Jose de San Martin crossed the Andes with an army to liberate Chile and Peru from Spanish rule — one of the most audacious military campaigns in history. Unlike Bolivar, who craved political power, San Martin liberated nations and then walked away, voluntarily surrendering command and retiring to Europe. The contrast between the two liberators defines the founding mythology of South American independence.

This episode traces San Martin from his Argentine military origins through the Andes crossing, the liberation of Chile and Peru, the famous meeting with Bolivar at Guayaquil, and the voluntary exile that set him apart from every other revolutionary leader of his era.

• San Martin's military training in Spain and his return to Argentina to fight for independence
• The crossing of the Andes — an army marching through mountain  ...