The Americas

New Andalusia / Rio de la Plata (River Plate)
AD 1534 - 1776

The River Plate estuary was the border between the Spanish colony of Peru, of which Argentina was a part, and the Portuguese colony of Brazil. 'River plate' means 'river of silver' in Spanish. This describes the river itself rather than the estuary, where the rivers Paraná and Uruguay meet. It was first discovered by Europeans in 1516, with the Falkland Islands also being discovered, in 1520, by members of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition (Magellan did not make landfall on the islands). The colony of Buenos Aires was founded in 1536. Temporarily abandoned, it was re-founded in 1580 by the governor, Juan de Garay.

The governate of Rio de la Plata was established after the new viceroyalty of Peru took territory away from New Spain. It fell under the supervision of Peru, and also included Paraguay until 1617. Between its creation and 1776, the province of Argentina within Rio de la Plata was administered separately from the neighbouring provinces of Bolivia, Paraguay, and the Eastern Strip (Uruguay).

1529 - 1534

Pedro de Mendoza offers to explore South America at his own expense, intending to found colonies there. In 1534 his offer is accepted and the conquistador is made the first governor of New Andalusia. Two years later, Mendoza founds the colony of Buenos Aires.

1534 - 1537

Pedro de Mendoza

First governor and captain general of New Andalusia.

1537

Disappointed with the poor progress on the colony, Pedro de Mendoza sets sail for Spain, promising to send reinforcements. He dies during the voyage.

1537 - 1539

Juan de Ayolas

Governor of New Andalusia. Killed by natives.

1539 - 1541

Domingo Martinez de Irala

Governor of New Andalusia.

1541

The colony of Buenos Aires is abandoned due to the many difficulties faced there, not least of these being a coalition of the native tribes which has been formed against them. The colonists move to Asuncion.

1541 - 1544

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

Governor of New Andalusia.

1544

New Andalusia is renamed Rio de la Plata.

The southernmost tip of both Argentina and Chile, Patagonia was first explored by Europeans in 1520, but witnessed little serious examination until the eighteenth century

1544 - 1556

Domingo Martinez de Irala

Restored, but now as governor of Rio de la Plata.

1556 - 1558

Gonzalo de Mendoza

1558 - 1569

Francisco Ortiz de Vergara

1569 - 1572

Felipe de Caceres

Arrested and sent to Spain for trial.

1572 - 1576

Juan Ortiz de Zarate

1576 - 1578

Diego Ortiz de Zarate

1578 - 1583

Juan de Garay

1580

Juan de Garay re-founds the colony of Buenos Aires on 11 June.

1583 - 1587

Alonso de Vera y Aragon

De facto governor until 1592 from Asuncion.

1587 - 1592

Juan Torres de Vera y Aragon

1592 - 1594

Hernando Arias de Saavedra

First governor of Rio de la Plata & Paraguay.

1594 - 1595

Fernando de Zarate

1596 - 1597

Juan Ramírez de Velasco

1597 - 1599

Hernando Arias de Saavedra

Second term of office.

1599 - 1600

Diego Rodríguez de Valdes y de la Banda

1600 - 1602

Frances de Beaumont

1602 - 1609

Hernando Arias de Saavedra

Third term of office. Restricted the slave trade.

1609 - 1613

Diego Martin de Negron

1613 - 1615

Mateo Leal de Ayala

1615 - 1618

Hernando Arias de Saavedra

Fourth term of office.

1617

The Spanish viceroy of Peru, Francisco de Borja y Aragon, divides the government of Rio de la Plata in two, creating Buenos Aires and Paraguay, both of which remain dependencies of Peru.

1618 - 1623

Diego de Gongora

1623 - 1631

Francisco de Cespedes

1624

The first permanent settlement is founded in the Eastern Strip (Uruguay), at Villa Soriano.

1631 - 1637

Pedro Esteban Davila

1637 - 1641

Mendo de la Cueva y Benavidez

1641

Andres de Sandoval

Interim governor.

1641 - 1645

Jeronimo Luis de Cabrera

1645 - 1653

Jacinto Lariz

1653 - 1660

Pedro Baigorri Ruiz

1660 - 1663

Alonso Mercado y Villacorta

1663 - 1674

Juan Martinez de Salazar

1674 - 1678

Andres de Robles

1678 - 1682

Jose de Garro

1680

Portuguese settlers from Brazil build a fort at Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. The move causes the Spanish administration to increase its interest in the area, as they seek to limit the expansion of Brazil.

