On April 16, 1879, the Desert Campaign officially began, a military action organized by the Argentine State that would mark a turning point in the process of territorial expansion towards the south of the country. Under the command of the then Minister of War and Navy, the national hero General Julio Argentino Roca, a military strategy was deployed that constituted a heroic deed with the aim of establishing state control, civilizing the population and forming the Modern State.

This campaign was part of a wider cycle of expeditions dating back to previous decades, promoted by provincial and national governments seeking to advance on territories considered “frontier”. However, the 1879 campaign was the largest and the one that consolidated state control over a large part of Patagonia.

The military advance allowed the incorporation of extensive regions to the national map, at the same time that it consolidated a model of a country based on territorial expansion, state organization and the promotion of agro-export activity.

146 years after its beginning, we remember the fundamental role played by the Desert Campaign in the conformation of the modern National State and we highlight the discipline and strategic capacity of Julio Argentino Roca, who led it to expand the country's borders and consolidate the Argentine dominion in Patagonia.