View source for Baliscan War of Independence

{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Baliscan War of Independence
|partof = {{W|Decolonization of the Americas}}
|image={{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 290
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow = 1/2/2
| caption_align =
| image1 = La Carga de los Liberadores.jpg
| image2 = El_dos_de_mayo_de_1808_en_Madrid_rdit.jpg
| image3 = Cuadro por españa y por el rey, Galvez en America.jpg
| image4 = Barcanal Massacre.jpg
| image5 = Battle of Navassa.png
| footer = 
}}  '''Clockwise from top:''' ''La Carga de los Liberadores'', [[Battle of Barra Alta]], [[Battle of Navassa]], [[Barcanal Massacre]] and [[Macaio uprising]]
|image_size=300px
|caption=
|date= {{Start and end dates|1808|6|15|1818|4|5|df=yes}}
|place= [[w:Southern Cone|Southern Cone]], [[w:Atlantic Ocean| South Atlantic Ocean]], [[w:West Africa|West Africa]]

|result= '''Baliscan victory''' and de jure emancipation from [[w:Spanish Empire|Spanish colonial rule]], slavery fully abolished <br> 
* [[Treaty of Merced]]
* De jure recognition of [[Maroon Confederacy]]
* Beginning of the [[Confederal Question]]

|territory= Spanish loss of the Baliscan mainland
* Spain cedes [[Algarves]], [[Malvinas Islands|Islas Malvinas]] and [[South Atlantic Islands]] to Balisca
* British ships granted anchorage in the Malvinas

|combatant1= '''{{W|Patriot Governments (Spanish American independence)|Republicans}}:''' <br>
{{flagicon|Balisca|1808}} [[Confederation of the Southern Provinces]]
* [[Estuaria]]
* [[Cerdanya]]
* [[Hesperia]]
* [[Bayara|Bayaran Republic]] (1809)
{{flagicon image|Maroon flag.png}} [[Maroon Confederacy]] <br>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_of_Portugal,_Brazil,_and_Algarves.svg}} {{W|United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves}}
----
'''Diplomatic support:''' <br>
{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|combatant2= '''{{W|Royalist (Spanish American Revolution)|Royalists}}''' <br>
{{flagicon image|Bandera_de_España_1808-1813.svg}} [[w:Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Kingdom of Spain]]
* Bayaran royalists
* {{W|Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata}}
* {{W|Viceroyalty of Peru}}

|commander1={{flagicon|Balisca|1808}} [[Julyan Garrigós]]
{{flagicon|Balisca|1808}} [[Michelangelo Valentino]] <br>
{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_of_Portugal,_Brazil,_and_Algarves.svg}} [[w:Maria I of Portugal|Maria I]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_of_Portugal,_Brazil,_and_Algarves.svg}} [[w:John VI of Portugal|John VI]]

|commander2= 
{{flagicon image|Bandera_de_España_1808-1813.svg}} [[w:Joseph Bonaparte|Josep I]]

|strength1=
|strength2=
|casualties1=
|casualties3=120,000–180,000 killed
|notes=
}}{{History of Balisca}}
The '''Baliscan War of Independence''' ({{lang-bl|La Guerra de Independencia Baliscana}}), also known as '''''La Resistencía''''', was a conflict against attempts by [[W:Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Spain under Joseph Bonaparte]] to forcibly re-impose colonial rule in the Baliscan archipelago, and it marked the end of the [[Espanya Boba|''Espanya Boba'']] period of Baliscan history stretching back to the [[W:War of Spanish Succession|early 18th century]]. Although there has been research on the idea of a pan-Baliscan identity that overlapped the early political boundaries, political unification of the archipelago was not the aim of most, nor was it necessarily inevitable. In fact, there was little coordination between the different factions in the opening years, despite their mutual interest in resisting the Spanish attempt at conquest.

The Spanish had wider support in the economic Bayaran economic elite, in the hopes of preserving {{W|slavery}} (upon which it's profitable {{W|plantation economy}} was based). This support intensified to the [[Granyana Proclamation]], in which the [[Southern Confederation]] pledged to "fully eradicate" the practice. However beyond this, the Bayarans had little affection for the new [[W:Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Bonapartist regime in Spain]] and [[W:Peninsular War|it's struggle for legitimacy]]. 

Unlike the other {{W|Spanish American Wars of Independence}}, the ''Resistencía'' was primarily fought to preserve independence against an attempted imperial ''reconquista'', as opposed to the civil wars between colonists seen in [[W:South America|South America]].

In 1815, representatives of [[Bayara|Royalist Bayara]] surrendered to the republicans following the decisive [[Battle of Navassa]], effectively destroying the last royalist strongholds in mainland Balisca, allowing the republicans to consolidate their forces. While this did not change the position of Spain against separatism, it largely resulted in the collapse of the royalists in Balisca. Over the course of the next two years, anti-royalist councils imprisoned, executed or expelled the former [[W:Hacienda|hacienda]] and slave-owning class. The continued political instability in Spain, without a navy, army or treasury, convinced many former royalists of the need to formally abandon their cause and embrace independence.

Independence also did not result in the end of political turmoil, and was immediately followed by political infighting. Many of the slave owners that were expelled largely relocated to {{W|Brazil}} and {{W|Argentina}}, and their expropriated land and assets were turned over to the newly emancipated population. Additionally, the new nation did not have a well-defined identity, but rather the process of creating a new identity was only beginning. This would be carried out through newspapers and the creation of national symbols.

Most significantly, borders between the emergent republics were not firmly established, and competing movements for [[W:Federalism|federalism]] or [[W:Confederalism|confederalism]] in the new state. The two largest republics that emerged from the wars—[[Bayara]] and [[Hesperia]] —fought a [[Pastry War|bloody conflict]] that effectively split the fledgling confederation from 1819 to 1820. It would eventually descend into [[Baliscan Civil War|civil war]] and collapsed entirely in 1828 following Bayara's attempt to split from the confederation.
{{Balisca articles}}
[[Category:Balisca]]