Lautaro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lautaro
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Bust of Lautaro
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| Birth name | Lautaro |
| Nickname(s) | Levtaru |
| Born | c. 1534 Treguaco, Chile |
| Died | April 29, 1557 (aged 22–23) Maule Region, Chile |
| Allegiance | Mapuches |
| Years of service | 6 |
| Rank | Toqui |
| Battles/wars | Arauco War |
Lautaro (also known as Levtaru) was a brave young Mapuche leader. He was a toqui, which means a war chief. He led his people against the Spanish who were trying to conquer their land in Chile.
Lautaro was famous for creating new fighting methods. These tactics helped the Mapuche win many battles during the long Arauco War. He was captured by the Spanish when he was young. For several years, he worked as a servant for the main Spanish leader, Pedro de Valdivia.
In 1551, Lautaro escaped and returned to his people. He became a toqui and led the Mapuche to big victories. One of his most famous wins was the Battle of Tucapel in December 1553. In this battle, Pedro de Valdivia was killed.
After some difficult years due to sickness and drought, Lautaro tried to free all of Central Chile from Spanish rule. But in 1557, he was caught in a surprise attack and killed. Today, Lautaro is seen as a hero by many in Chile. He is remembered for his strong fight against foreign invaders.
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Lautaro's Early Life and Training
Lautaro was born around 1533. His father was a Mapuche lonko, a chief named Curiñancu. When Lautaro was about 11 years old, Spanish soldiers captured him. He was forced to become a servant for the Spanish leader, Don Pedro de Valdivia. The Spanish found it hard to say his real name, Leftraru, so they called him Felipe Lautaro.
While working for Valdivia, Lautaro learned a lot about the Spanish army. He watched their military training and how they fought. He saw how the Spanish treated captured Mapuche warriors. According to some stories, Valdivia ordered harsh punishments for Mapuche people who resisted. This made young Lautaro feel a deep hatred for the Spanish, especially Valdivia.
Lautaro was a prisoner for about three years. He hid his true feelings from Valdivia. He became Valdivia's personal page, taking care of his horses and going with him to battles. This helped Lautaro learn how to ride horses well and not be afraid of them. He also learned how the Spanish used different weapons and cavalry (horseback) tactics.
Some historians believe Lautaro allowed himself to be captured on purpose. He wanted to learn the Spanish army's secrets. He escaped in 1552. In 1553, when Lautaro was 19, the Mapuche leaders met. They decided to go to war against the Spanish. The main toqui, Caupolicán, chose Lautaro as his second-in-command. This was because Lautaro knew so much about the Spanish army. Lautaro taught the Mapuche how to use horses in battle. He also created new fighting plans and organized a large, strong army.
Lautaro's Famous Battles
The Battle of Tucapel
Lautaro led 6,000 Mapuche warriors to attack Fort Tucapel. The Spanish soldiers there could not stop them and had to leave. Lautaro took over the fort. He knew that Governor Valdivia would try to get it back.
Valdivia came with a smaller force, and Lautaro's warriors quickly surrounded them. On Christmas Day in 1553, the Mapuche defeated the Spanish. This was the Battle of Tucapel. Pedro de Valdivia was captured and killed.
After this big win, the Spanish quickly made their other forts stronger. But the Mapuche had a tradition of long celebrations after a victory. This meant Lautaro could not immediately follow up on his success. In February 1554, he gathered 8,000 men. They were ready to face a Spanish army led by Francisco de Villagra.
The Battle of Marihueñu
Lautaro chose a hill called Marihueñu for the next battle. He split his army into four groups. Two groups fought the Spanish first to tire them out. A third group was kept ready to attack when the Spanish were weak. The last group was meant to cut off the Spanish escape route. A small group also went to destroy a bridge the Spanish had built over the Bío Bío River. This would make it even harder for them to retreat.
The Spanish broke through the first Mapuche lines. But the third Mapuche group quickly attacked, holding their position. Then, the Mapuche groups on the sides attacked the Spanish from the flanks. The fourth group attacked from behind. After many hours of fighting, only a few Spanish soldiers managed to escape.
Even with this new victory, Lautaro could not continue his attack right away. His people again needed to celebrate. By the time he reached the city of Concepción, the Spanish had already left it. Lautaro burned the city. But his army was not big enough to keep fighting, so the campaign ended.
In Santiago, Villagra rebuilt his forces. In 1554, he went back to Arauco. He made the forts of Imperial and Valdivia stronger. The Mapuche did not stop him because they were dealing with their first outbreak of smallpox, a disease brought by the Spanish.
In 1555, the Spanish leaders in Lima ordered Concepción to be rebuilt. But Lautaro attacked Concepción again with 4,000 warriors. Only 38 Spanish soldiers escaped by sea. This was the second time the city was destroyed.
Battles of Peteroa and Mataquito
After destroying Concepción for the second time, Lautaro wanted to attack Santiago. But not many of his soldiers supported this plan. His army shrank to only 600 men. Still, he decided to go. In October 1556, he marched north and reached the Mataquito River. There, he built a strong camp at Peteroa.
In the Battle of Peteroa, he fought off Spanish forces. He then held back a larger army led by Pedro de Villagra. When he heard more Spanish soldiers were coming, Lautaro decided to move back towards the Maule River. He lost 200 warriors during this retreat. The Spanish chased him, forcing him to go even further back, past the Itata River.
From there, Lautaro started another plan to attack Santiago. He let Villagra's army pass him by, as they were going to help other Spanish settlements. Lautaro chose to sneak past Villagra's army and head straight for the city.
However, the leaders in Santiago found out about Lautaro's plan. They sent a small group to stop him and buy time. They also sent a message to Villagra to return to the city. The Spanish armies met in the field. A local person told them where Lautaro's camp was.
At dawn on April 29, 1557, the Spanish launched a surprise attack. This was the Battle of Mataquito. Lautaro was killed early in the fight. After his army was defeated, his head was cut off and displayed in the main square of Santiago.
Lautaro's Legacy
Alonso de Ercilla, a Spanish officer who fought in the Araucanian War, wrote a famous poem called La Araucana. Lautaro is a very important character in this epic poem.
Lautaro is honored in Chile as one of its first great generals. He brought the Mapuche people together and led them in battle. He won big victories against Spanish armies, even though the Spanish had strong armor, horses, swords, and guns. The Mapuche only had slings, bows and arrows, wooden spears, clubs, and axes. What's amazing is that he fought and won these battles in open fields, not just through small guerrilla attacks.
His name was later used by Francisco de Miranda to create the Lautaro Lodge. This was a secret group that worked for Latin American independence in the late 1700s and early 1800s. In the 20th century, the famous Chilean writer Pablo Neruda wrote a poem about Lautaro.
Lautaro also appears in the video game Civilization VI as a leader for the Mapuche civilization. The Argentine football player Lautaro Martínez was named after this Mapuche hero.
See also
- History of Chile
- Caupolicán
- Colocolo
- Chilean ship Lautaro
