Battle of Ayacucho, 1824

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Antonio Jose de Sucre versus Jose de la Serna: A Royalist army under La Serna attacks a Revolutionary army under Sucre in rough terrain. Can Sucre hold La Serna’s onslaught and then launch a decisive assault of his own? Also known as the Battle of Candorcanqui. Click on images below to view; first image opens video presentation and second image opens PowerPoint presentation.

| Legend |

Many historians who draw up lists of the most decisive or important battles often excitedly look at battles and claim that a nation exists because of a certain battle’s outcome. Ayacucho is one of those battles, Bolivia coming into existence because of the Revolutionary victory.

This battle demonstrates effective use of interior lines to achieve victory. Sucre, operating on interior lines, was able to quickly shift reserves and allow all of his units to mutually support each other. Meanwhile, La Serna, operating on exterior lines, was unable to shift any forces once they were distributed and therefore the wings and center were fighting three different engagements without any mutual support. While no accessible, accurate map exists of the exact terrain for this battle, it should be noted that Sucre knew full well the way terrain would affect the battle and planned accordingly.

This animation nagged and plagued me for quite a few months until it was completed. It was originally supposed to be released in Season II but a complete lack of sources prevented me from even beginning to plan and it was pushed into Season III. However, it was almost pushed into Season IV or scrapped altogether after the nearest library could not provide me with adequate sources that would not require a few months spent in Spain to learn the language. Finally, I found the sources I needed in the McMaster University library and finished the animation in two days. All of this trouble because I wanted the battles to have a wide variety of geography. Speaking of which, does anyone know of any battles worth animating from Central Africa or Antarctica?

- Jonathan Webb

Works Consulted

Black, Jeremy. The Seventy Great Battles in History. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2004.

Masur, Gerhard. Simon Bolivar. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 1948.

Rourke, Thomas. Man of Glory: Simon Bolivar. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1939.

Images

Antonio Jose de Sucre: http://webnacionalistaecuador.4mg.com/batalla_de_tarqui.htm

Jose de la Serna: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_de_la_Serna

Royalist soldiers: http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/cruel_war_in_Spain.html

Revolutionary soldiers: http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/cruel_war_in_Spain.html

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