On January 20, 1839 the battle of Yungay was fought between the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and the United Chilean-Peruvian Restoration Army. The results of the battle led to the immediate end of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. So what was the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and how did it come about?

The roots of Peru-Bolivian Confederation go back to the Viceroyalty of Peru, when the region that we now know as Bolivia was once known as Alto Perú (Upper Peru) however, when the Bolivian War of Independence (1809-1825) came to an end the region of Upper Peru became an independent country and was renamed Bolivia in honour of the liberator Simón Bolívar. 

Simón Bolívar, who became the first president of Bolivia, did not agree with the reunification of the region to Peru and this would cause turmoil and political unrest which forced him out of the country and back to Colombia. Bolívar then left Antonio José de Sucre in charge who became the 2nd president of Bolivia in 1826 however; due to political pressure and the turmoil left behind from the independence hindered his attempt to create a new state. The following year an armed uprising in Chuquisaca gave Peru the opportunity to invade Bolivia. An army of 5000 Peruvians under the leadership of General Agustín Gamarra entered Bolivia with two aims one was to remove the Colombian army and to gain political influence and on May 28, 1828 the Peruvian army entered La Paz, Bolivia which led to the resignation of Sucre. In 1829, Marshal Andres de Santa Cruz became the 7th president of Bolivia also in the same year General Agustín Gamarra became the 13th president of Peru. 

Both Gamarra and Santa Cruz shared the same ideals of a confederation of Peru and Bolivia however; they disagreed on which side should have more political influence. Simón Bolívar was angered by the situation in Bolivia and was already working on a confederation of his own; this confederation consisted of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru, western Guyana and northwest Brazil known as Gran-Colombia. Bolívar on June 3rd, 1828 declared war against Peru appointing Antonio José de Sucre as the commander of the Colombian army. The Gran-Colombia Peru War (1828–1829) ended quickly and unsuccessfully for Bolivar and shortly after Sucre was assassinated in Berruecos in February, 1830 and Simón Bolívar died in December, 1830 from tuberculosis. 

After the war Peru was once again in political turmoil, this was caused by the formation of a new parliament in 1833 which was hostile towards Agustín Gamarra and at this moment Gamarra’s term as president was over and power was then handed to Luis José de Orbegoso. Gamarra refused to recognize the new government and wanted to challenge it however, popular opinion and the army did not side with Gamarra. 

In 1835, Orbegoso was overthrown in a rebellion led by General Felipe Salaverry who became the self-proclaimed "Supreme Chief of the Republic” however; Orbegoso then asked the Bolivian president Andres de Santa Cruz for help. Santa Cruz invaded Peru in June 1835 and Salaverry went on the run to Arequipa until he finally surrendered to William Miller who handed him over to Santa Cruz. Salaverry was executed along with some other officers in the main square in Arequipa on the 18th of February 1839. 

As a reward for Santa Cruz’s help Orbegoso agreed to the formation of the new Peru–Bolivian Confederation and that Santa Cruz would become the “Supreme Protector of the Confederation”. The confederation was not only for historical, cultural and ethnic reasons but mainly for economic reasons. 

On March 17, 1836 a congress of the southern departments (Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cuzco and Puno) declared the establishment of the Republic of South Peru and on August 11, 1836 another proclamation came forming the Republic of North Peru (Amazonas, Junín, La Libertad and Lima). 

In the end the confederation consisted of the Republic of South Peru with its capital Tacna (also capital of the confederation), Republic of North Peru with its capital Lima and Bolivia. 

Santa Cruz being the “Supreme Protector” and president of Bolivia appointed a president for each state of the confederation, the first president of South Peru was General Ramón Herrera Rodado and the first president of North Peru was General Luis Orbegoso. The confederation was officially formed after some unrest on October 28, 1836. Santa Cruz imposed an authoritarian order; he issued a civil code, a penal code, a trade regulation, a customs regulation and reorganized tax collection procedures allowing an increase in state revenues while restraining expenditures. This was all well received especially by the South due to the new economic freedoms that were provided however, some elites especially in Lima grew annoyed and started to resent the confederation. 

There were many arguments against the confederation some people on both sides (Bolivia and Peru) did not like the idea that their identities had been “diluted” and those such as the Peruvian politicians who resented the confederation fled to Chile. It was not only Peruvians and Bolivians that began to resist neighboring countries such as Argentina and Chile were alarmed by the size and economic strength of the confederation. Diego Portales was an important Chilean statesman and was the real power behind the Chilean president José Joaquín Prieto who became worried that the new confederation would break the regional balance of power also at this time competition for trade routes were high so Chile began to see Peru as its enemy. 

Hostilities began when former Chilean president General Ramón Freire managed to gain help from the confederation to equip a frigate to take power from Prieto’s administration however, it failed leading Chile to become openly hostile towards the confederation. 

On August 21, 1836, Diego Portales ordered a silent attack on a confederate fleet stationed at the port of Callao, Peru capturing several ships “Santa Cruz, Arequipeño and Peruviana”. This was seen as a warning Peru to stop interfering with Chilean politics. Santa Cruz did not go immediately to war instead he tried to negotiate, Chile demanded commercial agreements, debt repayments, compensation for the incident with Freire and the dissolution of the confederation. Santa Cruz agreed to everything but the dissolution, Chile responded by declaring war December 28, 1836 (War of the Confederation). 

