Argentine Civil War
Encyclopedia
The Argentine Civil Wars were a series of internecine wars that took place in Argentina
from 1814 to 1876. These conflicts were separate from the Argentine War of Independence
(1810–1820), though they first arose during this period.
The main antagonists were, on a geographical level, Buenos Aires Province
and the other provinces of modern Argentina, and on a political level, between the Federal Party
and the Unitarian Party
. The central cause of the conflict was the excessive centralism
advanced by Buenos Aires leaders and, for a long period, the monopoly on the use of the Port of Buenos Aires
as the sole means for international commerce. Other participants at specific times included Uruguay
, and the British
and French
empires, notably in the French blockade of the Río de la Plata
of 1838 and in the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
that ended in 1850.
had long marked the relationship among the numerous provinces of what today is Argentina, and the wars of independence did not result in national unity. The establishment of the League of the Free Peoples
by the Eastern Bank of the Uruguay River
and four neighboring provinces in 1814 marked the first formal rupture in the United Provinces of South America
that had been created by the 1810 May Revolution
.
The Battle of Cepeda (1820)
thwarted the goal of Buenos Aires leaders to govern the country under the Argentine Constitution of 1819
, and following a series of disorders and a short-lived Constitutional Republic led by Buenos Aires centralist Bernardino Rivadavia
in 1826 and 1827, the United Provinces established in 1810 again became divided, and the Province of Buenos Aires would emerge as the most powerful among the numerous semi-independent states.
and other Federalist
leaders out of need and a shared enmity toward the still vigorous Unitarian Party
, who advocated differing forms of centralized government
. The latter's 1830 establishment of the Unitarian League
by Córdoba
leader José María Paz
from nine western and northern provinces thus forced Buenos Aires, Corrientes
and Entre Ríos Province
s into the Federal Pact
of 1831, following which the Unitarian League was dismantled. The Buenos Aires leader deposed by Rosas in 1829, General Juan Lavalle
, also led a series of rebellions with different alliances against Rosas and the Federal Pact until Lavalle's defeat and assassination in 1841.
Since the fall of Rivadavia and the lack of a proper head of state there was a dynamic whereby leaders (caudillo
s) from the hinterland provinces would delegate certain powers, such as foreign debt payment or the management of international relations
to the Buenos Aires leader. In addition, Rosas was granted the sum of public power
. These powers also enabled Rosas to participate in the protracted Uruguayan Civil War
in favor of Manuel Oribe
, though unsuccessfully; Oribe, in turn, led numerous military campaigns on behalf of Rosas, and became an invaluable ally in the struggle against Lavalle and other Unitarians. The Argentine Confederation
thus functioned, albeit amid ongoing conflicts, until the 1852 Battle of Caseros
, when Rosas was deposed and exiled.
, Entre Ríos Governor Justo José de Urquiza
, failed to secure Buenos Aires' ratification of the 1852 San Nicolás Agreement
, and the State of Buenos Aires
was declared. The secessionist state rejected the 1853 Constitution of Argentina
, and promulgated its own the following year. The most contentious issue remained the Buenos Aires Customs
, which remained under the control of the city government and was the chief source of public revenue. Nations with which the Confederation maintained foreign relations
, moreover, kept all embassies in Buenos Aires
(rather than in the capital, Paraná
).
The State of Buenos Aires was also bolstered by its numerous alliances in the hinterland, including that of Santiago del Estero Province
(led by Manuel Taboada), as well as among powerful Liberal Party governors in Salta
, Corrientes
, Tucumán
and San Juan
. The 1858 assassination of San Juan's Federalist
governor, Nazario Benavídez, by Liberals inflamed tensions between the Confederation and the State of Buenos Aires, as did a free trade agreement between the chief Confederate port (the Port of Rosario
) and the Port of Montevideo
, which undermined Buenos Aires trade. The election of the intransigent Valentín Alsina
further exacerbated disputes, which culminated in the Battle of Cepeda (1859)
.
Buenos Aires forces, led by General Bartolomé Mitre
, were defeated by those led by the President of Argentina, Justo José de Urquiza
. Ordered to subjugate Buenos Aires separatists by force, Urquiza instead invited the defeated to a round of negotiations, and secured the Pact of San José de Flores
, which provided for a number of constitutional amendments and led to other concessions, including an extension on the province's customs house concession and measures benefiting the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires
, whose currency was authorized for use as legal tender at the customs house (thereby controlling much of the nation's foreign trade).
