The Campaign against Rosas: Minutes of Conferences on Military Plans

Abstract

W5 THEN HE EMBARKED Upon his campaign to liberate the Rio de la Plata area from the pervasive influence of Juan Manuel de Rosas, Justo Jose de Urquiza little realized that future generations would dispute his motives and patriotism. Far from the political climate of the 1850's, when institutions and ideas were still in a fluid stage, Argentines of a later date have tended to affiliate themselves with one of two factions, urquicista or rosista, which warmly debate the events leading to national organization. One of the issues discussed is the role Urquiza gave to Brazilian cooperation in his operational plans against Rosas. Anxious to prove the nationalistic spirit of the Tigre de Montiel, urquicistas have maintained that Don Justo was prepared to act alone in the interest of national unity. No understanding existed with Brazil, they claim, when Urquiza issued his famous circular of April 5, 1851, to the provincial governors, nor had a formal alliance been negotiated when Urquiza made his proq)ntwcianmiento against Rosas on May 1 of the same year.1 Overlooked in these discussions are the reciprocal interests created between Urquiza and Brazil by the mounting crisis in Argentine-Brazilian relations anc by Urquiza's interest in the defense perimeter of Entre Rios formed by I)ruguay, Paraguay, and the provinces of Santa Fe and C(orrientes-this last factor was never forgotten by such astute politicians as IJrquiza and Bartolome