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BATTLE // August 16, 1869

Victoria de paraguay

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Source · Wikipedia

Significance

The Battle of Acosta Ñu, fought on 16 August 1869, was the last major engagement of the Paraguayan War between the Triple Alliance and Paraguay. By this stage of the war, Paraguay's military manpower had been so severely depleted that its force of roughly 3,600 consisted predominantly of boys aged nine to fifteen, alongside old men and wounded combatants. Facing 20,000 veteran Brazilian and Argentine soldiers under Gaston of Orleans, the Paraguayan force under Bernardino Caballero suffered casualties nearly equal to its entire strength. The engagement illustrated the terminal exhaustion of Paraguayan resistance and marked the effective end of organized military opposition, closing the active campaign phase of a war that had devastated Paraguay's population and armed forces.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • Paraguay3,646
    medium
  • Empire of Brazil20,000
    medium

Empire of Brazil fielded a 5.5 : 1 numerical advantage

Casualties

  • Paraguay3,500
    medium96% loss rate

Commanders (2)

Empire of Brazil

Paraguay

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Last verified June 2026
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