Chilean War of Independence Chilean War of Independence was an armed conflict between pro - Independence criollos who sought political and economic independence from Spain and royalist criollos , who supported the continued allegiance to and permanence within the Spanish Empire of the Captaincy General of Chile . Its beginning is traditionally dated as September 18 , 1810 and , depending on what terms one uses to define the end , extended until 1821 , when royalist forces were expelled from mainland Chile , or 1826 , when the last Spanish troops surrendered and the Chiloé Archipelago was incorporated to the Chilean republic . A declaration of independence was officially issued by Chile on February 12 , 1818 and formally recognized by Spain in 1844 , when full diplomatic relations were established . The Chilean War of Independence was part of the more aroused Spanish American wars of independence . Independence did not have unanimous support among Chileans , who were divided between independentists and royalists . What started as a political movement among elites against the colonial power , ended as a full - fledged civil war . Traditionally , the process is divided into three stages : the " Patria Vieja " , 1810 – 1814 ; the " Reconquista " , 1814 – 1817 ; and the " Patria Nueva " , 1817 - 1823 . Background . At the start of 1808 , the Captaincy General of Chile — one of the smallest and poorest colonies in the Spanish Empire — was under the administration of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán , an able , respected and well - liked Royal Governor . In May 1808 the overthrow of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII , their replacement by Joseph Bonaparte and the start of the Peninsular War plunged the empire into a state of agitation . In the meantime , Chile was facing its own internal political problems . Governor Guzmán had suddenly died on February of that year and the crown had not been able to appoint a new governor before the invasion . After a brief interim regency by Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros , and according to the succession law in place at the time , the position was laid claim to and assumed by the most senior military commander , who happened to be Brigadier Francisco García Carrasco . García Carrasco took over the post of Governor of Chile in April and in August the news of the Napoleon ic invasion of Spain and of the conformation of a Supreme Central Junta to govern the Empire in the absence of a legitimate king reached the country . In the meantime , Charlotte Joaquina , sister of Ferdinand and wife of the King of Portugal , who was living in Brazil , also made attempts to obtain the administration of the Spanish dominions in Latin America . Since her father and brother were being held prisoners in France , she regarded herself as the heiress of her captured family . Allegedly among her plan was to send armies to occupy Buenos Aires and northern Argentina and to style herself as " Queen of La Plata " . Brigadier García Carrasco was a man of crude and authoritarian manners , who managed in a very short time to alienate the criollo elites under his command . Already in Chile , as in most of Latin America , there had been some independence agitation but minimal and concentrated in the very ineffectual Conspiracy of the Tres Antonios back in 1781 . The majority of the people were fervent royalists but were divided into two groups : those who favored the " status quo " and the divine right of Ferdinand VII ( known as " absolutists " ) and those who wanted to proclaim Charlotte Joaquina as Queen ( known as " carlotists " ) . A third group was composed of those who proposed the replacement of the Spanish authorities with a local " junta " of notable citizens , which would conform a provisional government to rule in the absence of the king and an independent Spain ( known as " juntistas " ) . In 1809 Governor García Carrasco himself was implicated in a flagrant case of corruption ( the Scorpion scandal ) that managed to destroy whatever remnants of moral authority he or his office had left . From that moment on the pressure for his removal began to build . In June 1810 news arrived from Buenos Aires that Napoleon Bonaparte ' s forces had conquered Andalusia and laid siege to Cádiz , the last redoubt against the French on Spanish soil . Moreover , the Supreme Central Junta , which had governed the Empire for the past two years , had abolished itself in favor of a Regency Council . García Carrasco , who was a supporter of the " carlotist " group , managed to magnify the political problems by taking arbitrary and harsh measures , such as the arrest and deportation to Lima without due process of well - known and socially prominent citizens under simple suspicions of having been sympathetic to the " junta " idea . Among those arrested were José Antonio de Rojas , Juan Antonio Ovalle and Bernardo de Vera y Pintado . The autonomy movement also had , inspired by the May Revolution in Argentina , thoroughly propagated through the criollo elite . They resented the illegal arrests and , together with the news that Cádiz was all that was left of a free Spain , finally solidified in their opposition to the Governor . Brigadier García Carrasco was suspended from office and forced to resign on July 16 , 1810 , to be in turn replaced by the next most senior soldier , Mateo de Toro Zambrano Count of la Conquista , even though a