Piquissiri Maneuver

The so called Piquissiri Maneuver was a tactic used by the brazilian marshall Luis Alves de Lima e Silva, comonly known as 'Duke of Caxias', during the War of the Triple Alliance. In terms of strategy, it's considered the most daring and creative of the entire conflict.

History
After the fall of the Humaitá Fortress (July of 1868), Francisco Solano Lópes centered his troops in a strong position at the stream piquissiri, that runs on the left margin of the Paraguay River.

To circunvent it, Caxias determined the constrution of a road of 11 kilometers of extention on the right kargin ofthe Paraguay River, passing through swamps of Gran Chaco, that lead to the paraguayan rear.

With the aid of the Brazilian Navy, Caxias carried 23 thousand of troops to the beggining of the road in which the troops advanced by the right margin of the river, Flanking the enemy fortified position.

The Navy ships, that have already passed the passing of Angostura, avanced to the north, where they re-embarked the troops that came from the road on chaco, transporting they to the left margin, in San Antonio, at the north of the enemy position.

Solano Lópes, beliving that the allied troops could not cross chaco, was surprised when the allied troops made an assault at his rear, being forced to retreat with his surviving troops. This led to the battles of Battle of Itororó, Battle of Avaí and Battle of Lomas Valentinas.