Crossing of the Andes

Crossing of the Andes
	Part of the Spanish American wars of independence
	; The Liberator José de San Martín and his army during their passage through the Andes Mountains
Date	January 19 to February 13, 1817
Location	From Argentina to Chile
Result	Patriot victory Independence of Chile; San Martín continues with his plan to reach Lima by sea.;
Belligerents
United Provinces Army of the Andes; Chilean Patriots	Spanish Empire Royalists;
Commanders and leaders
José de San Martín; Miguel Estanislao Soler; Bernardo O'Higgins	Francisco Marcó del Pont; Mariano Osorio

The Crossing of the Andes (Spanish: Cruce de los Andes) was one of the most important feats in the Argentine and Chilean wars of independence. A combined army of Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles crossed the Andes mountains, which separate Argentina from Chile, to invade Chile, leading to its liberation from Spanish rule.

Led by General José de San Martín and departing from Mendoza—then part of the Province of Cuyo, Argentina—in January 1817, the successful crossing took 21 days. The army navigated heights averaging 3,000 meters. The feat has been compared to Hannibal's and Napoleon's crossings of the Alps and is considered one of the greatest achievements of its kind in military history.