Gaspar de Vigodet
Encyclopedia
Gaspar de Vigodet (1747 – 1834) was a Spanish military with French roots and last Royalist Governor of Montevideo
.
He participated in the Great Siege of Gibraltar
in 1783 and in the War of the Pyrenees
in 1793, where he was promoted to Mariscal de campo.
He was in command of a division in the lost Battles of Almonacid
and Ocana
(1809).
By the end of 1811, he was made Governor of Montevideo
, to stop the advance of the Independentist rebels forces of Río de la Plata
. By October 1812, the entire region was under control of the rebels, except for the city of Montevideo, which was besieged. On December 31, Vigodet broke out of the city, but was defeated in the Battle of Cerrito
.
Supplied from over the sea, the city still held out until May 17 1814, when the naval victories of Admiral William Brown
, cut off the supply route and the city faced starvation. By the end of June, Vigodet was forced to surrender Montevideo to General Carlos María de Alvear
.
The following years he stayed in Río de Janeiro
, where he tried to take revenge on Alvear, who was also exiled to this city, due to political differences.
He returned in 1820 to Spain, where he became capitán general of Castille, and member of the Liberal Regency during the Trienio Liberal. When King Ferdinand VII of Spain was restored in 1823, he went into exile in France, from where he could only return in 1834, after the death of the King.
Governor of Montevideo
The office of Governor of Montevideo was created shortly after the Treaty of Madrid in 1750 by Ferdinand VI of Spain, with the objective of establishing more effective control of the left bank of the Río de la Plata, which had been awarded to Spain as a term of the treaty.The constant threat of...
.
He participated in the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
in 1783 and in the War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
in 1793, where he was promoted to Mariscal de campo.
He was in command of a division in the lost Battles of Almonacid
Battle of Almonacid
The Battle of Almonacid was fought on August 11, 1809 during the Peninsular War between Sébastiani's IV Corps of the French Peninsular Army, which had withdrawn from the Battle of Talavera to defend Madrid, and the Spanish Army of La Mancha under General Venegas...
and Ocana
Battle of Ocana
The Battle of Ocana or Battle of Ocaña was fought on 19 November 1809 between French forces under Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult and King Joseph Bonaparte and the Spanish army under Juan Carlos de Aréizaga, which suffered its greatest single defeat in the Peninsular War...
(1809).
By the end of 1811, he was made Governor of Montevideo
Governor of Montevideo
The office of Governor of Montevideo was created shortly after the Treaty of Madrid in 1750 by Ferdinand VI of Spain, with the objective of establishing more effective control of the left bank of the Río de la Plata, which had been awarded to Spain as a term of the treaty.The constant threat of...
, to stop the advance of the Independentist rebels forces of Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. By October 1812, the entire region was under control of the rebels, except for the city of Montevideo, which was besieged. On December 31, Vigodet broke out of the city, but was defeated in the Battle of Cerrito
Battle of Cerrito
Battle of Cerrito , was a battle for the War of Independence of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, between the royalist forces who had control of the city of Montevideo and the rebel forces of the government of Buenos Aires.- Previous Situation :In the year 1811, the forces deployed by the...
.
Supplied from over the sea, the city still held out until May 17 1814, when the naval victories of Admiral William Brown
William Brown (admiral)
Admiral William Brown was an Irish-born Argentine Admiral. Brown's victories in the Independence War, the Argentina-Brazil War, and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national...
, cut off the supply route and the city faced starvation. By the end of June, Vigodet was forced to surrender Montevideo to General Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear
Carlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....
.
The following years he stayed in Río de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where he tried to take revenge on Alvear, who was also exiled to this city, due to political differences.
He returned in 1820 to Spain, where he became capitán general of Castille, and member of the Liberal Regency during the Trienio Liberal. When King Ferdinand VII of Spain was restored in 1823, he went into exile in France, from where he could only return in 1834, after the death of the King.