УЧАСТЬ АРГЕНТИНИ У ПАРАГВАЙСЬКІЙ ВІЙНІ (1864–1870 рр.)

Abstract

The article is devoted to Argentina’s participation in the Paraguayan War (1864–1870) – one of the most tragic pages in the history of Latin America in the 19th century. The aim of the article was to analyze the reasons for Argentina’s engagement to the war, the course of the war, and its consequences for Argentina. The research methodology is based on general scientific principles and interdisciplinary approaches as well as special historical methods, in particular, comparative analysis, chronological, the method of micro history. There are no studies of Argentina’s participation in this conflict in Ukrainian historiography, while foreign researchers usually did not pay special attention to this narrow topic reaching more broad issues of Paraguayan War per se or Argentine politics and history in complex. So, the scientific novelty of the article lies in the focus on this specific issue and elaboration on macro (political movements) and micro (case studies) levels of the conflict. Conclusions. The main reasons for Argentina’s entry into the war were: internal political instability and the desire to suppress opposition to the ruling party, instability in Rio de la Plata region, unresolved territorial disputes. Despite the initial successes of the Paraguayan side, the war quickly entered an offensive phase. Conscription and military actions were marked by excessive cruelty and careless treatment of soldiers. It became one of the methods used to weaken political opponents. This led to resistance inside the country. The war provoked a few waves of epidemic. As a result of the war, Argentina gained new territories in the provinces of Misiones and Gran Chaco, but the country experienced significant economic and human losses. The national government and the Liberal Party strengthened, while the opposition Federalist Party marginalized. However, these successes in the field of nation-building were achieved at the cost of countless victims and human catastrophe of all sides of the conflict.