaz Vélez were sent to Bolivia. They were to meet with Simón Bolívar. Their main goal was to get Bolívar's help. Argentina was facing a war with the Empire of Brazil over the Banda Oriental. They hoped Bolívar would lead a South American alliance. This alliance could pressure Dom Pedro I to remove his army from the Eastern Province. Alvear also had his own idea. He wanted to create a large republic in South America. This republic would include Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. He asked Bolívar to be its first president. Bolívar liked the idea, but problems in Gran Colombia forced him to give it up.

War Against Brazil

To keep Alvear from seeking too much political power, President Bernardino Rivadavia made him his Minister of War and Navy in early 1826. With limited money and resources, Alvear quickly built an army of 8,000 men. This army was to fight against the Empire of Brazil. Both countries wanted control over the Banda Oriental (modern-day Uruguay). Brazil was much larger and stronger. It had about 5 million people, a huge army of 120,000 soldiers, and nearly 80 warships. Argentina was much smaller, with only 700,000 people. It also faced problems with some of its provinces wanting to separate.

President Rivadavia feared Brazil might invade Argentina. So, in mid-1826, he made Alvear the commander of the Argentine army. The army was having problems, but Alvear quickly brought back order. He got the troops ready for battle. By the end of the year, after only three months, he launched an invasion of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul province. One of Alvear's goals was to cause a slave rebellion. He hoped this would force the Brazilian Emperor to seek peace.

In early 1827, during the Cisplatine War, the Argentine Army entered Brazil. They defeated the Brazilians in several battles, including Bagé, Ombú, and Camacuá. Their biggest victory was the Battle of Ituzaingó. This was probably the most important win of Alvear's career. His brave leadership during this campaign made him a national hero in Argentina. However, problems within Argentina and a peace treaty that many saw as unfair led to Rivadavia's presidency ending. Without support from Buenos Aires, Alvear resigned and returned to the capital. When he arrived, he found that the new government had removed him. They tried to make him and Rivadavia look bad.

Later Life and Diplomacy

In 1829, Juan Manuel de Rosas became a powerful figure in Argentine politics. His rule lasted for nearly 23 years. Alvear was one of the leaders who opposed Rosas. In 1832, Rosas sent Alvear as ambassador to the United States. This was a way to keep Alvear away from Argentine politics. A change in government the next year allowed Alvear to stay in Buenos Aires. But when Rosas returned to power in 1835, he again tried to get rid of Alvear. Rosas suspected Alvear was planning against him.

In early 1837, Rosas found proof that Alvear was involved in a new plot. So, he again appointed Alvear as Argentina's first special ambassador to the United States. Alvear finally left the following year. He spent the rest of his life as ambassador in the U.S. He died in his home in New York in November 1852.

During his time in the United States, Alvear met many important political figures. These included Joel Roberts Poinsett, Daniel Webster, and James Buchanan. Alvear's main job was to get an apology from the U.S. about an incident at the Falkland Islands. He also had to restate Argentina's claim to those islands. The U.S. government did not care much about Argentina's claims. Alvear asked to be moved to Europe, but Rosas refused. As conflicts between Argentina and France, and later Britain, grew, Alvear tried to get U.S. support. He argued this would fit with the Monroe Doctrine. However, the United States was focused on its own issues at the time, like Texas and Oregon. So, it stayed neutral. Even though Alvear was a political enemy of Rosas, he admired Rosas for standing firm against outside interference.

Alvear had always admired the United States. But after the U.S. took over Texas in 1845 and fought the war with Mexico (1846–1848), Alvear became worried. He feared American intentions toward Spanish America. According to his biographer, Thomas Davis, Alvear's diplomatic letters helped shape Argentina's traditional distrust of U.S. policies. Alvear believed the U.S. wanted to control all of Latin America.

Carlos María de Alvear was buried in La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.

Legacy

Bartolomé Mitre, who wrote a biography of San Martín, was very critical of Alvear. He described Alvear as ambitious and dictatorial. Most later historians also view Alvear negatively, though for different reasons. Some authors support other figures but reject Alvear, even if they were politically connected. Other historians, who are against foreign influence, criticize Alvear for trying to make the United Provinces a British protectorate. They also link him to Bernardino Rivadavia, even though Alvear and Rivadavia were sometimes enemies.

See also

In Spanish: Carlos María de Alvear para niños