legitimate Governor , Francisco Javier de Elío , had already been appointed by the Viceroy of Peru . Count Toro Zambrano was , by all standards , a very unorthodox selection . He was a very old man already ( 82 years old at the time ) and moreover a " criollo " ( someone born in the colonies ) as opposed to a " peninsular " ( someone born in Spain ) . Immediately after his appointment in July , the " juntistas " began to lobby him in order to obtain the formation of a junta . In August the Royal Appeals Court ( ) took a public loyalty oath to the Regency Council in front of a massive audience , which put added pressure on the Governor to define himself . After vacillating for some time over which party to follow , Toro Zambrano finally agreed to hold an open " Cabildo " ( city hall ) meeting in Santiago to discuss the issue . The date was set for September 18 , 1810 at 11 AM . Patria Vieja . First Junta . From the very beginning the " juntistas " took the political initiative . As soon as the Cabildo was called , they were able to place their members in the committee charged with sending the invitations , thus manipulating the assistance lists to their own advantage . At the September 18 session , they grabbed center stage with shouts of " " ¡ Junta queremos ! ¡ junta queremos ! " " ( " We want a junta ! We want a junta " ) . Count Toro Zambrano , faced with this very public show of force , acceded to their demands by depositing his ceremonial baton on top of the main table and saying " Here is the baton , take it and rule . " The Government Junta of the Kingdom of Chile , also known as the " First Junta " , was organized with the same powers as a Royal Governor . Their first measure was to take a loyalty oath to Ferdinand VII as legitimate King . Count Toro Zambrano was elected President , and the rest of the positions were distributed equally among all parties , but the real power was left in the hands of the secretary , Juan Martínez de Rozas . The Junta then proceeded to take some concrete measures that had been long - held aspirations of the colonials : it created a militia for the defense of the kingdom , decreed freedom of trade with all nations that were allied to Spain or neutrals , a unique tariff of 134 % for all imports ( with the exception of printing presses , books and guns which were liberated from all taxes ) and in order to increase its representativity , ordered the convocatory of a National Congress . Immediately , political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite , with news of the political turbulence and wars of Europe all the while coming in . It was eventually decided that elections for the National Congress , to be composed of 42 representatives , would be held in 1811 . Three political tendencies were starting to appear : the " Extremists " ( ) , the " Moderates " ( ) and the " Royalists " ( ) . These groups were all decidedly against independence from Spain and differentiated themselves only in the degree of political autonomy that they sought . The Moderates , under the leadership of José Miguel Infante , were a majority , and wanted a very slow pace of reforms since they were afraid that once the King was back in power he would think that they were seeking independence and would roll - back all changes . The Extremists were the second most important group and they advocated a larger degree of freedom from the Crown and a faster pace of reforms stopping just short of full independence . His leader was Juan Martínez de Rozas . The Royalists were against any reform at all and for the maintenance of the status quo . By March 1811 , 36 representatives had already been elected in all major cities with the exception of Santiago and Valparaíso . The great political surprise up to that point had been the results from the other center of power , Concepción , in which Royalists had defeated the supporters of Juan Martínez de Rozas . In the rest of Chile , the results were more or less equally divided : twelve pro - Rozas delegates , fourteen anti - Rozas and three Royalists . So , the Santiago elections were the key to Rozas ' desire to remain in power . This election was supposed to take place on April 10 , but before they could be called the Figueroa mutiny broke out . On April 1 , Royalist colonel Tomás de Figueroa — considering the notion of elections to be too populist — led a revolt in Santiago . The revolt sputtered , and Figueroa was arrested and summarily executed . The mutiny was successful in that temporarily sabotaged the elections , which had to be delayed . Eventually , however , a National Congress was duly elected , and all 6 deputies from Santiago came from the Moderate camp . Nonetheless , the mutiny also encouraged a radicalization of political postures . Although Moderates — who continued advocating political control of the elites and greater autonomy without a complete rupture from Spain — gained the majority of seats , a vocal minority was formed by Extremist revolutionaries who now wanted complete and instant independence from Spain . The Real Audiencia of Chile , a long - standing pillar of Spanish rule , was dissolved for its alleged " complicity " with the mutiny . The idea of full independence gained momentum for the first time . Carrera dictatorship . During this time , a well - connected young man and a veteran of the Peninsular War , José Miguel Carrera , returned to Chile from Spain . Quickly , he was involved with the