Vicente Nieto facts for kids
Vicente Nieto (born in Aranjuez, Spain, in 1769 – died in Potosí, now in Bolivia, in 1810) was a Spanish general. He was a royalist, meaning he supported the Spanish king during the Spanish American wars of independence.
Biography of Vicente Nieto
Vicente Nieto had a long career as a soldier in Spain. He fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, which were a series of big conflicts in Europe. He served under General Antonio Ricardos during the War of the Pyrenees, a war between Spain and France that ended with a peace treaty.
In 1795, he moved to the Americas, specifically to a region called Upper Peru (which is now Bolivia). He helped Joaquín del Pino become the leader of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a large Spanish territory. Nieto then managed the military in Buenos Aires until Rafael de Sobremonte took charge. After that, Nieto was chosen to be the governor of Potosí, but he never actually started that job.
He also fought against the British during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. He was under the command of Santiago de Liniers during these battles. In 1808, he went back to Spain because of the Peninsular War, a war against Napoleon's French forces. He fought in a battle called the Battle of Medina de Rioseco.
Later, he returned to the Americas with a new viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros. Nieto was then made the military commander of Montevideo.
The May Revolution and Nieto's End
In May 1810, a major event called the May Revolution happened in Buenos Aires. People there declared their independence from Spain. A rebel army marched towards Upper Peru to spread the revolution. Vicente Nieto joined forces with General José de Córdoba and Francisco de Paula Sanz, who was the governor of Potosí.
The fight was quick but very important. At first, the royalist forces (who supported Spain) defeated the rebels at Cotagaita on October 27 and at Tupiza on October 29. However, the rebels gathered their strength again. On November 7, they won a complete victory at the Battle of Suipacha. In this battle, the royalist governor and the two royalist generals, including Vicente Nieto, were captured.
Soon after, all the provinces in Upper Peru declared their independence. The next month, by order of Juan José Castelli, a leader of the new government, the three Spanish chiefs were executed in Potosí.
