ETAPA FEDERAL SEGUNDA PARTE

Foreign Conflicts in the Second Government of Rosas
📌 Rosas's primary goal upon returning to power was to elevate Argentina's international prestige, making foreign relations crucial.
⚔️ The first major conflict was against the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation, led by Marshal Santa Cruz, who harbored Rosas's political exiles and threatened Argentine territory, specifically Tarija.
🇦🇷 Rosas diverted Chilean forces toward Tarija, leading to Santa Cruz's defeat, though he did not successfully reclaim Tarija, which remains part of modern Bolivia.

The French Blockade (1838)
🇫🇷 France protested Rosas's imprisonment of cartographer Hipólito Bacle (for espionage after providing intelligence to Santa Cruz) and other French citizens who refused military service in the Confederation war.
💰 France also demanded "most favored nation" status regarding taxation, seeking a tax reduction comparable to what England had secured.
🚢 As Rosas refused, France initiated a blockade of the port of Buenos Aires for two years, severely harming local landowners and merchants by stopping imports and exports.

The Anglo-French Blockade (1845–1848)
💢 Rosas intervened in the internal politics of the Banda Oriental (Uruguay), supporting the Blancos against the Colorados (equivalent to Argentine Unitarians), leading him to blockade Montevideo.
⚓ England and France responded by instituting the Anglo-French Blockade for nearly four years (1845–1848), primarily aiming to enforce the free navigation of internal rivers like the Paraná River.
🎖️ Argentina resisted this blockade, famously at the Combate de la Vuelta de Obligado, celebrated today as the Day of National Sovereignty, despite the superior English fleet ultimately prevailing.

Economic Policies and Opposition
💸 Leveraging his "Summa of Public Power" authority, Rosas enacted the Customs Law featuring strong protectionist measures to shield nascent national industries.
🚫 Protectionism included outright bans or increased taxes on foreign goods where local production (like tanning hides or animal fat processing) was sufficient to supply the domestic market.
🤝 Rosas's centralization of customs revenue in Buenos Aires generated significant opposition from Littoral Federales who desired their own provincial customs agencies.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Rosas faced unified opposition from Unitarians (like Alberdi and Sarmiento in exile), dissident Federales (like the Lomos Negros), Uruguayans, Brazilians, and the French/English due to his policies on sovereignty and trade.
➡️ The defense of national sovereignty during the 1845 blockade was so significant that José de San Martín (in exile) worked to lobby for a swift end to the foreign intervention.
➡️ Rosas remains a controversial historical figure; defenders highlight his role as a defender of sovereignty (evidenced by San Martín gifting him his military saber), while critics focus on his authoritarian concentration of power in Buenos Aires.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 19, 2026, 15:21 UTC