Francisco Javier Venegas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent The Marquess of Reunión and New Spain KOC
Portrait by José Aparicio
59th Viceroy of New Spain
In office 14 September 1810 – 4 March 1813
Monarch	Ferdinand VII of Spain
Preceded by	Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont
Succeeded by	Félix María Calleja del Rey
Personal details
Born	Francisco Javier Venegas de Saavedra y Rodríguez de Arenzana 2 December 1754 Zafra, Spain
Died	February 18, 1838(1838-02-18) (aged 83) Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Signature

Francisco Javier Venegas (born in Zafra, Spain, in 1754 – died in Zafra, Spain, in 1838) was a Spanish general. He later became the viceroy of New Spain (which is now Mexico) from 1810 to 1813. This was during the start of the Mexican War of Independence.

Venegas's Military Career

Venegas first studied for a writing career. However, he decided to join the military instead. He rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel. He fought against the French Republic.

He had retired from the army when Napoleon's forces invaded Spain. But he returned to active duty to fight the French. Venegas took part in the Battle of Bailén. He was then made commander of a division in Andalucía, a region in Spain. He showed great intelligence, energy, and courage during the war.

Early Battles and Challenges

In December 1808, Venegas tried a surprise attack on French cavalry at Tarancón. His troops surrounded the town. However, the French soldiers realized it was a trap. They rode out of the town. The Spanish infantry formed squares to block them. But the French cavalry rode through the gaps between the squares. The French escaped, losing about 60 soldiers. Venegas's own cavalry arrived too late to stop them.

In January 1809, Venegas led 9,500 foot soldiers, 1,800 cavalry, and four cannons. He chose to fight a larger French force. At the Battle of Uclés, 12,500 French foot soldiers and 3,500 horsemen crushed Venegas's army. The French attacked from the front and also surrounded the Spanish forces. The French lost only 150 soldiers. Venegas's army lost 1,000 killed or wounded. They also had 5,866 prisoners and all four cannons captured.

Commanding the Army of La Mancha

Despite this defeat, Venegas was given command of the Army of La Mancha. This happened after its previous commander was badly beaten. In July 1809, Venegas and his 23,000 soldiers faced the French IV Corps. He carefully avoided a direct battle with the 20,000 skilled French troops.

Venegas was supposed to stop the French IV Corps from joining other French armies. This was to help Arthur Wellesley's British and Spanish armies. However, the French IV Corps managed to get past Venegas. They joined the army of Joseph Bonaparte for the Battle of Talavera. This battle resulted in a victory for the British and Spanish.

Venegas then had a chance to recapture Madrid. But he let the opportunity slip away. In August 1809, Venegas ignored orders to retreat. He decided to fight with his army of 20,000 foot soldiers and 3,000 cavalry. He thought he faced only 14,000 Frenchmen. But Joseph Bonaparte's army actually had 17,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. At the Battle of Almonacid, the Spanish army was defeated. They lost 800 killed, 2,500 wounded, 2,000 prisoners, and 21 cannons. A few weeks later, Venegas was replaced as commander.

Defending Cádiz

In January 1810, the French invaded Andalusia. Venegas was the military governor of Cádiz. The Spanish defenders quickly collapsed. The Spanish government fled to Cádiz. Another general brought 12,000 troops to help defend Cádiz.

Venegas made sure all boats in nearby waters went to Cádiz. He also ordered the destruction of all forts on the Isla del Trocadero. This was to stop the enemy from using them. A disagreement arose between Venegas and the other general about who was in charge. This problem was solved when Venegas was appointed as the new Viceroy of New Spain.

Becoming Viceroy of New Spain

On February 20, 1810, Venegas was named viceroy of New Granada. He held this title for a few months. But he never actually went there. He was instead sent to New Spain.

He arrived in Veracruz on August 28, 1810. He officially entered Mexico City to start his job on September 14, 1810. One of his first actions was to stop the tax that Native Americans and mixed-race people had to pay. He announced this on October 5, 1810.

