The Conquest of Rio de la Plata

The Conquest of Rio de la Plata was an action undertaken by British forces commanded by General Robert McRoberts during the Anglo-Spanish War. The conquest of Rio de la Plata left the Spanish Viceroyalty in British hands as an autonomous Dominion of the British crown led by Viceroy Robert McRoberts.



Background
The British had long been interested in aquiring the Rio de la Plata region. The area contained vast riches, and was an ideal location for European settlement. Perhaps more important, British control of the region meant it could strike at Lima, the heart of Spain's new world empire. In the 1730's during one of the many Anglo-Spanish wars, the British made a bid to capture the Rio de la Plata region. Unfortunately for the British, the expedition was a complete disaster, and much of the British force was killed or taken prisoner after a failed assault on Buenos Aires. This failure detered the British from further action for many years, until War with Spain broke out again in 1744.

The Idea to mount another invasion of the Rio de la Plata was suggested by General Robert McRoberts as part of his strategy to defeat Spain. McRoberts argued that, by taking Spanish possessions on the periphery, the British would have guarinteed gains that would be useful in counteracting possible loses in Europe. However, due to the fear of a Spanish Invasion of Hannover, no British troops were granted to McRoberts. Undeterred, McRoberts set sail to British North America, where he hoped he could use political connections to muster a British force to attack the Rio de la Plata. McRoberts managed to conjure up a force of 7,500 militamen, and was able to obtain transportation aboard Merchant vessels to Rio de la Plata. The Invasion force landed in May of 1744.

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Siege of Buenos Aires
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Assault on Corodoba
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The Conquest of the Desert
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Capture of the Falklands
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The Advance up the Rivers
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Into the Andes
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Pacification of the Pacific
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Aftermath
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