José Joaquín Prieto
Encyclopedia
José Joaquín Prieto Vial (August 20, 1786 - November 22, 1854) was a Chile
an military and political figure. He was twice President of Chile
between 1831 and 1841. José Joaquín Prieto was of Spanish
and Basque
descent.
officer
in Concepción
. After finishing school, he joined the cavalry
garrison
in his home town. In 1810, he joined the Chilean fight for independence against his father's will. He met Manuela Warnes García de Zúñiga in Buenos Aires
and married her in 1812. During the Chilean War of Independence, he served as a captain. In the dispute between Bernardo O'Higgins
and José Miguel Carrera
, he took the side of O'Higgins, who then made him Quartermaster general
of the southern army.
After the defeat in the Battle of Rancagua, which he wasn't a part of, Prieto fled to Mendoza
, Argentina
to build up the Liberation Army of the Andes. After the victory of the Chileans in the battle of Chacabuco
in 1817, in which he also wasn't involved, he was appointed Commanding General of Santiago, where he dealt with defense strategies and ballistic
matters. Then, he turned his attention to Peru
, in order to support its fight for independence.
His military accomplishements - especially in the south of the country - earned the respect of conservative-centralist circles, that encouraged him to start a political career. He did so in 1823; in this year he was elected into the Chilean House of Deputies
and appointed into State council. In this position, he advocated a strong and influential central government and fought the federalist independence ambitions of the regionalists. In 1828, he was elected vice-president of Chile.
and commander of the army in the south. In 1829 presidential elections, neither he nor his liberal-federalist opponent Joaquín Vicuña
received an absolute majority. The liberal majority in Congress nominated Francisco Ramón Vicuña
, president of the senate, as vice-president. The conservatives considered this move to be unconstitutional and started a civil war
.
As commander of the southern army, Prieto marched onto Santiago. On December 14, 1829, he and his troops met the liberal army under Francisco de la Lastra
and defeated them at the Battle of Ochagavía. Then, in 1830, an agreement was finally found after the defeat of Ramón Freire at the Battle of Lircay.
died, Fernando Errázuriz
became Provisional President from March 8 to March 31, 1831, rapidly replaced by Prieto himself on April 10. On September 18, 1831, Prieto was finally able to take over the job as elected President for a first term of five years.
His main focus on first taking power was to restore law and order; for that he relied on Diego Portales
, who continue to be the almost universal minister and provided the necessary political stability for the country to recover from the decade of anarchy. He also instructed Manuel Bulnes
to seize the bandits commanded by the brothers Pablo and José Antonio Pincheira who made the area around Concepción unsafe. On May 25, 1833 a new constitution
was passed, which - with a few amendments - would be valid until 1925. It provided for a 5-year long term of office for the president, who could be re-elected only once. The president received much authority.
During his 10-year long presidency, Prieto expanded the governmental power and laid the foundation for a public administration
in Chile. The first educational establishments like the Instituto Nacional
were founded and in 1837 the ministries for justice and public education were created. Prieto's foreign policy was dominated by Chile's war with Peru
between 1836 and 1839. The Chilean army under Manuel Blanco Encalada
suffered heavy losses, which climaxed in the Treaty of Paucarpata, following which Manuel Bulnes took over the commanding power of the army and led it into the victorious Battle of Yungay
.
until 1846. In 1846, he moved to Santiago de Chile, where he died on November 22, 1854 at the age of 68.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an military and political figure. He was twice President of Chile
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
between 1831 and 1841. José Joaquín Prieto was of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
and Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
descent.
Early life
Prieto was one of five sons of a CreoleCreole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
. After finishing school, he joined the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
in his home town. In 1810, he joined the Chilean fight for independence against his father's will. He met Manuela Warnes García de Zúñiga in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and married her in 1812. During the Chilean War of Independence, he served as a captain. In the dispute between Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
and José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
, he took the side of O'Higgins, who then made him Quartermaster general
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
of the southern army.
After the defeat in the Battle of Rancagua, which he wasn't a part of, Prieto fled to Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to build up the Liberation Army of the Andes. After the victory of the Chileans in the battle of Chacabuco
Battle of Chacabuco
The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata led by General Captain José de San Martín defeated the Spanish force led by Rafael Maroto...
in 1817, in which he also wasn't involved, he was appointed Commanding General of Santiago, where he dealt with defense strategies and ballistic
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
matters. Then, he turned his attention to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, in order to support its fight for independence.
His military accomplishements - especially in the south of the country - earned the respect of conservative-centralist circles, that encouraged him to start a political career. He did so in 1823; in this year he was elected into the Chilean House of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
and appointed into State council. In this position, he advocated a strong and influential central government and fought the federalist independence ambitions of the regionalists. In 1828, he was elected vice-president of Chile.