Venegas also banned publications that could encourage revolutionary ideas. He set up special police courts. He also created a military group in the capital of each province of New Spain.

The Start of the Insurrection

Venegas as Viceroy

Just two days after Venegas became viceroy, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla started a rebellion. This event is known as the Grito de Dolores (the Cry from Dolores). Venegas quickly realized this was a serious uprising. He used the army to fight the rebels. He even removed soldiers from the capital to send more troops to the field. He also ordered priests to preach against the rebels.

The rebels captured several cities, including Celaya, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, and Valladolid. Venegas began calling the rebels insurgentes. This is the name they are still known by in Mexico. He formed a new regiment of troops. He also accepted 500 formerly enslaved people to join the fight. These troops were led by Lieutenant Colonel Torcuato Trujillo.

In October 1810, Father Hidalgo issued a decree freeing enslaved people. In November, he extended this to all of New Spain. He also ended tribute payments.

Trujillo knew the rebels were marching towards Mexico City. He moved his forces to Toluca. Toluca is less than 75 kilometers from Mexico City. However, Toluca had to be abandoned. The royalist forces fell back to a canyon called Monte de las Cruces. Here, the rebels under Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende defeated the royalists on October 30, 1810. Trujillo and other royalist leaders escaped.

Venegas was very worried. He formed a battalion of volunteers. He placed them on the western edge of Mexico City. However, Father Hidalgo, after winning many battles and being close to the capital, suddenly ordered a retreat. The reason for this is still not fully clear.

Royalist Counterattacks

After the rebels retreated, Venegas began to take strong action against them. He ordered General Félix María Calleja to march from San Luis Potosí to help defend the capital. Calleja met the rebels in the plains of San Jerónimo Aculco. He defeated them badly on November 7. Another group of rebels took Guadalajara on November 11. Calleja recaptured Guanajuato on November 25 and Guadalajara on January 21, 1811.

Calleja defeated the rebels again at the battle of Puente de Calderón on January 17, 1811. The rebels were close to winning when a grenade exploded a wagon of ammunition in their camp. This caused confusion. The royalists took advantage and routed the rebels. The remaining rebel forces began retreating north. They hoped to get help from the United States.

However, the main rebel leaders — Hidalgo, Allende, Juan Aldama, Jiménez, and Abasolo — were captured. This happened near Monclova, Coahuila, on March 21, 1811. They were sent to Chihuahua. There, Allende, Aldama, and Jiménez were shot as traitors in July 1811. Hidalgo was shot a few days later. Abasolo was sentenced to prison for life.

Venegas thought the rebellion was over. But then he heard about the actions of Ignacio López Rayón and Father José María Morelos. Rebel groups roamed freely across the country. Royalist troops immediately shot prisoners. Even a small suspicion of helping the rebels could lead to arrest.

The Constitution of Cádiz

The Cortes of Cádiz was a Spanish parliament that ruled after King Ferdinand VII was removed from power. They wrote the Spanish Constitution of 1812. They ordered it to be published in all Spanish lands. Venegas supported absolute rule by the king. So, he delayed publishing the constitution in New Spain for 24 days.

Officials in New Spain swore to follow the constitution on September 30, 1812. But it didn't matter much because Venegas had declared a state of emergency. Under this state of emergency, Venegas also ignored other orders from the parliament. He eventually published a law about freedom of the press. But he soon ended it, saying "abuses have been committed."

Removal from Office and Return to Spain

The Cortes of Cádiz blamed Venegas for his harsh actions. They believed his actions stopped the country from becoming peaceful. The royal court in Mexico and the Spanish people in New Spain also accused him of not being strong enough to stop the rebellion. He was removed from his position on September 16, 1812. However, this didn't take effect until March 4, 1813. That's when General Calleja became the new viceroy.

Venegas immediately returned to Spain. The king rewarded him with the title of Marqués de la Reunión y de Nueva España. In 1818, he was named captain general of Galicia, a region in Spain.

Images for kids

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  Portrait by José Aparicio

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  Signature of Francisco Javier de Venegas

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Xavier Venegas para niños