Julio Argentino Roca
Roca is the most important representative of the Generation of '80 and is known for directing the Conquest of the Desert, a series of military campaigns against the indigenous peoples of Patagonia sometimes considered a genocide."[1] In 1878, during Nicolás Avellaneda's presidency, he became Minister of War and it was his task to prepare a campaign that would bring an end to the "frontier problem" after the failure of the plan of Adolfo Alsina (his predecessor).A number of indigenous groups defended their traditional territories and frequently assaulted non-indigenous frontier settlements, taking horses and cattle, and capturing women and children, who were enslaved or offered as brides to the warriors.[2][3] Roca's approach to dealing with the Indian communities of the Pampas, however, was completely different from Alsina's, who had ordered the construction of a ditch and a defensive line of small fortresses across the Province of Buenos Aires.Roca saw no way to end native attacks (malones) but by putting under effective government control all land up to the Río Negro in a campaign (known as the Conquest of the Desert) that would "extinguish, subdue or expel" the Indians who lived there.He devised a "tentacle" move, with waves of 6,000 men cavalry units stemming coordinately from Mendoza, Córdoba, Santa Fé and Buenos Aires in July 1878 and April 1879 respectively, with an official toll of nearly 1,313 Native Americans killed and 15,000 taken as prisoners,[5] and is credited with the liberation of several hundred European hostages.Under his mandate the so-called "laicist laws" (Leyes Laicas) were passed, which nationalized a series of functions that previously were under the control of the Church.Roca presided over an era of rapid economic development fueled by large scale European immigration, railway construction, and booming agricultural exports.As such, Roca has been honored by designating cities, departments, lakes, streets, avenues, squares, monuments, parks, schools and railway lines throughout the country.
Julio Argentino Pascual RocaSpanish namesurnameGeneralPresident of ArgentinaVice PresidentNorberto Quirno CostaJosé E. UriburuManuel QuintanaFrancisco Bernabé MaderoNicolás AvellanedaMiguel Ángel Juárez CelmanMinister of the InteriorCarlos PellegriniMinister of War and the NavyAdolfo AlsinaSan Miguel de TucumánBuenos AiresLa Recoleta CemeteryNational AutonomistJulio Pascual RocaJosé Segundo RocaMarcos PazArgentine ConfederationArgentine RepublicArgentine ArmyLieutenant GeneralBattle of CepedaBattle of PavónSiege of UruguaianaBattle of YatayBattle of TuyutíBattle of CurupaytyGeneration of '80Conquest of the Desertindigenous peoples of PatagoniagenocideEuropesouthern Europelaicizing legislationConcepción del UruguayEntre RíosWar of the Triple AllianceRio Negro territoryfrontier problemPampasProvince of Buenos AiresRío NegrocaudillosMendozaCórdobaSanta FéNative AmericansJuárez CelmanBaring crisisLeandro N. AlemBartolomé MitreMiguel Juárez CelmanLuis Sáenz PeñaJosé Evaristo UriburuSpanishPacts of MayChrist the Redeemer of the AndesÁngela de Oliveira Cézar de CostaLuis DragoDrago DoctrineJulio Argentino Roca, Jr.Juan Bautista Alberdirepubliceconomic freedomsruling elitesdemocraticconservativecity of General RocaPresidencia RocaGeneral Roca Departmentmajor thoroughfarerailway branchHistory of ArgentinaSusana RotkerHeads of stateArgentinaMay RevolutionIndependence War PeriodAsamblea del Año XIIIPrimera JuntaJunta GrandeFirst TriumvirateSecond TriumvirateSupreme directors of the United Provinces of the Río de la PlataGervasio Antonio de PosadasCarlos María de AlvearJuan José ViamonteJosé RondeauIgnacio Álvarez ThomasAntonio González de BalcarceJuan Martín de PueyrredónJuan Pedro AguirreBernardino RivadaviaVicente López y PlanesPacto FederalManuel DorregoJuan Manuel de RosasJuan Ramón BalcarceManuel Vicente MazaJusto José de UrquizaSantiago DerquiJuan Esteban PederneraDomingo Faustino SarmientoJosé Figueroa AlcortaRoque Sáenz PeñaVictorino de la PlazaRadical Civic Unionsecret ballotHipólito YrigoyenMarcelo Torcuato de AlvearInfamous DecadeJosé Félix UriburuAgustín Pedro JustoRoberto María OrtizRamón CastilloRevolution of '43Arturo RawsonPedro Pablo RamírezEdelmiro Julián FarrellPeronist