The Pikysyry maneuver outflanked Paraguay's 142-gun southern defense line, a decisive tactical move in the final phase of the Paraguayan War.
Key Facts
- Gun platforms in defense line
- 142
- Defense line length
- 9.1 km
- Flanking road constructed
- 10.7 km
- Road starting point
- Santa Theresa, Chaco side of river
- Defense line engineer
- Lt. Col. George Thompson (British)
- Brazilian commander
- Marshal Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Paraguay constructed a formidable southern defense line along the Pikysyry stream, consisting of 142 gun platforms over 9.1 km, engineered by British officer Lt. Col. George Thompson, with additional batteries at Angostura guarding the River Paraguay. This fortified line blocked a direct Brazilian advance during the Paraguayan War.
Brazilian Marshal Caxias executed the Pikysyry maneuver on 21 December 1868, ordering the construction of a 10.7 km road on the Chaco side of the River Paraguay starting at Santa Theresa. This allowed Brazilian forces to cross and attack the Paraguayan defense line from the rear, effectively outflanking the heavily fortified Pikysyry positions.
By attacking from the Paraguayan rear, Brazilian forces rendered the elaborate Pikysyry defense line ineffective, bypassing its 142 gun platforms and breaking through Paraguay's southern defensive perimeter. This decisive maneuver contributed to the collapse of organized Paraguayan resistance in the closing stages of the Paraguayan War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias.
Side B
1 belligerent
George Thompson (defense engineer).