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Battle of Sipe-Sipe
Part of Argentine War of Independence
Date November 28, 1815 Location Bolivia 17°27′22.06″S 66°20′52.11″W / 17.4561278°S 66.3478083°W / -17.4561278; -66.3478083 Result Decisive Royalist victory
Belligerents
United Provinces of South America	Spanish Empire
Commanders
José Rondeau	Joaquín de la Pezuela
Strength
3,000 to 3,500 9 artillery pieces	5,100 23 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
2,000 killed, wounded or captured, 9 artillery pieces destroyed or captured	32 killed, 198 wounded

v • d • e Alto Perú Campaigns 1810-17 Cotagaita – Suipacha – Huaqui – Tucumán – Salta – Pequereque –Vilcapugio – Tambo Nuevo  -Ayohuma – Sipe-Sipe – Yavi – La Tablada

The Battle of Sipe-Sipe was an important battle in the South American wars of independence in which the United Provinces of Río de la Plata (formerly the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata) were decisively defeated by Spanish royalist forces in Upper Peru (now Bolivia). The battle took place on November 29, 1815, and resulted in the loss of Alto Perú by Buenos Aires. The area was reannexed by the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru.

The Army of the North had been under the command of José de San Martín, but for health reasons he asked to be relieved. He was replaced by José Rondeau. At the time of the third campaign in Alto Perú (the first two had been beaten off), General Carlos María de Alvear was named by Supreme Director Ignacio Álvarez Thomas to replace Rondeau. However Rondeau's officers revolted, and communicated to him that they would obey only his orders. Rondeau, now in revolt himself, accepted the officers' proposal and ordered the attack.

General Martín Miguel de Güemes, a rival of Rondeau, withdrew the support of his Gauchos and retired to Salta, taking with him the part of the army that was in Jujuy.

In his march to Cochabamba, Rondeau camped in the pampas of Sipe-Sipe, near the city of the same name. There on November 28, 1815 his forces were met by the Royalist forces from Peru under Brigadier Joaquín de la Pezuela. Rondeau had 3,000 to 3,500 men and nine pieces of artillery; Pezuela commanded 5,100 men and 23 artillery pieces.

The result of the battle the next day was the most serious defeat of the independentist movements since the Battle of Huaqui in 1811. The insurgents' losses were estimated at 2,000 men and all of their artillery. With this defeat, the province of Alto Perú was finally lost to the Argentines, and Spanish control was reestablished.

For his success, in 1816 Pezuela was named interim viceroy of Peru by royal order dated October 15, 1815. The following year he was also promoted to lieutenant general and given the title Marquis of Viluma. Rondeau was removed from his command in 1816 and he returned to Buenos Aires.

• This article draws heavily on the October 2006 version of the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia.

Coordinates: 17°27′22.06″S 66°20′52.11″W / 17.4561278°S 66.3478083°W / -17.4561278; -66.3478083

901 in progress...