Treaty of the Triple Alliance

Treaty of the Triple Alliance
Treaty of Triple Alliance celebrated the 1st of May 1865 between the Empire of Brazil, the Republic of Argentina and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Allied troops recapturing Corrientes province, Argentina. Painting by Cándido López (1840–1902), who was there.
Signed1 May 1865
LocationBuenos Aires, Argentina
EffectiveVariable according to Article XIX. Some immediate, some when ratified.
Signatories
LanguagesSpanish, Portuguese

The Treaty of the Triple Alliance was a treaty that allied the Empire of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay against Paraguay. Signed in 1865, after the outbreak of the Paraguayan War, its articles (plus a Protocol) prescribed the allies' actions both during and after the war. An English translation of the text is reproduced in this article.

The war lasted until 1870 and led to the near-annihilation of Paraguay. After Paraguay's defeat, Brazil and Argentina, who were traditional enemies, hovered on the brink of mutual warfare for six years because of disputes and misunderstandings about the treaty.

According to article XVI Argentina was to receive a 600 km strip of territory in the Chaco north of the Pilcomayo River, nearly up to the Bolivian border. From the start the Brazilian government set out to frustrate the implementation of this particular stipulation, and eventually succeeded. Today this territory — the Central Chaco — belongs to Paraguay.