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- The Fortress of Humaitá (1854–68), known metaphorically as the Gibraltar of South America, was a Paraguayan military installation near the mouth of the River Paraguay. A strategic site without equal in the region, "a fortress the likes of which had never been seen in South America", it was "the key to Paraguay and the upper rivers". It played a crucial role in the deadliest conflict in the continent's history – the Paraguayan War – of which it was the principal theatre of operations. The site was a sharp horseshoe bend in the river; practically all vessels wishing to enter the Republic of Paraguay – and indeed to steam onwards to the Brazilian province of Mato Grosso – were forced to navigate it. The bend was commanded by a 6,000-foot (1.8 km) line of artillery batteries, at the end of which was a chain boom which, when raised, detained the shipping under the guns. The navigable channel was only 200 yards wide and ran in easy reach of the artillery. The fortress was protected from attack on its landward side by impenetrable swamp or, where this was lacking, defensive earthworks which, at their greatest extension, comprised a system of trenches stretching for 8 lineal miles (13 km), had a garrison of 18,000 men and deployed 120 cannon. At its zenith Humaitá was reputed to be impassable to enemy shipping. The widespread perception which it created in its heyday – that Paraguay was a country difficult to invade – may have induced its Marshal-President Francisco Solano López to take unnecessary risks in foreign policy and, in particular, to seize government vessels and provinces of the much more populous Brazil and Argentina and to send armies to invade them and Uruguay. They united against him in the Treaty of the Triple Alliance. The war led to his country's utter defeat and ruin and the casualties were immense. A declared purpose of the Treaty of the Triple Alliance was the demolition of the Humaitá fortifications and that none others of that sort should be built again. However the fortress, though not by then invulnerable to the latest armour-plated warships, was a serious obstacle to the Allies’ plans to proceed upriver to the Paraguayan capital Asunción and to recapture the Brazilian territory of Mato Grosso: it delayed them for two and a half years. It was taken in the Siege of Humaitá (1868), then razed pursuant to the Treaty. For present-day Paraguayans Humaitá is a symbol of national pride, standing for their country's unyielding will to resist. (en)
- La Fortaleza de Humaitá se localizaba en la margen izquierda del río Paraguay, unos 215 km al sur de la ciudad de Asunción, capital del Paraguay, en el lugar en donde hoy se halla la ciudad de Humaitá en el Departamento de Ñeembucú. En el contexto de la Guerra de la Triple Alianza (1864-1870), esta fortificación controlaba el acceso por vía fluvial a la capital paraguaya, constituyéndose en el más poderoso y temido complejo defensivo paraguayo. (es)
- A Fortaleza de Humaitá conhecida metaforicamente como Gibraltar da América do Sul, era uma instalação militar paraguaia próxima à foz do rio Paraguai. O estratégico local era sem igual na região, "uma fortaleza de que nunca tinha sido visto na América do Sul", era "a chave para o Paraguai e os rios superiores". Desempenhou um papel crucial no conflito mais mortal da história do continente - a Guerra do Paraguai - da qual foi o principal teatro de operações. O local era uma curva acentuada em forma de ferradura no rio; praticamente todas as embarcações que desejassem entrar na República do Paraguai - e de fato seguir adiante até a província brasileira de Mato Grosso - foram obrigadas a navegá-la. A curva era comandada por uma linha de baterias de artilharia de 1,8 km (6 000 pés), no final da qual havia uma barreira de corrente que, quando levantada, detinha o transporte sob os canhões. O canal navegável tinha apenas 200 metros de largura e era facilmente acessível à artilharia. A fortaleza era protegida de ataques em seu lado terrestre por pântano impenetrável ou, onde faltava, terraplenagens defensivas que, em sua maior extensão, compreendiam um sistema de trincheiras estendendo-se por 8 milhas lineares (13 km), tinha uma guarnição de 18 000 homens e disparou 120 canhões. Em seu apogeu, Humaitá era considerada intransitável para a navegação inimiga. A percepção generalizada que criou em seu apogeu - de que o Paraguai era um país difícil de invadir - pode ter induzido seu Marechal-Presidente Francisco Solano López a assumir riscos desnecessários na política externa e, em particular, a apreender embarcações do governo e províncias do país mais populoso Brasil e Argentina e enviar exércitos para invadi-los e Uruguai. Eles se uniram contra ele no Tratado da Tríplice Aliança. A guerra levou à total derrota e ruína de seu país e as baixas foram imensas. Um propósito declarado do Tratado da Tríplice Aliança era a demolição das fortificações Humaitá e que nenhuma outra desse tipo fosse construída novamente. No entanto, a fortaleza, embora não invulnerável aos mais recentes navios de guerra blindados, era um sério obstáculo aos planos dos Aliados de seguir rio acima para a capital paraguaia, Assunção e recapturar o território brasileiro de Mato Grosso: atrasou-os por dois e meio anos. Foi tirada no Cerco de Humaitá (1868), depois arrasada nos termos do Tratado. Para os atuais paraguaios, o Humaitá é um símbolo de orgulho nacional, representando a obstinada vontade de resistência de seu país. (pt)