Internationally the war was frowned upon as Santa Cruz was diplomatically recognized by countries such as Great Britain, France and the United States who had interest in the region while on the other hand Chile’s allies (Ecuador and Argentina) remained neutral. Argentina eventually felt compelled to declare war on the confederation on May 9, 1837 due to the political interference from Santa Cruz. Even though Chile and Argentina were allies they both acted alone throughout the war. Argentina suffered a heavy defeat in 1837 at the hands of one of Santa Cruz’s top generals Felipe Braun and the public of Chile were unhappy with the decision of war and started opposing it. 

To quell the unhappy population the Chilean government enacted Martial Law in 1837 however; this caused more heavy criticism of Prieto’s administration especially towards Portales. The Martial Law began affecting the army and on June 4, 1837, Colonel José Antonio Vidaurre, a commander captured and imprisoned Portales while he was reviewing troops at the army barracks in Quillota. Believing that the public would support him Vidaurre attacked the port of Valparaíso, Chile however; Admiral Manuel Blanco Encalada defeated Vidaurre outside the port. When news spread of the defeat Captain Santiago Florín, who was in charge of Portales, had him shot on June 6, 1837. The assassination of Portales was a turning point as many perceived that it was orchestrated by Santa Cruz, making Portales into a martyr and changing the public opinion of the war. 

The first military expedition led by Vice Admiral Manuel Blanco Encalada, against the confederation failed which lead to the signing of the Treaty of Paucarpata on the November 17, 1837 however, on the January 20, 1839 the second military expedition took place known as the Battle of Yungay in which Santa Cruz was defeated. On August 25, 1839, General Agustín Gamarra became president and officially declared the dissolution of the confederation bringing South and North Peru together as one country (Peru) separate from Bolivia. The dissolution of the confederation meant that Santa Cruz was exiled first to Guayaquil, in Ecuador, then to Chile, and finally to Europe where he lived until his death in 1865. 

The Battle of Yungay is remembered in Chile with the "Hymn of Yungay" and following the defeat of the confederation the department of Ancash, Peru was created.

Written by GringoPeru

On the 18th of January 1535, the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded “The City of Kings” (Ciudad de los Reyes) that eventually became known as Lima.  The location in which Lima was founded was never the first option in 1533 Jauja was the one of the first areas chosen by the Conquistadors however, due to the cold climate and distance from the sea made them look elsewhere. 

Francisco baptized the city “The City of Kings” it is thought the name comes from the festival that is celebrated in Spain called “Los Tres Reyes Magos” (The Three Kings) this festival now is widely celebrated across South America however, María Rostworowsk an historian suggests the city was named after the King of Spain Carlos V and his mother Juana I, Queen of Castile.

Before this, the area where Lima can be located was occupied and had been occupied for many years, when Pizarro came the area was home to the Cuismanco people and governed by Taulichusco. Some chroniclers wrote that Taulichusco received the Spanish in a friendly and courteous way and that he had already heard of their presence in Tahuantinsuyo.

Pizarro built Lima in a similar fashion to the cities in Spain, the city starting with a large plaza (square) and expands outwards. It is thought that The Presidential Palace was built on top of the home of Taulichusco and the Cathedral of Lima was built on top of a religious temple.  The construction of the new city came at the cost of indigenous people had been converted to slaves.

In 1536, Lima was attacked under the orders of Manco Inca; this was led by Inca general Quizo Yupanqui. Fierce fighting broke out on the outskirts of the city however, the outcome was unfavorable for Manco as the Spanish and their indigenous allies defeated Manco’s resistance force and the evidence of this battle can still be seen today at the archaeological site of Puruchuco in Ate.

Lima continued to grow after the rebellion was crushed however, on 26th of June 1541 the founder of Lima was assassinated in the Presidential Palace by the son of his old friend who became enemies Diego de Almagro. Cristóbal Vaca de Castro became the next colonial administrator in Peru.

In 1542 Spain designated Lima as capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the site of a Real Audiencia, the high court, in 1543. From here the Spaniards ruled over vast areas in South America.  In 1551, Peru being heavily influenced by the Catholic Church became the place where the Spanish Inquisition headquarters for South America would be opened.

Due to Lima´s growing wealth and influenced it made it a target for pirates and in 1579 the British pirate Francis Drake raided Callao and in 1615 and 1624 Callao was once again raided by the Dutch pirate Jacques L'Hermite.  To prevent further raids on the important port a fort was built under the orders of Viceroy José Manso de Velasco and in 1770 the fort Real Felipe was finished. The fort has now been converted into a museum and can still be visited today.

Another major event that occurred in Peru and in Lima was the occupation of Lima by the Chileans who took the city on January 17 1881 during the War of the Pacific, Lima was not liberated until 1883 when Peru surrendered.

Lima today is a bustling city with a population of 8 million people and although that the capital is struggling with many major issues there is always the good parts that we can find. So for the anniversary of Lima go check out the city centre as they are events and also check out the museums to find out some more interesting information of not just Lima but of Peru in general.