Antonio de Olaguer y Feliú
Encyclopedia
Antonio de Olaguer y Feliú (1740–1810) was a Spanish
soldier and politician who spent most of his career in South America
.
Born in Villafranca del Bierzo
, León
, Olaguer was sent to Buenos Aires
as a military specialist during the governorship of Pedro de Cevallos. He took part in the siege of Colonia del Sacramento
in 1777. He was named military inspector in 1783.
He served as Governor of Montevideo
between August 2, 1790 and February 11, 1797, and was subsequently named Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
, a position he occupied between May 2, 1797 and May 14, 1799.
During his mandate, he had to contend with the presence of British
and Portuguese
forces in the Río de la Plata region, as well as nascent revolutionary sentiment inspired by the recent French Revolution
. He opened the port of Buenos Aires to foreign traffic in a bid to stimulate the commercial activities of the Viceroyalty, which had begun to suffer from the growing tensions between the European powers.
On his return to Spain he was named Secretary of War by Charles IV
. He died in Madrid
in 1810.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldier and politician who spent most of his career in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Born in Villafranca del Bierzo
Villafranca del Bierzo
thumb|250px|Castle of Villafranca.Vilafranca del Bierzo is a village and municipality located in the comarca of El Bierzo, in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain.It is one of Galician speaking councils of Castilla y León....
, León
León (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
, Olaguer was sent to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
as a military specialist during the governorship of Pedro de Cevallos. He took part in the siege of Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
in 1777. He was named military inspector in 1783.
He served as Governor of Montevideo
Governor of Montevideo
The office of Governor of Montevideo was created shortly after the Treaty of Madrid in 1750 by Ferdinand VI of Spain, with the objective of establishing more effective control of the left bank of the Río de la Plata, which had been awarded to Spain as a term of the treaty.The constant threat of...
between August 2, 1790 and February 11, 1797, and was subsequently named Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
, a position he occupied between May 2, 1797 and May 14, 1799.
During his mandate, he had to contend with the presence of British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and Portuguese
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
forces in the Río de la Plata region, as well as nascent revolutionary sentiment inspired by the recent French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. He opened the port of Buenos Aires to foreign traffic in a bid to stimulate the commercial activities of the Viceroyalty, which had begun to suffer from the growing tensions between the European powers.
On his return to Spain he was named Secretary of War by Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
. He died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1810.