Political career and Civil War of 1829
Prieto's military career continued to progress. In 1828, he was promoted to generalGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and commander of the army in the south. In 1829 presidential elections, neither he nor his liberal-federalist opponent Joaquín Vicuña
Joaquín Vicuña
José Joaquín Vicuña Larraín was a Chilean politician whose selection as vice president by Congress precipitated the Chilean Civil War of 1829. He was of Basque descent....
received an absolute majority. The liberal majority in Congress nominated Francisco Ramón Vicuña
Francisco Ramón Vicuña
Francisco Ramón de Vicuña Larraín was a Chilean political figure. He served twice as acting President of Chile in 1829. Francisco Vicuña was of Basque descent.-Early life:...
, president of the senate, as vice-president. The conservatives considered this move to be unconstitutional and started a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
.
As commander of the southern army, Prieto marched onto Santiago. On December 14, 1829, he and his troops met the liberal army under Francisco de la Lastra
Francisco de la Lastra
General Francisco de la Lastra y de la Sotta was a Chilean military officer and the first Supreme Director of Chile .-Biography:...
and defeated them at the Battle of Ochagavía. Then, in 1830, an agreement was finally found after the defeat of Ramón Freire at the Battle of Lircay.
Administration
After the transitional president José Tomás OvalleJosé Tomás Ovalle
José Tomás Ovalle y Bezanilla was a Chilean political figure. He served twice as provisional president of Chile.-Early life:...
died, Fernando Errázuriz
Fernando Errázuriz
Fernando de Errázuriz y Martínez de Aldunate , also known as Fernando Errázuriz Aldunate, was a Chilean political figure. He served as provisional president of Chile in 1831. He was of Basque descent....
became Provisional President from March 8 to March 31, 1831, rapidly replaced by Prieto himself on April 10. On September 18, 1831, Prieto was finally able to take over the job as elected President for a first term of five years.
His main focus on first taking power was to restore law and order; for that he relied on Diego Portales
Diego Portales
Diego José Pedro Víctor Portales Palazuelos was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur. As a minister of president José Joaquín Prieto Diego Portales played a pivotal role in shaping the state and government politics in the 19th century, delivering with the Constitution of 1833 the framework of the...
, who continue to be the almost universal minister and provided the necessary political stability for the country to recover from the decade of anarchy. He also instructed Manuel Bulnes
Manuel Bulnes
-Sources:* Juan B. Alberdi, Biografia de general Bulnes...
to seize the bandits commanded by the brothers Pablo and José Antonio Pincheira who made the area around Concepción unsafe. On May 25, 1833 a new constitution
Chilean Constitution of 1833
thumb|right|200px|Painting of Diego Portales. The Constitution of 1833 has been seen as the embodiement of the "Portalian thought".The Constitution of 1833 was the constitution used in Chile from 1833 to 1925 when it was replaced by the Constitution of 1925...
was passed, which - with a few amendments - would be valid until 1925. It provided for a 5-year long term of office for the president, who could be re-elected only once. The president received much authority.
During his 10-year long presidency, Prieto expanded the governmental power and laid the foundation for a public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
in Chile. The first educational establishments like the Instituto Nacional
Instituto Nacional
Instituto Nacional , founded on August 10, 1813 by the Chilean patriot José Miguel Carrera , officially Liceo Ex A-0 - Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera, is Chile's oldest and most prestigious school...
were founded and in 1837 the ministries for justice and public education were created. Prieto's foreign policy was dominated by Chile's war with Peru
War of the Confederation
The War of the Confederation , was a conflict between the Peru-Bolivian Confederation on one side and Chile, Peruvian dissidents and Argentina, on the other, fought mostly in the actual territory of Peru and which ended with a Confederate defeat and the dissolution of the...
between 1836 and 1839. The Chilean army under Manuel Blanco Encalada
Manuel Blanco Encalada
Manuel José Blanco y Calvo de Encalada was a Vice-Admiral in the Chilean Navy, a political figure, and Chile's first President .-Biography:...
suffered heavy losses, which climaxed in the Treaty of Paucarpata, following which Manuel Bulnes took over the commanding power of the army and led it into the victorious Battle of Yungay
Battle of Yungay
The Battle of Yungay effectively destroyed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation created by Bolivian Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1836...
.
Later life
In 1841, the victorious hero Bulnes was elected as the successor of Prieto. After his resignation Prieto served as Senator until 1852 and even took over the command of the infantry and the navy of ValparaísoValparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
until 1846. In 1846, he moved to Santiago de Chile, where he died on November 22, 1854 at the age of 68.