José de la Serna, 1st Count of the Andes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
The Count of the Andes
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| 40th Viceroy of Peru | |
| In office January 29, 1821 – December 9, 1824 |
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| Monarch | Ferdinand VII |
| Preceded by | Joaquín de la Pezuela |
| Succeeded by | Juan Pío de Tristán |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 1, 1770 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain |
| Died | July 6, 1832 (aged 62) Cádiz, Spain |
| Profession | Lieutenant General |
| Signature |  |
José de la Serna e Hinojosa, 1st Count of the Andes (born May 1, 1770 – died July 6, 1832) was a Spanish general and a leader in the Spanish colonies. He was the last Spanish viceroy (a ruler representing the king) of Peru who actually held power. He served from January 29, 1821, until December 1824.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
José de la Serna joined the army when he was young. His first military experience was defending Ceuta against the Moors in 1784. Later, he fought against the French in Catalonia in 1795. He also fought against the British in 1797.
In 1809, he was part of the second siege of Zaragoza. During this battle, he was captured and taken to France as a prisoner. However, he managed to escape soon after. After his escape, he traveled through Switzerland and the Middle East. He returned to Spain in 1811. There, he fought alongside Wellington in the Spanish War of Independence against the French. This war ended with the French leaving Spain in 1813.
Leading Spanish Forces in Peru
By 1816, José de la Serna had become a major general. He was chosen to lead the Spanish army in Peru. This army was fighting against groups who wanted independence. He arrived in Callao on September 22, 1816. From there, he went to Alto Perú (which is now Bolivia).
He took command of the army in Cotagaita on November 12, 1816. The viceroy at the time, Joaquín de la Pezuela, told De la Serna to attack Argentine rebels in Tucumán. But De la Serna disagreed. He felt his army was not strong enough for such an attack.
De la Serna had moved his forces as far as Salta. In February 1817, the Spanish were surprised. José de San Martín's Army of the Andes appeared in Chile. San Martín had crossed the mountains from Argentina in a very difficult 21-day journey. He successfully took control of Chile. Because of this, De la Serna's army in Alto Perú had to switch to defending against various rebel groups.
The Change in Leadership
De la Serna's relationship with Viceroy De la Pezuela became worse. De la Pezuela believed in absolute power for the king. De la Serna, however, had more liberal ideas. Eventually, De la Serna asked to be allowed to retire and go back to Spain. He received permission in May 1819. In September, he gave command of the army to General José Canterac.
But De la Serna had many supporters in Lima. When he arrived there, they protested. They wanted him to stay in Peru. They felt he was needed to face the coming invasion by San Martín from Chile. Viceroy De la Pezuela agreed to promote De la Serna to lieutenant general. He also made him president of a war council.
San Martín landed in Pisco on September 7, 1819. Through secret talks, De la Serna was named commander-in-chief of the army. This army was gathered at Aznapuquio to protect the capital from San Martín. The viceroy ordered him to march to Chancay.
On January 29, 1821, the main officers of the army, who supported De la Serna, asked the viceroy to step down. They wanted De la Serna to take his place. De la Pezuela refused. He ordered De la Serna to stop the officers' demands. But De la Serna said he could not do it. That evening, the viceroy gave up his power. Later, Spain recognized this change in leadership.
Serving as Viceroy of Peru
A Spanish representative, Captain Manuel Abreu, arrived in Lima. This happened while San Martín was threatening the capital city. Abreu had orders for the viceroy to try to find a peaceful solution. De la Serna sent him to meet with San Martín. Talks began on May 3, 1821, at Punchauca. Representatives from both sides were there.
The discussions continued until June 24, but they could not agree. The main problem was independence. The rebels demanded it, but Spain insisted that Peru remain loyal to the king. On June 25, fighting started again.
De la Serna had to leave the capital on July 6, 1821. San Martín entered Lima four days later. The common people welcomed him with great joy. On July 15, 1821, the Act of Independence of Peru was signed in Lima's city hall.
De la Serna moved his forces to Jauja, and then to Cuzco. He brought the first printing press to Cuzco. On this press, the famous newspaper El Depositario was published.
On August 24, De la Serna sent General Canterac with 4,000 men to help Callao. However, Callao had to surrender on September 19, 1821. This was because they ran out of supplies. In Cuzco, disagreements started within the Royalist army. General Olañeta refused to obey orders. He kept his own independent Royalist force in Alto Perú.
Canterac's army was defeated on August 6, 1824, by Simón Bolívar at the Battle of Junín. De la Serna decided to risk everything to stop the rebellion. He left Cuzco in October with a well-trained army of 10,000 foot soldiers and 1,600 cavalry. He met the rebel army in the mountain plain of Ayacucho on December 8. The next day, December 9, he was completely defeated by General Antonio José de Sucre.
De la Serna was wounded and captured. The Royalist army lost 2,000 soldiers who were killed or wounded. They also lost 3,000 prisoners. The rest of the army scattered. General Canterac, who was second in command, signed an honorable agreement the next day. On the day of the battle, King Ferdinand VII had made De la Serna the Count of the Andes. He was released soon after and sailed back to Europe. The Spanish rule in Peru was effectively over.
Return to Spain
In Spain, De la Serna was welcomed at the royal court. His actions as viceroy were approved. He was later made captain general of Granada. He died in 1832 in Cádiz. He did not have any children.
See also
In Spanish: José de la Serna para niños
