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In the Treaty of Montevideo, signed on 27 August 1828, after British mediation, Brazil and Argentina recognized the independence of Uruguay.
Treaty of Montevideo (1828) Called the Preliminary Peace Convention as a result of the meetings held by representatives from the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of Ro de la Plata another name for Argentina between 11 and 27 August 1828 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This convention, or treaty, accorded independence to Uruguay in respect to Brazil and Argentina. Uruguay's independence would be definitively sealed on 4 October of the same year when, in Montevideo, the signing nations ratified the treaty.
Purpose
The stalemate in the Cisplatine War, caused by the destruction of the Argentine fleet, the inability of the Argentine land forces to capture any major cities,[2] the severe economic consequences imposed by the Brazilian blockade of Buenos Aires[3] and the temporary lack of manpower for a full-scale Brazilian land offensive against Argentine forces, allied to increasing public pressure in Brazil to end the war motivated the interest on a peaceful solution for both sides. In this context, on 20 February 1828, Brazil and Argentina decided to open peace talks with mediation by Great Britain, who also had interest in a peaceful resolution of the war, due to the fact that its trade interests in the Plata region were being severely harmed by the blockade of Buenos Aires. After being chosen mediator for the peace talks, Lord John Ponsonby was sent from London and was quickly faced with the Argentine unwillingness to allow Brazil to retain its sovereignty over Uruguay and the Brazilian demands to keep its sovereignty over the Misses Orientales, to free navigation in the Plata River and the refusal to allow Argentina to annex any area of the Cisplatine Province. Considering this scenario, Posonby proposed the independence of Uruguay towards both Brazil and Argentina as a means of reestablishing peace on La Plata, and conceded to the Brazilian demands to its sovereignty over the Misses Orientales and the right to freely navigate in the Plata River. Although faced with initial Argentine opposition, the diplomat managed to convince Argentina that it was no longer viable to spend money on a war for the Eastern Province and managed to strike a deal on August 27, 1828.
British Interests
The British Empire's true interests are made clear in a letter that Lord Ponsonby sent to London: The interests and the security of British commerce will be greatly promoted in a state in which the governors cultivate a friendship with England. The Eastern Strip contains the key to La Plata and to South America; we must perpetuate a geographical division of states that benefits England. For a long time the easterners will not have a port and will not have the opportunity to impede English trade. From that scopus, the British believed that Uruguayan independence would consolidate English commerce and contain both Brazil and Argentina.
Free Navigation
One additional article guaranteed to the two nations (Argentina and Brazil) free navigation of the Ro de la Plata and of all others that feed into it, for the period of fifteen years.
Historiography
Uruguayan historians have two main visions about the treaty and the birth of Uruguay as an independent nation. The first group considers that an idea of Uruguayan nationhood existed before the treaty, and cites the rivalry of Montevideo with Buenos Aires, the weak links that united the Viceroyalty of the Ro de la Plata, and the strong rejection of Jos Gervasio Artigas of the centralism of Buenos Aires. This vision is held by Francisco Bauz, Juan Zorrilla de San Martn, Pablo Blanco Acevedo, Mario Falcao Espalter and Juan Pivel Devoto. The second group considers instead that the Uruguayans still wanted to be part of the United Provinces of the Ro de la Plata, pointing that Artigas was against centralism but never held actual separatist ideas. They attribute the Uruguayan independence to foreign factors, mainly the British influence. This vision is held by Eduardo Acevedo Vsquez, Ariosto Gonzlez, Eugenio Petit Muoz, Washington Reyes Abadie, Alberto Methol Ferr and Oscar Bruschera.[4]
References
[1] [2] [3] [4] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:History_of_Uruguay& action=edit SCHEINA, Robert L. Latin Amercica's Wars: the age of the caudillo, 1791-1899, Brassey's, 2003. http:/ / www. ucema. edu. ar/ ceieg/ arg-rree/ 3/ 3-029. htm Nahum, p. 29
Bibliography
Nahum, Benjamn (1994). Manual de Historia del Uruguay 1830-1903. Montevideo. Editorial De la Banda Oriental. Mndez Vives, Enrique (1990). Historia Uruguaya. Montevideo. Editorial De la Banda Oriental.
License
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