intrigues of various Extremists who plotted to wrestle power from Martínez de Rozas through armed means . After two coups , both in the end of 1811 , the ambitious Carrera managed to take power , inaugurating a dictatorship . Prominent members of the government were Carrera ' s brothers Juan José and Luis , as well as Bernardo O ' Higgins . During this period , a provisional Constitution of 1812 was promulgated with a marked liberal character . An example of this is the stipulation that " no order that emanates from outside the territory of Chile will have any effect , and anyone who tries to enforce such an order will be treated as a traitor . " Carrera also created patriotic emblems for the " Patria Vieja " such as the flag , shield , and insignia . Also during his government , the first Chilean newspaper , the " La Aurora de Chile " was published under the editorship of Friar Camilo Henríquez . It supported the independence movement . Additionally , Carrera was responsible for bringing the first American consul to Chile . This was important , as it established a direct link between the liberalism and federalism of the United States with the principles of the Chilean independence movement . Finally , he founded the Instituto Nacional de Chile and the National Library of Chile . Both of these prestigious institutions have survived to the present day . Spanish invasions . The triumph of rebellions — both in Chile and Argentina — disquieted the Viceroy of Peru , José Fernando de Abascal . As a result , in 1813 , he sent a military expedition by sea under the command of Antonio Pareja to deal with the situation in Chile ( sending another force by land to attack northern Argentina ) . ( Prago 139 ) The troops landed in Concepción , where they were received with applause . Pareja then attempted to take Santiago . However , this effort failed , as did a subsequent inconclusive assault led by Gabino Gaínza . However , this was not due to the military performance of Carrera , and his incompetence led to the rise of the moderate O ' Higgins , who eventually took supreme control of the pro - independence forces . Harassed on all sides , Carrera resigned , in what is commonly taken to mark the beginning of the period of the " Reconquista " . After the attempt by Gaínza , the two sides had signed the Treaty of Lircay on May 14 , nominally bringing peace but effectively only providing a breathing space . ( Prago 140 ) Abascal had no intention of honoring the treaty and that very year sent a much more decisive force southwards , under the command of Mariano Osorio . The royalist force landed and moved to Chillán , demanding complete surrender . O ' Higgins wanted to defend the city of Rancagua , while Carrera wanted to make the stand at the pass of Angostura , a more felicitous defensive position but also closer to Santiago . Because of the disagreements and resulting lack of coordination , the independence forces were divided , and O ' Higgins was obliged to meet the royalists at Rancagua without reinforcements . The resulting battle , the Disaster of Rancagua , on October 1 and 2 of 1814 , was fought fiercely , but ended in stunning defeat for the independence forces of which only 500 of the original 5 , 000 survived . ( Prago 141 ) A little while later , Osorio entered Santiago and put the rebellion of the " Patria Vieja " to an end . Reconquista . The viceroy Abascal confirmed Mariano Osorio as governor of Chile , although a later disagreement between the two would result in Osorio ' s removal and the installation of Francisco Marcó del Pont as governor in 1815 . In any case , the Spanish believed that it was necessary to teach the revolutionaries a good lesson and embarked on a campaign of fierce political persecution , led by the infamous Vicente San Bruno . The patriots found in Santiago — among whom were members of the First Junta — were exiled to the Juan Fernández Islands . Far from pacifying the patriots , these actions served to incite them , and soon even the most moderate concluded that anything short of independence was intolerable . A large group of patriots ( among them Carrera and O ' Higgins ) decided to flee to Mendoza , an Andean province of the newly independent Argentina . At the time , the governor of this province was José de San Martín , a leader of the Argentine independence movement who would become regarded as the " Simón Bolívar " of the southern part of Spanish South America . Upon the arrival of the exiles , San Martín immediately began to favor O ' Higgins ( probably because of their shared membership in the Logia Lautaro , a pro - independence secret society ) . Carrera ' s influence begun to fade and ended finally when he was executed by firing squad in 1821 . While San Martín and O ' Higgins organized an army to recross the Andes and recapture Santiago , they charged the lawyer Manuel Rodríguez with the task of mounting a guerrilla campaign . The goals of the campaign were to keep the Spanish forces off balance , ridicule San Bruno , and generally bolster the morale of the patriots . Through his subsequent daring exploits , Rodríguez became a romantic hero of the revolution . In one of his more celebrated actions , he disguised himself as a beggar and succeeded in obtaining alms from Governor Marcó del Pont himself , who by that time had put a price on Rodríguez ' s head . The liberating Army of the Andes was prepared by 1817 . After a difficult crossing the Andes , royalist forces led by Rafael Maroto were encountered on the plain of Chacabuco , to the north of Santiago . The resulting Battle of Chacabuco , on February 12 , 1817 , was a decisive victory for the independence forces . As a result , the patriots re - entered Santiago . San Martín was proclaimed Supreme Director , but he declined the offer and put O ' Higgins in the post , where he would remain until 1823 . On the first anniversary of the Battle of Chacabuco , O ' Higgins formally declared independence . Patria Nueva . During the preceding time , Juan Pablo Flanagan was installed as a new viceroy in Peru . He resolved to recall his son - in - law , Mariano Osorio , sending him south with another expeditionary force . The troops disembarked at Concepcion , and recruited a number of Amerindians to join their ranks . Meanwhile , Bernardo O ' Higgins moved north to somehow stop the advance of the royalists . However , his forces were surprised and very badly beaten at the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada on March 18 , 1818 . In the confusion , a false rumor spread that San Martin and O ' Higgins had died , and a panic seized the patriot troops , many of whom agitated for a full retreat back across the Andes to Mendoza . In these critical circumstances , the erstwhile Manuel Rodríguez jumped to the lead , haranguing and rallying the soldiers with the cry " " There ' s still a country , citizens ! " " He named himself Supreme Director , a position which he would occupy for exactly 30 hours , which was the time the living , but wounded , O ' Higgins took to return to Santiago and reclaim command . Then , on April 5 , 1818 , San Martín inflicted a decisive defeat on Osorio the Battle of Maipú , after which the depleted royalists retreated to Concepcion , never again to launch a major offensive against Santiago . Independence was all but secured , and worries about internal divisions were allayed when O ' Higgins saluted San Martín as savior of the country , a moment which came to be known as the Embrace of Maipú . Total war . To further secure Chilean independence , San Martín launched a series of actions against armed bands in the mountains , consisting of assorted outlaws , royalists , and Indians who had taken advantage of the chaos of military expeditions and forced recruitments to pillage and sack the countryside . This time of irregular warfare was later called the " Guerra a muerte " ( Total war ) for its merciless tactics , as neither the guerillas nor the government soldiers took prisoners . Only after the band of Vicente Benavides was liquidated in 1822 was the region around Concepcion finally pacified . Incorporation of Valdivia and Chiloé . As San Martín worked to establish internal stability , O ' Higgins also looked to defend the country against further external threats by the Spanish and continue to roll back imperial control . He developed the Chilean navy as a line of defense against seaborne attacks , placing the Scotsman Lord Cochrane in the post of admiral . In 1820 , Cochrane administered a stunning blow to the remaining royalist forces in a successful attack on a complex of fortifications at Valdivia . Later Cochrane disembarked troops under commander William Miller at northern Chiloé Island in order to conquer the last Spanish stronghold in Chile , the Archipelago of Chiloé . This failed attempt ended in the minor but significant Battle of Agüi . Later on , Georges Beauchef headed from Valdivia an expedition to secure Osorno so that the Spanish would not reoccupy Valdivia from the land . Beauchef inflicted a decisive defeat on the royalists at the Battle of El Toro . In any case , San Martín and O ' Higgins were in agreement that the danger would not be passed until the Viceroyalty of Peru itself was independent from Spain . Thus , a fleet and army was prepared for an expedition to the country , and in 1820 , San Martín and Cochrane set off for Peru . However , the audacious and daring character of Cochrane conflicted with the excessive prudence of San Martín . San Martín let escape a number of opportunities to land the decisive blow against the viceroy , and in the end it was Simón Bolívar who launched the final offensive after coming down from Colombia , Peruvian independence was secured after the Battle of Ayacucho on December 9 , 1824 , in which forces led by Antonio José de Sucre — a lieutenant of Bolívar — defeated the royalist army for good . In Chilean historiography , the " Patria Nueva " generally ends in 1823 , with the resignation of O ' Higgins . However , the last Spanish territory in Chile , the archipelago of Chiloé , was not conquered until 1826 , during the government of Ramón Freire , O ' Higgins ' successor . Economic impact . The independence wars in Chile ( 1810 – 1818 ) and Peru ( 1809 – 1824 ) had a negative impact on the Chilean wheat industry . Trade was disrupted and armies in Chile pillaged the countryside . The Guerra a muerte phase was particularly destructive and ended only to see a period of outlaw banditry ( e . g . Pincheira brothers ) occur until the late 1820s . Trade with Peru did not fully recover after the independence struggles . The Chilean ruling elite adopted a free trade policy already in 1811 with the " Decreto de Libre Comercio " . This allowed the country in the mid - 19th century to exploit the opportunities that the California Gold Rush and the Australian gold rushes created for exporting wheat .