1682 - 1691

Jose de Herrera y Sotomayor

1690

The Falkland Islands, sighted in 1520 by Ferdinand Magellan but never set foot on, is now explored by British naval Captain John Strong. He names the islands after Viscount Falkland, his patron, who shortly afterwards becomes First Lord of the Admiralty.

1691 - 1698

Agustin de Robles

1698 - 1701

Manuel de Prado y Maldonado

1701 - 1707

Antonio Juan de Valdes y Inclan

1708

Manuel de Velasco y Tejada

1708 - 1714

Juan Jose de Mutiloa

1714

Alonso de Arce y Soria

1714 - 1715

Jose Bermudez de Castro

Interim governor.

1715 - 1717

Baltasar Garcia Ros

1717 - 1734

Bruno de Zavala

1734 - 1742

Miguel de Salcedo y Sierraalta

1742 - 1745

Domingo Ortiz de Rozas

1745 - 1756

Jose de Andonaegui

1756 - 1766

Pedro Antonio de Ceballos Cortes

1764 - 1774

A small French colony named Port Louis is established on East Falkland in 1764 and is handed to the Spanish three years later. A British expedition reaches Port Egmont, in West Falkland, in 1765, and "took formal possession of it and of 'all the neighbouring islands' for King George III". Another British expedition establishes a settlement of about a hundred people at Port Egmont in 1766, and although it withdraws on economic grounds in 1774, "sovereignty was never relinquished or abandoned".

1766 - 1770

Francisco de Paula Bucarelli y Ursua

1770 - 1777

Juan Jose de Vertiz y Salcedo

Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata (River Plate)
AD 1776 - 1810

In the eighteenth century, Spain became increasingly concerned about the rise of rival world powers, especially Great Britain and Portugal, who both had an interest in the continent. To try and address security concerns, Rio de la Plata was raised to a viceroyalty out of the southern territories of Peru in 1776, gaining independent control of the provinces of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The last such viceroyalty to be created, it quickly lost Chile, which became autonomous in 1789, and just thirty-four years after its creation it was ended.

1777 - 1778

Pedro Antonio de Ceballos Cortes

Previously served as governor of Rio de la Plata.

1778 - 1784

Juan Jose de Vertiz y Salcedo

Previously served as governor of Rio de la Plata.

1784 - 1789

Nicolas del Campo Maestre Cuesta

1789

Chile becomes an autonomous captaincy general, removed from the administration of Rio de la Plata.

The ruins of Quilmes, home to the native tribe in the Tucumán region that was defeated by the Spanish in the seventeenth century

1789 - 1795

Nicolas Antonio de Arredondo

1795 - 1797

Pedro Melo de Portugal y Villena

1797 - 1799

Antonio Olaguer y Feliu

Interim governor.

1799 - 1801

Gabriel de Aviles y Fierro

1801 - 1804

Joaquin del Pino y Rozas

1804

Jose Fernando de Abascal y Sousa

Named viceroy but then handed Peru instead.

1804 - 1807

Rafael de Sobremonte Nunez

1806 - 1807

Following its victory at Trafalgar, Great Britain is still at war with Spain, and as part of its military efforts British troops attempt to take Buenos Aires. Montevideo in Uruguay is occupied at the start of 1807 for several months as they prepare for the attempt on Buenos Aires. That attempt is defeated and the British withdraw, boosting the self-confidence of the colony.

1807 - 1809

Santiago de Liniers y de Bremond

1809 - 1810

Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros y la Torre

1810

Following the French occupation of Spain and the subsequent weakening of the crown, various wars of independence break out across the Spanish Americas, including New Spain and Guatemala. Peru serves as a centre for the royalist opposition to these revolts. On 25 May Buenos Aires revolts, so the viceroy, Abascal, reincorporates the provinces of Chile, Cordoba, La Paz and Potosi (both in modern Bolivia), and Quito (part of New Granada) from Rio de la Plata. Fighting also takes place in Uruguay, although the province remains relatively secure.

1811

Francisco Javier de Elio y Olondriz

Last (self-declared) viceroy. Lost territory to rebellion and defeats.

