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Bolivar's End Of The Second Republic

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Bolivar returned to fight another day in 1813. He declared a ‘war to the death’ against Spain. He gained support from Colombia and drove the Spanish out of the Magdalena River area and amassed himself a large army. Civilian leaders in Cartagena then gave him permission to liberate western Venezuela. He did so and continued to take Caracas in August of 1813. This was known as Simon Bolivar’s “Admiral Campaign”. He went on to declare a second republic and assumed his role as a military dictator. “The Second Republic collapsed within a few months, however, because Bolivar had failed to win the support of the non-white, many of whom were instead recruited to fight with those loyal to the king.” What also led to the fall of the Second Republic was the “Infernal Legion” that consisted of skilled lancers claiming to give back to the poor and loyal to Spain. Led by Thomas Boves they fought the patriots, under General Jose Felix Ribas, at the battle of La Puerta where Boves won. General Ribas was able to keep him out of Caracas until the second battle of La Puerta June 1814 where the patriot army was in disarray and devastation. Boves took Valencia and then Caracas bringing a fall to the Second Republic of Venezuela. After the defeat, Bolivar returned to New Grenada until 1815. Under the Second Republic Bolivar and his ‘ war to the death’ killed any Spaniard he came across if they were not active on the patriot side creating the bloodiest part of this revolution. Therefore

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