Battle of Chacabuco
1817 CE · Chacabuco, Chile
The Battle of Chacabuco was fought in 1817 CE in Chacabuco, Chile between Army of the Andes (Argentina and Chile) vs the Spanish royalists; decisive Patriot victory that opened the way to Santiago.
Battle of Chacabuco: quick facts
- Date
- 1817 CE
- Location
- Chacabuco, Chile
- Belligerents
- Army of the Andes (Argentina and Chile) vs the Spanish royalists
- Commanders
- José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins vs Rafael Maroto
- Result
- decisive Patriot victory that opened the way to Santiago.
- Era
- 🌎 Latin American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Chacabuco?
After leading his Army of the Andes across the treacherous mountain passes from Argentina, Jose de San Martin attacked the Spanish royalist forces defending Chile. The patriot victory at Chacabuco opened the road to Santiago and marked the beginning of Chilean independence.
Did you know?
San Martin's crossing of the Andes with 5,000 men is considered one of the greatest military feats in history. He used elaborate deception plans, sending spies to convince the Spanish he would attack from different passes.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Chacabuco on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.