Juan González de la Pezuela y Cevallos
Marquis de la Pezuela
Juan González de la Pezuela y Cevallos, (Lima, 16 May 1810 - Madrid, 1 November 1906), I Count of Cheste, I Marquis de la Pezuela, I viscount of Ayala, Grandee of Spain, was a conservative Spanish politician, soldier and writer. He was the second son of Joaquín de la Pezuela, 1st Marquess of Viluma and Angela de Cevallos Y Olarria. His elder brother was Manuel de la Pezuela, 2nd Marquess of Viluma. He lived in Peru until 1821. In 1833 he had the rank of a captain and fought in the First Carlist War for the Christinos, distinguishing himself in the battle of Cheste. During the government of Baldomero Espartero, he was involved in a military conspiracy of supporters of Maria Christina, which tried to seize power in Madrid on 7 October 1841, but failed. After two years in exile, he became a member of the Cortes, and in 1846, he was appointed Minister of Navy for a few weeks, then in 1848, he became Captain General of Madrid. Later during the same year, he was appointed Governor of Puerto Rico, as a successor to Juan Prim. He held this position until 1851. He founded the Royal Academy of Belles Letters in Puerto Rico, and banned the new dance Merengue for its "corrupting influence". Between 1853 and 1854, he was Governor of Cuba. He then returned to Spain to serve as Captain General of Catalonia and Captain general of the Army from October 1867. During the 1868
Revolution, he defended the monarchy of Isabella II of Spain, and as a consequence of the defeat, he was then marginalized from important positions under the reign of Amadeo I and under the First Republic. After the rise to the throne of King Alfonso XII in 1874, he was rehabilitated. Pezuela was elected to seat a of the Real Academia Española, he took up his seat on 2 December 1875. He became its director on 2 December 1875, and in the same year, he was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece. He dedicated the last 30 years of his life to literature, and translated several works, including the Portuguese epic poem Os Lusíadas of Luís de Camões, and the Divine Comedy of Dante.
The Peruvian Army (Spanish: Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. It celebrates the anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho (1824) on December 9. Military traditions in Peruvian territory go back to prehispanic times, ranging from small armed bands to the large armies assembled by the Inca Empire. After the Spanish conquest, small garrisons were kept at strategic locations but no standing army existed until the Bourbon reforms of the 18th century. The main purpose of this force was the defense of the Viceroyalty from pirates and corsairs as well as internal rebellions. The Ejército del Perú was officially established on August 18, 1821, when the government of general José de San Martín established the Legión Peruana de la Guardia (Peruvian Guard Legion), although some militia units had been formed before. Peruvian troops were key participants in the final campaign against Spanish rule in South America, under the leadership of general Simón Bolívar, which ended victoriously in the battles of Junín and Ayacucho in 1824. After the War of Independence the strong position of the Army and the lack of solid political institutions meant that every Peruvian president until 1872 held some military rank. The Ejército del Perú also had a major role in the definition of national borders by participating in several wars against neighbor countries. This included a conflict against Gran Colombia
(1828-1829) where naval victories were obtained and the blockade of Guayaquil but had setbacks in Tarqui, after that an armistice is signed where it is indicated that it remains in statu quo, the Great Colombia dissolves months later product of the war with Peru, the wars of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836-1839), two military invasions to Bolivia and the subsequent expulsion of Bolivian troops from Peruvian soil (1828 and 1841) and a successful occupation of Ecuador (1858-1860). Starting in 1842, increased state revenues from guano. Exports allowed the expansion and modernization of the Army, as well as the consolidation of its political power. These improvements were an important factor in the defeat of a Spanish naval expedition at the Battle of Callao (1866). However, continuous overspending and a growing public debt led to a chronic fiscal crisis in the 1870s which severely affected defense budgets. The consequent lack of military preparedness combined with bad leadership were major causes of Peru's defeat against Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–1883). The reconstruction of the Army started slowly after the war due to a general lack of funds. A major turning point in this process was the arrival in 1896 of a French Military Mission contracted by president Nicolás de Piérola. By 1900 the peacetime strength of the army was evaluated at six infantry battalions (nearly 2,000 soldiers), two regiments and four squadrons and cavalry (between six and seven hundred soldiers), and one artillery regiment (just over 500 soldiers) for a total of 3,075 personnel. A military school was reportedly operating in the Chorrillos District of Lima and French officers were continuing to assist in the army's reorganization. The "Mariscal Domingo Nieto" Cavalry Regiment Escort (Spanish: Regimiento de Caballeria "Mariscal Domingo Nieto" Escolta de la Presidente de la Republica) is the Household Cavalry and Dragoon Guards regiment of the Peruvian Army since 1904. This Regiment of Dragoons was raised in 1904 following the recommendations of the first French military mission that undertook the Peruvian Army reorganization in 1896. The Dragoon Guards of the "Field Marshal Nieto" Regiment of Cavalry were to Perú what the British Household Cavalry Brigade is to United Kingdom in the 19th century and were fashioned after French dragoon regiments of the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
The Marquisate of La Pezuela is a Spanish noble title created on 28 September 1852 by Queen Isabella II for Juan Manuel González de la Pezuela y Ceballos, 1st Count of Cheste, Grandee of Spain in 1864, 1st Viscount of Ayala on 28 September 1852, Governor of Puerto Rico, Captain General of the Armies, Spanish politician, writer and poet, son of Lieutenant General Joaquín González de la Pezuela Griñán y Sánchez de Aragón Muñoz de Velasco, thirty-ninth Spanish politician, writer and poet, Captain General of the Armies, Spanish politician, writer and poet, son of Lieutenant General Joaquín González de la Pezuela Griñán y Sánchez de Aragón Muñoz de Velasco, thirty-ninth viceroy of Peru and younger brother of Manuel de la Pezuela y Ceballos, II Marquis of Viluma.
Awards: Insignia of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro), Stars of the Order of the Sun of Peru (Orden El Sol del Perú), the Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand (Real y Militar Orden de San Fernando) and the Order of Calatrava (Orden de Calatrava).
