page_title: National Army of Colombia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: National Army of Colombia / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The Battle of Boyacá in the War of Independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama against Spain (Boyacá, Colombia, 1819). Painting of Martín Tovar y Tovar exhibited in the Federal Palace, Caracas
context_page_description: The National Army of Colombia is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 220,000 active personnel as of 2018, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, and the third largest army in the Americas after Brazil and the United States.
  It is headed by the Commander of the National Army, falls under the authority of the General Commander of the Military Forces, and is supervised by the Ministry of National Defense, which answers to the President of Colombia.
  The modern Colombian Army has its roots in the Army of the Commoners, which was formed on 7 August 1819 – before the establishment of the present day Colombia – to meet the demands of the Revolutionary War against the Spanish Empire. After their triumph against the Spanish, the Army of the Commoners disbanded, and the Congress of Angostura created the Gran Colombian Army to replace it. Throughout its history, the Colombian Army has seen action in several wars and civil conflicts, including the Gran Colombia-Peru War, the Ecuadorian–Colombian War, the Thousand Days War, and the Korean War.
context_section_description: The Colombian Army traces its history back to the Army of the Commoners – the revolutionary army made up of peasants, llaneros, and other such militiamen during the days of the Colombian War of Independence.
caption: The Battle of Boyacá in 1819 was the decisive battle that ensured Colombia's independence from Spain and the establishment of Gran Colombia
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