Editing Uruguay (section)

=== Independence struggle ===
{{Further|Banda Oriental|Liga Federal|Cisplatina}}
[[File:Juan Manuel Blanes - El Juramento de los Treinta y Tres Orientales.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The oath of the [[Thirty-Three Orientals]] in 1825 prior to the beginning of the [[Cisplatine War]], in which Uruguay gained independence from the [[Empire of Brazil]]]]
In 1811, [[José Gervasio Artigas]], who became Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolt against the [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata|Spanish authorities]], defeating them on 18 May at the [[Battle of Las Piedras (1811)|Battle of Las Piedras]].<ref name="dept-state"/> In 1813, the new government in Buenos Aires convened a constituent assembly where Artigas emerged as a champion of federalism, demanding political and economic autonomy for each area and the [[Banda Oriental]] in particular.<ref name="loc-3" /> The assembly refused to seat the delegates from the Banda Oriental; however, Buenos Aires pursued a system based on unitary centralism.<ref name="loc-3">{{csref |country=uruguay|section=The Struggle for Independence 1811–30|last1=Jacob |first1=Raúl |last2=Weinstein |first2=Martin |pd=no}} pp. [https://countrystudies.us/uruguay/7.htm 8]–[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822015230782&seq=48 11]</ref>

As a result, Artigas broke with Buenos Aires and besieged Montevideo, taking the city in early 1815.<ref name="loc-3"/> Once the troops from Buenos Aires had withdrawn, the Banda Oriental appointed its first autonomous government.<ref name="loc-3"/> Artigas organized the [[Liga Federal|Federal League]] under his protection, consisting of six provinces, five of which later became part of Argentina.<ref name="loc-3"/>

In 1816, 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental from Brazil; they took Montevideo in January 1817.<ref name="loc-3"/> After nearly four more years of struggle, the [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|Portuguese Kingdom of Brazil]] annexed the ''Banda Oriental'' as a province under the name of "[[Cisplatina]]".<ref name="loc-3"/> The [[Empire of Brazil|Brazilian Empire]] became independent of Portugal in 1822. In response to the annexation, the [[Thirty-Three Orientals]], led by [[Juan Antonio Lavalleja]], declared independence on 25 August 1825, supported by the [[United Provinces of the Río de la Plata]] (present-day Argentina).<ref name="dept-state"/> This led to the 500-day-long [[Cisplatine War]]. Neither side gained the upper hand, and in 1828, the [[Treaty of Montevideo (1828)|Treaty of Montevideo]], fostered by the United Kingdom through the diplomatic efforts of [[John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby|Viscount John Ponsonby]], gave birth to Uruguay as an independent state. 25 August is celebrated as Independence Day, a [[Public holidays in Uruguay|national holiday]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/google-homenajea-uruguay-el-dia-la-independencia-n231109 |title=Google homenajea a Uruguay |date=25 August 2012 |work=[[El Observador (Uruguay)|El Observador]] |access-date=23 August 2018 |language=es-uy |archive-date=23 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823210735/https://www.elobservador.com.uy/google-homenajea-uruguay-el-dia-la-independencia-n231109 |url-status=live }}</ref> The nation's [[Constitution of Uruguay|first constitution]] was adopted on 18 July 1830.<ref name="dept-state"/>