1810 - 1811

The viceroyalty effectively dissolves as a vehicle of governance in the region. A new administration is formed without Spain's influence or control. The Spanish settlement on East Falkland, which had been handed over to them by French settlers in 1767, is also withdrawn, "leaving the islands without inhabitants or any form of government". Despite this the newly formed United Provinces still claims the abandoned islands as part of the transfer of regional power from Spain.

United Provinces of South America / La Plata
AD 1810 - 1825

Buenos Aires was greatly encouraged by its victory of 1807, and realised that it could go it alone without Spain's help or control, especially after the king was imprisoned by Napoleonic France. In 1810 a provisional government was formed to administer the territory, named the United Provinces of South America, and out of this was formed the short-lived United Provinces of La Plata in 1814, with Buenos Aires as the capital. In the process, Paraguay was lost as it established its own independent state while Chile to the west established its own republic.

1810

Cornelio Judas Tadeo

President of the First Junta, 25 May-18 Dec.

1810 - 1811

Cornelio Judas Tadeo

President of the Second Junta, 18 Dec-26 Aug.

1811

Domingo Matheu Chicola

President of the Second Junta, 26 Aug-23 Sep.

1811 - 1814

The First Triumvirate is formed on 23 September 1811. This lasts until 8 October 1812, when the Second Triumvirate replaces it and survives until 31 January 1814. Then the post of supreme director replaces the triumvirate.

Two sides of the eight reales piece issued by the United Provinces in 1813

1814 - 1817

A fresh Spanish attack on Chile surprises the Chilean forces and sweeps them into Argentina, where they remain for three years while the Royalists take control of the country.

1815 - 1817

The Liga Federal, or Federal League, is formed in eastern Argentina and Uruguay by Jose Gervasio Artigas, a former officer in the Spanish army. The move leads to war between that and the United Provinces for control of southern and eastern South America. The better-armed United Provinces win the main war in 1817, but fighting continues in the countryside.

1816

Uruguay is invaded by Portuguese troops from Brazil and is ultimately seized from Spanish control.

1819 - 1825

Fighting a nationalist war of independence in Peru, the Spanish vice-regents are defeated and agree to leave Peruvian territories. La Plata itself is riven by civil war which leaves no effective central control in place. In 1820, the Liga Federal is dissolved and the lands under its control absorbed into the United provinces, all except Uruguay.

Argentine Confederation
AD 1825 - 1830

Although a confederation of sorts was finally put into place after six years of internal strife, the provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Jujuy, La Rioja, Mendoza, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, and Tucuman were all autonomous in all but name during most of the period between the start of the civil war to around 1852-1862. Even those provinces which were linked were actually secessionist or independent at one point or another.

During the war against Brazil in 1825-1827, the Cisplatine region between Argentina and Brazil broke away, establishing itself as the country of Uruguay, while Bolivia also became independent in 1825. Lacking a single figure to handle external relations, Juan Manuel de Rosas assumed control in 1829 and remained in charge as a virtual dictator (although the use of this term is sometimes disputed).

1825 - 1827

War breaks out against Brazil in the north, during which the Spanish region of Cisplatine breaks away, establishing itself as the country of Uruguay.

1827 - 1852

A long civil war breaks out. During this period, in 1829, Argentina establishes a short-lived colony on the Falkland Islands under Luis Vernet, but the British reassume direct control of the islands in 1833.

1829 - 1852

Juan Manuel de Rosas

Dictator in Buenos Aires region. Died 1877.

1833

Britain reassumes control of the empty Falkland Islands, and they remain part of the country's overseas territories from this point onwards, based both on this reoccupation and the initial formal claim of ownership of 1765 which had not been opposed by the Spanish authorities of the time. Settlers create a capital at Port Stanley and the islands' population remains almost completely British.

1836 - 1839

The dictator of Peru is defeated and executed by Bolivian forces which invade the country. The subsequent Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation creates tension between it and Chile and this leads to the latter declaring war on 28 December 1836. Argentina is Chile's ally, and on 9 May 1837 it follows suit. Eventual defeat for Bolivia comes in 1839.

