Caudillo

Caudillo, Spanish meaning "military leader", first appeared during the early 19th century as a type of South American militant political leader. Typically, the Caudillos take it upon themselves to attain a power over a society and place themselves as leader of that society. Caudillos began to attain this power shortly after the Wars of Independence. They used small armies to overthrow the vulnerable newly independent states in South America. These Caudillos were not always welcome, but also were not always condemned. Many of the Caudillos used their newly gained power to promote their own wealth and interests. They were capable of commanding large sums of people and holding the attention of large crowds with growing excitement

A few examples of powerful Caudillos in South America during the early 1800s include Juan Manual de Rosas in Argentina, Antonio López de Santa Anna in Mexico, and Dr. Francia, "El Supremo" in Paraguay. Rosas rose from being one of the largest and most productive ranchers in the area. Santa Anna was Mexico's greatest military leader. He is best known for defending Mexico from outside invasion (much being United States) during his time in power. Dr. Francia was a Creole with an advanced law degree. He used only three men in his leading of the country.

The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco was also known as "El Caudillo de España."