Because of his role in liberating five South American countries (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia) from Spanish rule, Simon Bolivar is often referred to as "The Bolivarian of South America." George Washington". Few political figures in the entire history of this continent have played as dominant a role as he did.
Bolívar was born in 1783 in Gas, Venezuela, to an aristocratic family of Spanish descent. He was orphaned at the age of nine. When he was growing up, he was deeply influenced by the ideas and ideals of the French Enlightenment. He read the works of philosophers such as John Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu.
When he was young, Bolivar visited several European countries. In 1805, he made a famous oath on the top of Mount Aventine in Rome: As long as his motherland was not liberated from Spanish rule, he would fight for one day.
In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and appointed his brother as the head of the Spanish government. By removing the real political power of the Spanish royal family, Napoleon provided a good opportunity for the South American colonies to fight for their own political independence.
In 1810, the Spanish governor of Venezuela was dismissed, and the revolution against Spanish rule in Venezuela began. A formal declaration of independence was made in 1811, the same year Bolivar became a general in the revolutionary army. But Spanish troops took control of Venezuela the following year. Revolutionary leader Francisco Miranda was imprisoned and Bolivar fled abroad. .
A series of wars broke out in the following years, and brief victories were followed by tragic defeats. But Bolivar never wavered in his determination. A turning point occurred in 1819, when Bolivar led his small army of civilians across rivers, across the plains, and through the steep narrow roads in the Andes to launch an attack on the Spanish army in Colombia. There he won the decisive Battle of Boyaca (August 7, 1819); a real turning point in the war. Venezuela was liberated in 1821 and Ecuador in 1822.
Meanwhile the Argentine patriot José San Martín freed Argentina and Chile from Spanish rule and Peru was liberated. The two saviors met in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in the summer of 1822. Since San Martín was unwilling to engage in a power struggle with the ambitious Bolivar (which could only benefit the Spanish), he decided to resign as military commander and withdraw all his troops from South America. By 1824, Bolivar's troops had liberated today's Peru, and in 1825 they completely annihilated the Spanish troops stationed in Upper Peru (today's Bolivia).
The remaining years of Bolivar's career were somewhat disappointing. Impressed by the example of the United States, he aspired to establish a new federal government of South American nations. In fact, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador have formed a Greater Colombian Republic, with Bolivar serving as President of the Republic of Colombia. Unfortunately, the centrifugal trend is much greater in South America than in North America. When Bolivar convened the Pan-American Conference in 1826, only four countries participated. Indeed, no more countries joined the Republic of Gran Colombia, and the Republic itself soon began to fall apart. So the civil war broke out. In 1828 there was a plot to assassinate Bolivar. In 1830 Venezuela and Ecuador seceded from the French Republic. Bolivar, realizing that he was a liability to the peace, announced his resignation in April 1830. He was forced to leave his native Venezuela and lived in exile, impoverished, and died in December 1830.
Bolívar is obviously an ambitious man. In times of crisis, he sometimes used his authority to act arbitrarily. But when faced with a choice, he was willing to put his personal ambitions under the welfare of the people and the ideal of democracy, and constantly gave up various dictatorial powers in his hands. At one time someone wanted to grant him the throne, but he refused. No doubt he felt that the title "Saviour" he had been bestowed upon was a greater honor than any crown.
There is no doubt that Bolivar was the main figure in liberating South America from colonialism. He provided the guiding ideology for this movement - writing articles, delivering speeches, founding newspapers, and writing letters. He worked tirelessly to raise funds for the struggle.
He is the main leader of the revolutionary army.
But it would be a mistake to regard Bolivar as a great general. The army he defeated was small in number and poorly directed. Bolivar himself had no special talents in strategy or tactics. (Not surprising since he had never had military training). It was Bolivar's indomitable spirit in the face of adversity that made up for all his other shortcomings. After each defeat by Spain, some people wanted to give up the fight. However, he resolutely regrouped and continued the struggle.
I think Bolivar was even more influential than famous figures like Julius Caesar and Charlemagne, not only because the changes he brought about during his career were more lasting; The area is wider. But Bolivar's ranking is much lower than Alexander the Great, Adolf Hitler and Napoleon, because without these three people. Much of what they did would never have happened, but it's hard to believe that the South American countries wouldn't have finally gained independence anyway.
The most interesting and meaningful comparison is between Bolivar and George Washington. Bolivar, like Washington, commanded small, ill-trained armies that were underfunded and often needed a morale-boosting leader to rally them.
Unlike Washington, Bolivar liberated all his slaves during his lifetime. In addition, he actively fought to eliminate slavery in the countries he liberated by issuing declarations and formulating constitutional provisions. But his efforts were unsuccessful, and slavery still existed in the region when he died.
Bolívar’s personality is complex and interesting: bright, brave, and romantic. He was handsome, talented, and charming; he was a far-sighted idealist; his ambitions were much greater than those of Washington, but this was a disadvantage to the areas he liberated. Bolivar paid no attention to material interests. He entered politics as a rich man and retired as a poor man.
The territory Bolivar liberated from colonialism was far larger than the original United States. But it goes without saying that he was far less important than Washington, entirely due to the fact that the United States played a far greater role in history than the countries he liberated.