Presidents Behaving Goodly: Rutherford Hayes and Paraguay
Rutherford Hayes entered the White House on the heels of what was probably the most controversial presidential election victory in US history. Although many in his nation did not see him as the legitimate leader of his nation, this was necessarily not the case internationally. It seems that by 1877, when Rutherford Hayes was inaugurated as President of the United States, the US had acquired sufficient status as a nation so as to be seen as capable of mediating international disputes and the fact that just over a decade had passed since the end of the Civil War did not seem to detract from that status. It was at this point in history that President Hayes was asked to serve as arbitrator in a South American dispute between Argentina and Paraguay, one that followed a conflict known as the Paraguayan War.
The Paraguayan War was also known as the War of the Triple Alliance. It was an military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The war resulted in approximately 400,000 deaths and it devastated the vanquished nation of Paraguay, which suffered losses in population and was forced to cede territory to Argentina and Brazil.
The war began in late 1864 with combat operations between Brazil and Paraguay. In 1865 Argentina and Uruguay entered on the side of Brazil. Paraguay had recurring boundary disputes and tariff issues with Argentina and Brazil for many years. When war ensued, the result was the utter defeat of Paraguay. After the formal defeat of Paraguay, the Paraguayan people continued a drawn-out guerrilla-style resistance that resulted in the destruction of the Paraguayan military and much of the civilian population. The guerrilla war lasted until March OF 1870 when the leader of the resistance was killed. One estimate places total Paraguayan losses through both war and disease at as much as 1.2 million people, or an astounding 90% of its pre-war population.
It took decades for Paraguay to recover from the chaos and demographic imbalance. In Brazil, the war helped bring about the end of slavery, but caused a crippling increase of public debt, which took a serious toll on the country's economic growth. Following Paraguay's defeat in 1870, Argentina sought to enforce one of the clauses of the Triple Alliance Treaty, which permitted it to annex a large portion of the Gran Chaco region of Paraguay. This area was rich in quebracho wood (a product used in the tanning of leather). The Argentine negotiators proposed that Paraguay should be divided in two, with Argentina and Brazil incorporating half into its territory. But the Brazilian government wanted to maintain Paraguay as a buffer with Argentina.
Eventually the post-war border between Paraguay and Argentina was resolved through long negotiations, completed February 3, 1876. The treaty which was concluded granted Argentina roughly a third of the area it had originally desired. But the two nations could not reach consensus on who should get the area between the Río Verde and the main branch of Río Pilcomayo. It was then that they asked President Hayes to arbitrate. To his credit, Hayes adjudicated the dispute in a fair and impartial manner, and without any consideration for how his decision might affect American interests.
In 1878 Hayes heard submissions from representatives of the two nations. In the end he was sympathetic to the Paraguayans and he was aware of how badly the war had ravaged the country and how adversely it had affected its future. He declared that the disputed region should remain part of Paraguay. He saw Paraguat as a nation which was being taken advantage of at a low point in its history, and he was determined not to be a part of this injustice.
The Paraguayans were so grateful to the 19th President that they renamed a city after him (Villa Hayes) and a department (a territorial division within the nation, akin to a state, which they called Presidente Hayes) in his honor.
The Paraguayan War was also known as the War of the Triple Alliance. It was an military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The war resulted in approximately 400,000 deaths and it devastated the vanquished nation of Paraguay, which suffered losses in population and was forced to cede territory to Argentina and Brazil.
The war began in late 1864 with combat operations between Brazil and Paraguay. In 1865 Argentina and Uruguay entered on the side of Brazil. Paraguay had recurring boundary disputes and tariff issues with Argentina and Brazil for many years. When war ensued, the result was the utter defeat of Paraguay. After the formal defeat of Paraguay, the Paraguayan people continued a drawn-out guerrilla-style resistance that resulted in the destruction of the Paraguayan military and much of the civilian population. The guerrilla war lasted until March OF 1870 when the leader of the resistance was killed. One estimate places total Paraguayan losses through both war and disease at as much as 1.2 million people, or an astounding 90% of its pre-war population.
It took decades for Paraguay to recover from the chaos and demographic imbalance. In Brazil, the war helped bring about the end of slavery, but caused a crippling increase of public debt, which took a serious toll on the country's economic growth. Following Paraguay's defeat in 1870, Argentina sought to enforce one of the clauses of the Triple Alliance Treaty, which permitted it to annex a large portion of the Gran Chaco region of Paraguay. This area was rich in quebracho wood (a product used in the tanning of leather). The Argentine negotiators proposed that Paraguay should be divided in two, with Argentina and Brazil incorporating half into its territory. But the Brazilian government wanted to maintain Paraguay as a buffer with Argentina.
Eventually the post-war border between Paraguay and Argentina was resolved through long negotiations, completed February 3, 1876. The treaty which was concluded granted Argentina roughly a third of the area it had originally desired. But the two nations could not reach consensus on who should get the area between the Río Verde and the main branch of Río Pilcomayo. It was then that they asked President Hayes to arbitrate. To his credit, Hayes adjudicated the dispute in a fair and impartial manner, and without any consideration for how his decision might affect American interests.
In 1878 Hayes heard submissions from representatives of the two nations. In the end he was sympathetic to the Paraguayans and he was aware of how badly the war had ravaged the country and how adversely it had affected its future. He declared that the disputed region should remain part of Paraguay. He saw Paraguat as a nation which was being taken advantage of at a low point in its history, and he was determined not to be a part of this injustice.
The Paraguayans were so grateful to the 19th President that they renamed a city after him (Villa Hayes) and a department (a territorial division within the nation, akin to a state, which they called Presidente Hayes) in his honor.