Key Facts
- Battle dates
- September 22–24, 1860
- Peruvian rifles supplied to Franco
- 3,000
- Peruvian blockade lifted
- February 19, 1860
- Treaty of Mapasingue annulled (Ecuador)
- 1861
- Conservative era duration
- ~35 years (1860–1895)
Strategic Narrative Overview
Castilla, failing to negotiate with García Moreno, signed the Treaty of Mapasingue with Franco, ceding all disputed territories to Peru in exchange for Peruvian recognition and material support including 3,000 rifles. García Moreno denounced Franco as a traitor and allied with former adversary General Juan José Flores. Their combined forces fought a series of engagements, progressively driving Franco's troops back toward Guayaquil.
01 / The Origins
Ecuador's political collapse began when President Francisco Robles resigned on May 1, 1859, fracturing the country into rival Supreme Commands. Gabriel García Moreno formed a provisional government in Quito while General Guillermo Franco declared himself Supreme Chief of Guayas. Peru's President Ramón Castilla exploited the vacuum by blockading the Gulf of Guayaquil, pressing for territorial concessions in the long-running Ecuadorian–Peruvian border dispute.
03 / The Outcome
García Moreno's forces defeated Franco at Guayaquil on September 22–24, 1860, ending the factional civil war. García Moreno restored national unity and launched a prolonged Conservative, authoritarian regime that lasted until 1895. The Treaty of Mapasingue, widely condemned as treasonous, was annulled by Ecuador's Congress in 1861 and by Peru's Congress in 1863 under President Miguel de San Román.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gabriel García Moreno, Juan José Flores.
Side B
1 belligerent
Guillermo Franco, Ramón Castilla.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.