Conquest of The Desert - Alsina's Campaign

Alsina's Campaign

In 1875 Adolfo Alsina, Minister of War under President Nicolás Avellaneda, presented the government with a plan which he later described as aiming to populate the desert, and not to destroy the Indians.

The first step was to connect Buenos Aires and the Fortines (fortresses) with telegraph lines. Then a peace treaty was signed with chieftain Juan José Catriel, only to be broken shortly after when he attacked, together with chieftain Namuncurá and 3,500 warriors, Tres Arroyos, Tandil, Azul, and other towns and farms in an even bloodier attack than that of 1872 and 400 settlers were killed and 300 captured, and 300,000 head of cattle were carried off.

Alsina answered by attacking the Indians, forcing them to fall back, and leaving fortines on his way south to protect the conquered territories. He also constructed the 374 km long trench named Zanja de Alsina ("Alsina's trench") that in theory would serve as a limit to the unconquered territories. With its three metre width and two metre depth, it served as an obstacle for the transport of cattle by the Indians.

The Indians continued taking cattle from farms in the Buenos Aires Province and south of the Mendoza Province, but found it difficult to escape as the animals slowed their march, and had to face the patrolling units that would follow them. As the war went on, some Indians eventually signed peace treaties and settled among the "christians" behind the lines of forts. Some tribes even allied with the Argentine government and either stood neutral or fought for the Argentine army. In return, they were granted periodical shipments of cattle and food. After Alsina died in 1877, Julio Argentino Roca was appointed Minister of War, and decided to change Alsina's strategy.