Urquiza

Justo José de Urquiza y García (; October 18, 1801 – April 11, 1870) was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.

He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces. Rosas presented a resignation to his charge frequently, but only as a political gesture, counting that the other governments would reject it. However, in 1851, resentful of the economic and political dominance of Buenos Aires, Urquiza accepted Rosas resignation and resumed for Entre Rios the powers delegated in Buenos Aires. Along with the resuming of international commerce without passing through the port of Buenos Aires, Urquiza replaced the "Death to the savage unitarians!" slogan with "Death to the enemies of national organization!", requesting the making of a national constitution that Rosas had long rejected. Corrientes supported Urquiza's action, but Rosas and the other provinces condemned the "crazy, traitor, savage, unitarian" Urquiza. Supported by Brazil and the Uruguayan liberals, he created the "Big Army" and forced Manuel Oribe to capitulate, ending the long siege of Montevideo in October 1851, and finally defeating Rosas on 3 February 1852 at the Battle of Caseros. The other provinces that supported Rosas against Urquiza's pronunciation changed sides and supported his project of creating a National Constitution.

Urquiza immediately began the task of national organization. He became provisional director of the Argentine Confederation in May 1852. In 1853, a constituent assembly adopted a constitution based primarily on the ideas of Juan Bautista Alberdi, and Urquiza was inaugurated president in March 1854.

During his administration, foreign relations were improved, public education was encouraged, colonization was promoted, and plans for railroad construction was initiated. His work of national organization was, however, hindered by the opposition of Buenos Aires, which seceded from the Confederation. Open war broke out in 1859. Urquiza defeated the provincial army led by Bartolomé Mitre in October 1859, at the Battle of Cepeda, and Buenos Aires agreed to re-enter the Confederation.

Constitutional amendments proposed by Buenos Aires were adopted in 1860 but the settlement was short-lived, and further difficulties culminated in civil war. Urquiza met the army of Buenos Aires, again led by Mitre, in September 1861. The battle was indecisive, but Urquiza withdrew from the field, leaving the victory with Mitre. He retired to San José Palace, his residence in Entre Ríos, where he ruled until he was assassinated at age 69 (along with his sons Justo and Waldino) by followers of dissident and political rival Ricardo López Jordán.

