The War of the Confederation dissolved the Peru–Bolivian Confederation and shaped national identities in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1836 to 1839
- Decisive battle
- Battle of Yungay (1839)
- Confederation dissolved
- Peru–Bolivian Confederation
- Winning commander
- General Manuel Bulnes (Chile)
- Deserting force (Col. Guilarte)
- 700 soldiers abandoned position
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
General Andrés de Santa Cruz created the Peru–Bolivian Confederation following the Salaverry-Santa Cruz War, alarming Chile and the Argentine Confederation, both of which viewed the new and powerful political entity as a threat to their geopolitical interests in southern South America.
Chile, allied with Peruvian dissidents, and the Argentine Confederation separately waged war against the Peru–Bolivian Confederation between 1836 and 1839. Chilean-Peruvian forces under General Manuel Bulnes achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Yungay in 1839, while internal betrayals and desertions weakened Santa Cruz's forces.
The battle of Yungay caused the dissolution of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation and the exile of Santa Cruz, leading to the restoration of Peru and Bolivia as separate states. Historians credit the conflict with reinforcing distinct senses of Peruvian and Chilean national identity.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Manuel Bulnes.
Side B
1 belligerent
Andrés de Santa Cruz, Luis José de Orbegoso.