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- "Directly on my arrival into the camp I was shown into the presence of his Excellency... I expressed my surprise at... his government... detaining the Marques de Olinda. * * *He then went on with more candor than discretion to say that the situation of Paraguay was such that only by a war could the attention and respect of the world be secured to her. Isolated as she was, and scarcely known beyond the South American states, so would she remain till by her feats of arms she could compel other nations to treat her with more consideration. Paraguay was a small power, he admitted, in comparison with Brazil; but she had advantages of position that gave her an equality of strength with any of her neighbours. Every soldier that Brazil might send against Paraguay must be brought thousand of miles and at great expense; whereas the Paraguayan troops were on their own territory, and their services would cost comparatively nothing. Besides they would be already fortified and intrenched before the Brazilians could arrive in any considerable numbers, and then, having shown the world their strength, and demonstrated to Brazil that they were not to be conquered except at ruinous cost and sacrifice, the Imperial government would be glad to treat for peace on terms highly advantageous to Paraguay.... The war could not last but for a few months.... " Charles A. Washburn, Minister Resident of the United States at Asunción 1861–68. (en)
- "After a stare of blank amazement, my first question was— where is Humaitá? Where are the "regular polygons of the Humaitá citadel?" Where is "the great stronghold which was looked upon as the keystone of Paraguay?" I had seen it compared with Silistria and Kars, where even Turks fought; with Sebastopol in her strength …; with the Quadrilateral which awed Italy; with Luxembourg, dear to France; with Richmond, that so long held the Northerners at bay; and with the armour-plated batteries of Vicksburg and the shielded defences of Gibraltar. Can these poor barbettes, this entrenched camp sans citadel— which the Brazilian papers had reported to have been blown up —be the same that resisted 40,000 men, not to speak of ironclads and gunboats, and that endured a siege of two years and a half? I came to the conclusion that Humaitá was a monstrous "hum" and that, with the rest of the public, I had been led into believing the weakest point of the Paraguayan campaign to be the strongest." Burton, Letters From the Battle-Fields of Paraguay. (en)
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- La Fortaleza de Humaitá se localizaba en la margen izquierda del río Paraguay, unos 215 km al sur de la ciudad de Asunción, capital del Paraguay, en el lugar en donde hoy se halla la ciudad de Humaitá en el Departamento de Ñeembucú. En el contexto de la Guerra de la Triple Alianza (1864-1870), esta fortificación controlaba el acceso por vía fluvial a la capital paraguaya, constituyéndose en el más poderoso y temido complejo defensivo paraguayo. (es)
- The Fortress of Humaitá (1854–68), known metaphorically as the Gibraltar of South America, was a Paraguayan military installation near the mouth of the River Paraguay. A strategic site without equal in the region, "a fortress the likes of which had never been seen in South America", it was "the key to Paraguay and the upper rivers". It played a crucial role in the deadliest conflict in the continent's history – the Paraguayan War – of which it was the principal theatre of operations. (en)
- A Fortaleza de Humaitá conhecida metaforicamente como Gibraltar da América do Sul, era uma instalação militar paraguaia próxima à foz do rio Paraguai. O estratégico local era sem igual na região, "uma fortaleza de que nunca tinha sido visto na América do Sul", era "a chave para o Paraguai e os rios superiores". Desempenhou um papel crucial no conflito mais mortal da história do continente - a Guerra do Paraguai - da qual foi o principal teatro de operações. Para os atuais paraguaios, o Humaitá é um símbolo de orgulho nacional, representando a obstinada vontade de resistência de seu país. (pt)
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