Seriously thoughtful Today is our 200 birthday :)

[Gerli]

Today, May 25 is the anniversary of the "Revolución de Mayo" (May Revolution) in Argentina, where criollos (Men and women born from natives and Europeans) rise against the Spanish kingdom oppression and start the liberation of all the Europeans colonies across South America.
While the real independence from Spain happens 6 years from there, May 25 is the date in that we Argentinians, celebrates the freedom and independence.
200 years is like a wink compared with Europe's history, but is an important celebration, because freedom is the most precious treasure of the people

Thanks to all the American brothers that come to our celebration, these past 4 days where the most fabulous and beautiful days of celebration, with music, arts and the happiness of all the people, together, celebrating and enjoying this freedom.

Again, sorry for my English
Greetings from Argentina!!!!

[kindlekitten]

and our history is also very much a wink. a heavy one, but a wink.

anyway... SALUD!

[SneakySnake]

viva la Revolución! felicitaciones

[happy_terd]

Happy 200th birthday!!!

[dreams]

Gracias por explicar la Semana de Mayo, Gerli.

Me alegro de que hayan disfrutado del celebración Bicentenario muy especial.

Thank you for explaining May Week celebrations. I'm glad you enjoyed this special Bicentennial.

[poohbear_nc]

200 cumpleaños feliz

[Courtesy of Google Translate -- Happy 200th Birthday!]

[Gerli]

Thanks everybody! It's a beautiful, clear and warm autumn day and the final day of the celebrations!
Big party tonight!!!!

[GA Russell]

Congratulations on your bicentennial!

[zelda_pinwheel]

Félicitations Gerli and to all of Argentina ! Our own revolution is about the same age too (1789). a lot was going on in the world 200 years ago !

[Logseman]

Congratulations

Felicidades por el Bicentenario de la Argentina desde la Madre Patria

[Logseman]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

Félicitations Gerli and to all of Argentina ! Our own revolution is about the same age too (1789). a lot was going on in the world 200 years ago !

In fact, the French revolution paved the Napoleonic regime and its continual warring affected Spain severely. After Trafalgar's defeat in 1805, Spain couldn't possibly suppress a potential rebellion in America, which was already planted. And after France's outright invasion of Spain, nothing could prevent the American criollos to fight. Eventually the war would last for a bit of time time, up to the final defeat of Ayacucho, Peru, in 1824 if I recall correctly, which put an end to the continental South American Spanish empire.

Spain would keep Puerto Rico, Phillipines and Cuba up to 1898, when they were lost against the USA. Afterwards Spain still kept some colonies in Africa, the north of what is today's Morocco, the island of Fernando Poo and the country which is today named Ecuatorial Guinea (not to be mistaken for Guinea-Bissau).

The 20th century and its events (the Annual battle where 13.000 Spanish soldiers were slaughtered by circa 500 Moors, the Spanish Civil war, the Francoist dictatorship) would make Spain lose its colonies. The most shameful of those losses was the retreat from the Western Sahara, which was lost to the then-recently independent Morocco in an action of dubious legitimacy called "The Green March" (i.e. a "peaceful invasion" of the Western Saharan border by Moroccan people) and which has triggered the appearance and actions of the Polisarian Front, which has built a precarious state inside Morocco which counts with no international support.