Arauco War

The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía region of Chile. The conflict began at first as a reaction by the Mapuche to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities and force the natives into servitude. It subsequently evolved over time into phases comprising drawn-out sieges, slave-hunting expeditions, pillaging raids, punitive expeditions, and renewed Spanish attempts to secure lost territories. Abduction of women and war rape was common on both sides. The Spaniards penetrated into Mapuche territory during the conquest of Chile in the 16th century. They were stopped at the Battle of Curalaba in 1598 and the destruction of the Seven Cities. Afterward the two forces established a clear frontier between the Spanish domains and the land of the independent Mapuche. From the 17th to the late 18th century the Mapuche lonkos and Spanish royal governors held a series of parliaments. The war devolved to sporadic pillaging carried out by both sides. In the words of Philip II, this conflict cost the largest number of Spanish lives in the New World. It became known as the Flandes indiano ("Indian Flanders"), in reference to the Eighty Years' War in Europe.