Chose De San Martin General, hero of the liberation war of the Spanish colonies in America Date of Birth: 25.02.1778 Country: Argentina

Biography of Jose de San Martin

Jose de San Martin was a general and a hero of the liberation war in the Spanish colonies in America. Born on February 25, 1778, in Yapeyú, in present-day Argentina, his parents were Spaniards. His father, Juan de San Martin, was a professional soldier. At the age of six, Jose's family moved to Spain, where he attended a seminary in Madrid starting from 1785. In 1789, he left the seminary and joined the cadets, marking the beginning of his brilliant military career.

Over the next 20 years, San Martin served in the Spanish army and participated in wars against the Netherlands (1791) and Britain (1798). During the latter, he was captured by the British and spent over a year in captivity. In 1804, he was promoted to the rank of captain.

During the occupation of Spain by Napoleon's troops, San Martin distinguished himself as a brilliant military leader and fighter for the freedom of his homeland, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant captain in the army.

In 1812, Jose de San Martin was appointed to Lima to organize the defense of the colonial government against the revolutionary forces of the uprising in Argentina. However, the Argentine-born San Martin could not turn his troops against the revolutionaries but instead joined the side of the rebellious provinces. Leading the Andean Army of the insurgents, Jose de San Martin liberated the territories of modern-day Argentina, Chile, and Peru from Spanish colonizers. From 1821 to 1822, he led the government of the Republic of Peru.