1839 - 1852

The president of Uruguay, Manuel Oribe forms a government in exile in Montevideo, and war is declared between him and his rivals. The Great War lasts for thirteen years. In 1842 an Argentinean army overruns the country on Oribe's behalf, although the capital remains free. This is besieged from the start of 1843, and when access to Paraguay is blocked for Great Britain and France, they declare war on Argentina and blockade its capital, assisted by Brazil. In 1849 and 1850, Argentina agrees a peace deal with each of the two European powers. Argentinean troops are withdrawn from Uruguay, although Oribe's own forces still maintain a loose siege. In 1851 an Argentinean faction opposes Manuel de Rosas in Argentina, defeats Oribe, and lifts the siege, nine years after it began. The following year, Rosas himself is overthrown at the Battle of Caseos on 3 February 1852, ending the war.

Modern Argentina
AD 1852 - Present Day

Located in South America, the republic of Argentina borders Chile to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, and Brazil and Uruguay to the east. The second-largest country in South America, its capital is Buenos Aires. It was born as a federal state out of the ruins of the Argentine Confederation and the ending of the Great War. Once it had returned to a peacetime footing, Argentina received heavy investment from Europe (from 1870). This made it one of the richest countries in the world, and neutrality throughout the First World War and most of the Second World War certainly helped it maintain high standards of living, but post-war dictatorships slowly destroyed any feeling of security and wealth.

1864 - 1870

As a result of Paraguay's declaration of war against Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay go to war against Paraguay in the War of the Triple Alliance (which is also known as the Paraguayan War or the Great War in Paraguay). It proves to be a long and costly affair, causing more casualties than any other South American war. Paraguay is totally defeated, losing almost half its territory.

1904

Argentina intervenes to end the domination of Paraguay by Bernardino Caballero, allowing a return to democratic government.

The Teatro Colon opera theatre in Buenos Aires first opened its doors in 1908

1917 - 1918

Unlike many of its neighbours in the Americas, Argentina remains neutral during the First World War against Germany and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

1945

Argentina joins the Second World War as an ally of the USA and Great Britain on 27 March 1945 against Japan and Germany. The following year, after a rapid series of different leaders and coups, General Peron wins an election as president and heads a popularist government with his wife, Eva Peron (Evita), as a highly influential figurehead.

1952 - 1955

Eva Peron dies of cancer at the age of thirty-three, and General Juan Peron is deposed by a coup in 1955. He flees into exile in Spain. New elections are arranged for the end of the decade.

1955

Jose Domingo Molina Gomez

Chairman of the military junta.

1966

A revolutionary junta secures control of the country, with a military president in power. Unlike previous coups, this one doesn't pave the way for fresh democratic elections. The military remains in charge, and political parties are suspended.

1966 - 1970

Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo

Refused to resign, and was toppled by military junta.

1970 - 1971

Roberto Marcelo Levingston Laborda

Self-appointed military 'president'.

1971 - 1973

Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly

Allowed elections to replace him in office.

1973 - 1976

The elections of 1973 pave the way for the return of Juan Peron, but his death in 1974 leaves his third wife, Isabel Peron, as his successor. A coup in March 1976 displaces her and re-introduces military rule during the worst period of repression the country has seen.

1976 - 1981

Jorge Rafael Videla

Military 'president'.

1981

Roberto Eduardo Viola

Military 'president'.

1981

Carlos Lacoste

Interim military 'president'.

1981 - 1982

Leopoldo Galtieri

Military 'president'.

1982

Argentina occupies the Falkland Islands by force. When Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sends a British taskforce to reclaim the islands, Peru promises to support Argentina while Chile sides with Britain. The humiliating Argentine defeat forces the collapse of General Galtieri's regime and an eventual return to elected government.

1982

Alfredo Oscar Saint Jean

Military 'president'.

1982 - 1983

Reynaldo Bignone

Military 'president'.

1983

The slide towards the return of democracy becomes inevitable, and elections are held to select a new president.

2012

While never questionable in fact, the ownership of the Falkland Islands is raised by President Cristina Kirchner. She uses the issue to mask her growing unpopularity at home during the thirtieth anniversary of the war to expel Argentine troops from the island. Despite repeated assurances by the islands' residents themselves that they are quite happy to remain British, Kirchner ignores them completely, instead attempting to score political points and garner support amongst likeminded governments. However, Argentina's military power is so weak after years of cut-backs and purges that it is unable to offer a convincing military threat to the islanders' independence.

President Kirchner fails in an attempt to 'handbag' British Prime Minister David Cameron at the G20 industrial nations summit on 19 June 2012