Santiago Antonio María de Liniers y Bremond, 1st Count of Buenos Aires, KOM, OM (July 25, 1753 – August 26, 1810) was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. Although born Jacques de Liniers in France, he is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers.
He was popularly regarded as the hero of the reconquest of Buenos Aires after the first British invasion of the River Plate. As a result of his success, he was appointed as viceroy, replacing Rafael de Sobremonte. It was unprecedented for a viceroy to be replaced without the King's direct intervention. But he was confirmed in office by Charles IV of Spain.
He defended the settlement against a second British invasion and a mutiny that sought to replace him. He was replaced in 1809 by Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, appointed as viceroy by the Junta of Seville, and retired from public activity. But when the May Revolution took place, Liniers decided to come out of his retirement and organized a monarchist uprising in Córdoba. Liniers was forced to flee, but was eventually captured and executed without trial.
Early life
Santiago de Liniers y Bremond, Chevalier of the Order of Saint John, Caballero of the Order of Montesa, and Captain in the Spanish Royal Navy was born in Niort, Poitou, France, as Jacques, 4th son of Jacques Joseph Louis, comte de Liniers (1723–1785) and Captain in the French Royal Navy, and Henriette Thérèse de Brémond d'Ars (1725–1770).
The Liniers family had been part of the French nobility since the 11th century. One of their ancestors, Guillaume de Liniers, was killed at the Battle of Poitiers, during the Hundred Years' War. Eight other members were professed knights of the Order of Saint John.
In 1765, when Jacques was 12 years old, he entered the military academy of the Order of St. John. (As a younger son who was unlikely to inherit the title or the estates, Liniers was sent to their school in order to train for a military career.) After three years, he graduated with the Cross of Chevalier (1768). He was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant of Cavalry in the in the French Royal Army.
Serving the Spanish Crown
In 1774 Liniers requested dismissal and re-enlisted as a volunteer in the campaigns against the Moors in Algiers. He benefited from the third Pacte de Famille (1761), which allowed Frenchmen to take part in Spanish military campaigns with equal rights and requirements as the Spaniards. At the campaign's conclusion, Liniers took an exam as a Midshipman in Cádiz, to serve as a volunteer for the Spanish Crown. In 1775 he earned the rank of Ensign in the Spanish Navy.
In 1776, under the orders of Pedro de Cevallos, Liniers sailed to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and took part on the occupation of Santa Catarina Island in Portuguese Brazil and the attack on Colonia del Sacramento (modern day Uruguay).
In 1779, Liniers was an officer on the San Vicente. Spain joined the Franco-American alliance in the American Revolutionary War as a renewal of the Bourbon Family Compact. The San Vicente was part of the Spanish-French naval squadron fighting against the Royal Navy in South America.
Liniers distinguished himself during the American Revolution. In 1780, with a few sloops, he captured a three-masted ship of 24 guns. In 1782, he distinguished himself particularly in the siege of Port Mahon: under fire, he moved to where two British ships had collided, which were laden with arms and ammunition. He captured the ships and conveyed them to the Spanish lines. He was promoted to Frigate Captain.
A few months later Liniers took part in a new expedition, this time against the city of Algiers, in North Africa, which was the main base of the Barbary corsairs, with the aim of forcing them to stop piracy and the Barbary slave trade. As the campaign did not go well for the Spanish navy, Madrid tried to negotiate instead. Liniers was entrusted with this mission. The king of Tripoli was delighted with Liniers, and agreed to free several European prisoners. The Barbary pirates associated with North Africa had long been attacking European shipping in the Mediterranean, and had taken numerous prisoners over the years.