page_title: Otto Philipp Braun
section_title: Revolutionary aftermath
hierarchical_section_title: Otto Philipp Braun / Military life / Revolutionary aftermath
context_page_description: Otto Philipp Braun was born on 13 December 1798 in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, and he died on 24 July 1869 in Bad Wildungen near Kassel, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. Braun was one of the most successful foreign volunteers participating in the independence war of South America. He was an important supporter of Simon Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre and later of Andrés de Santa Cruz. In 1838 Braun was awarded the title “Great Marshal of Montenegro” being Bolivia's only Great Marshal and South America's only foreign Marshal until today.
context_section_description: In the Peruvian-Colombian war of 1828/29 Braun fought on the side of Simón Bolívar, Antonio José de Sucre and Juan José Flores. After a failed diplomatic mission as official representative of the victors Braun had to flee ending up in Valparaíso, Chile (1829). A few months later Braun was able to travel to Arequipa, Peru, where finally met his wife Justa Germana de Rivero y Abrill, which he had married through written authority in 1828.
  In Arequipa Braun spend almost a year until the Bolivian president Andrés de Santa Cruz asked Braun to join his new administration. Braun accepted and moved to Bolivia.
  From 1830 until 1839 Braun became one of the most successful generals in Bolivian history. Furthermore, Braun became a very valuable adviser of President Santa Cruz. Latter made him Prefect, entrusted whole armies, let him command battles and gave him the responsibility of the ministry of defense. During the Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839) Braun served Santa Cruz loyal. After Braun triumphed in the Battle of Montenegro against an Argentinean invasion in June 1838 Santa Cruz awarded Braun with the Title: Great Marshal of Montenegro. Until today Braun is the only foreigner ever to have gained this title in South America and the only marshal of Bolivia at all.
  After Santa Cruz lost the Battle of Yungay in January 1839 against a Peruvian-Chilean Invasion his confederation collapsed due to a revolution led by José Ballivián and José Miguel de Velasco, Braun fell too. He had to leave Bolivia and headed back to Europe  when the new president of Bolivia, General José Miguel de Velasco, dismisses Braun and removes all his titles. Years later in 1850 he was rehabilitated by President Manuel Isidoro Belzu after which he would return several times to Bolivia and Peru where he had interests in copper mines and coffee plantations.
caption: Otto Philipp Braun
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