Political offices
Preceded by
Vicente López y Planes
President of Argentina
1854–1860
Succeeded by
Santiago Derqui
Heads of state of Argentina
May Revolution and Independence War Period
up to Asamblea del Año XIII (1810–1814)
  • Primera Junta
  • Junta Grande
  • First Triumvirate
  • Second Triumvirate
Supreme Directors of the United Provinces
of the Río de la Plata (1814–1820)
  • Gervasio Antonio de Posadas
  • Carlos María de Alvear
  • Juan José Viamonte
  • José Rondeau
  • Ignacio Álvarez Thomas
  • Antonio González de Balcarce
  • Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
  • José Rondeau
  • Juan Pedro Aguirre
Unitarian Republic – First Presidential Government (1826–1827)
  • Bernardino Rivadavia
  • Vicente López y Planes
Pacto Federal and Argentine Confederation (1827–1862)
  • Manuel Dorrego
  • Juan Manuel de Rosas
  • Juan Ramón Balcarce
  • Juan José Viamonte
  • Manuel Vicente Maza
  • Juan Manuel de Rosas
  • Justo José de Urquiza
  • Santiago Derqui
  • Juan Esteban Pedernera
National Organization – Argentine Republic (1862–1880)
  • Bartolomé Mitre
  • Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
  • Nicolás Avellaneda
Generation of '80 – Oligarchic Republic (1880–1916)
  • Julio Argentino Roca
  • Miguel Juárez Celman
  • Carlos Pellegrini
  • Luis Sáenz Peña
  • José Evaristo Uriburu
  • Julio Argentino Roca
  • Manuel Quintana
  • José Figueroa Alcorta
  • Roque Sáenz Peña
  • Victorino de la Plaza
First Radical Civic Union terms,
after Universal (Male) Suffrage (1916–1930)
  • Hipólito Yrigoyen
  • Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear
  • Hipólito Yrigoyen
Infamous Decade (1930–1943)
  • José Félix Uriburu
  • Agustín Pedro Justo
  • Roberto María Ortiz
  • Ramón Castillo
Revolution of '43 military dictatorships (1943–1946)
  • Arturo Rawson
  • Pedro Pablo Ramírez
  • Edelmiro Julián Farrell
First Peronist terms (1946–1955)
  • Juan Domingo Perón
Revolución Libertadora military dictatorships (1955–1958)
  • Eduardo Lonardi
  • Pedro Eugenio Aramburu
Fragile civilian governments – Proscription of Peronism (1958–1966)
  • Arturo Frondizi
  • José María Guido
  • Arturo Umberto Illia
Revolución Argentina military dictatorships (1966–1973)
  • Juan Carlos Onganía
  • Roberto M. Levingston
  • Alejandro Agustín Lanusse
Return of Perón (1973–1976)
  • Héctor José Cámpora
  • Raúl Alberto Lastiri
  • Juan Domingo Perón
  • Isabel Martínez de Perón
National Reorganization Process military dictatorships (1976–1983)
  • Jorge Rafael Videla
  • Roberto Eduardo Viola
  • Leopoldo Galtieri
  • Reynaldo Bignone
Return to Democracy (1983–present)
  • Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín
  • Carlos Saúl Menem
  • Fernando de la Rúa
  • Adolfo Rodríguez Saá
  • Eduardo Duhalde
  • Néstor Kirchner
  • Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
  • Portal:Argentina
  • Politics of Argentina
  • President of Argentina
  • List of heads of state of Argentina
Argentine Civil Wars (1814–1876)
Parties
involved
(leaders)
Federalists
  • José Gervasio Artigas
  • Mariano Vera
  • Estanislao López
  • Francisco Ramírez
  • Juan Bautista Bustos
  • Manuel Dorrego
  • Facundo Quiroga
  • Alejandro Heredia
  • Pascual Echagüe
  • Juan Manuel de Rosas
  • Justo José de Urquiza
  • Ricardo López Jordán
  • Felipe Varela
  • Chacho Peñaloza
Unitarians
  • Carlos María de Alvear
  • Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
  • José Rondeau
  • Bernardino Rivadavia
  • Juan Lavalle
  • José María Paz
  • Juan Esteban Pedernera
  • Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid
  • Pedro Ferré
  • Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Battles
  • Cepeda (1820)
  • Navarro (1828)
  • San Roque (1829)
  • Márquez Bridge (1829)
  • La Tablada (1829)
  • Oncativo (1830)
  • Sauce Grande (1840)
  • Famaillá (1841)
  • Caaguazú (1841)
  • Laguna Limpia (1846)
  • Vuelta de Obligado (1846)
  • Caseros (1852)
  • Cepeda (1859)
  • Pavón (1861)
  • Don Gonzalo (1873)
Treaties
  • Pilar (1820)
  • Benegas (1820)
  • Quadrilateral (1822)
  • Cañuelas Pact (1829)
  • Federal Pact (1831)
  • Protocol of Palermo (1852)
  • San Nicolás (1852)
  • Pact of San José de Flores (1859)
See also
  • United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
  • League of the Free Peoples
  • Arequito Revolt
  • Revolution of the Restorers
  • Federal League
  • Unitarian League
  • Argentine Confederation
  • Uruguayan Civil War
  • State of Buenos Aires
  • Constitution of Argentina of 1853
Authority control
  • VIAF: 9937566
Persondata
Name Urquiza, Justo José De
Alternative names
Short description Argentine general and politician
Date of birth October 18, 1801
Place of birth Talar de Arroyo Largo, Entre Ríos
Date of death April 11, 1870
Place of death Palacio San José