Defensive War

The idea of the Defensive War was conceived by Jesuit father Luis de Valdivia who sought to diminish hostilities, establish a clear frontier and increase missionary work among the Mapuches.

[1][2] The Defensive War became Spain’s official policy in 1612 when King Philip III decreed it after reading a letter from Valdivia.

[4] To carry out his missionary work Luis de Valdivia recruited eight Jesuits and two coadjutors in Spain to travel to Chile.

[4] The Mapuche toqui Anganamón killed three Jesuit missionaries on December 14, 1612 after he learned the Spanish were protecting his two fugitive wives and two of his daughters.

[5] De Tesillo claim the Defensive War gave the Mapuche a much needed respite to replenish their forces that should have been denied.

Representation of the Martyrs of Elicura in an engraving within Histórica relación del Reyno de Chile i de las Misiones i Ministterios que exercita la Compañía de Jesús (1646), written by the Jesuit Alonso de Ovalle .