Mitre ultimately abrogated the Pact of San José, leading to renewed civil war. These hostilities culminated in the 1861 Battle of Pavón
, and to victory on the part of Mitre and Buenos Aires over Urquiza's national forces. President Santiago Derqui
, who had been backed by Urquiza, resigned, and the Argentine Confederation was replaced by the Argentine Republic on December 17, 1861. Mitre, who despite victory reaffirmed his commitment to the 1860 constitutional amendments, was elected the republic's first president in 1862.
("intoned vote"), which depended on a pliant electoral college
and would be conditioned to prevent the election of secessionists to high office through electoral fraud
, if necessary. The 1874 election of Catamarca Province
Nicolás Avellaneda
, who had been endorsed by an erstwhile Buenos Aires separatist, Adolfo Alsina
, led to renewed fighting when Mitre mutineed a gunboat
to prevent the inaugural. He was defeated, however, and only President Avellaneda's commutation spared his life.
Vestigial opposition to the new order continued from Federalists, notably La Rioja
leader Chacho Peñaloza
, who was killed in 1863 following a long campaign of internecine warfare, and Entre Ríos leader Ricardo López Jordán
, whose Jordanist rebellion of 1870 to 1876 marked the last Federalist revolt. The 1880 election of the leader of Conquest of the Desert
, General Julio Roca, led to a final armed insurrection by Buenos Aires Governor Carlos Tejedor
. Its quick defeat and a truce brokered by Mitre quieted the last source of open resistance to national unity (Buenos Aires autonomists
), and resulted in the Federalization of Buenos Aires, as well as the hegemony of Roca's PAN
and pro-modernization Generation of '80
policy makers over national politics until 1916.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
from 1814 to 1876. These conflicts were separate from the Argentine War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
(1810–1820), though they first arose during this period.
The main antagonists were, on a geographical level, Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
and the other provinces of modern Argentina, and on a political level, between the Federal Party
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
and the Unitarian Party
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
. The central cause of the conflict was the excessive centralism
Centralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
advanced by Buenos Aires leaders and, for a long period, the monopoly on the use of the Port of Buenos Aires
Port of Buenos Aires
The Port of Buenos Aires is the principal maritime port in Argentina. Operated by the Administración General de Puertos , a State enterprise, it is the leading transshipment point for the foreign trade of Argentina....
as the sole means for international commerce. Other participants at specific times included Uruguay
Banda Oriental
The Banda Oriental del Uruguay was the South American territory east of the Uruguay River and north of the Río de la Plata, coinciding approximately with the modern nation of Uruguay, the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina...
, and the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and French
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
empires, notably in the French blockade of the Río de la Plata
French blockade of the Río de la Plata
The French blockade to the Río de la Plata was a two-year long naval blockade imposed by France on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce. It was imposed in 1838 to support the Peru–Bolivian Confederation in the War of the Confederation,...
of 1838 and in the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata
The Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was a five-year long naval blockade imposed by France and Britain on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It was imposed in 1845 to support the Colorado Party in the Uruguayan Civil War and closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce...
that ended in 1850.
Early conflicts against centralized rule
RegionalismRegionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a term used in international relations. Regionalism also constitutes one of the three constituents of the international commercial system...
had long marked the relationship among the numerous provinces of what today is Argentina, and the wars of independence did not result in national unity. The establishment of the League of the Free Peoples
Liga Federal
The Federal League or League of Free Peoples was a confederal state based around Montevideo from 1815 to 1820...
by the Eastern Bank of the Uruguay River
Banda Oriental
The Banda Oriental del Uruguay was the South American territory east of the Uruguay River and north of the Río de la Plata, coinciding approximately with the modern nation of Uruguay, the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina...
and four neighboring provinces in 1814 marked the first formal rupture in the United Provinces of South America
United Provinces of South America
The United Provinces of South America was the original name of the state that emerged from the May Revolution and the early developments of the Argentine War of Independence...
that had been created by the 1810 May Revolution
May Revolution
The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...
.
The Battle of Cepeda (1820)
Battle of Cepeda (1820)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1820 took place on February 1 in Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina.It was the first major battle that saw Unitarians and Federals as two constituted sides. Federal League Provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos joined forces to topple the 1819 centralist Constitution, and...
thwarted the goal of Buenos Aires leaders to govern the country under the Argentine Constitution of 1819
Argentine Constitution of 1819
The Argentine Constitution of 1819 was a Constitution drafted by the Congress of Tucumán in 1819. It was promoted by Buenos Aires but rejected by the other provinces, and did not come into force.-Sanction:...
, and following a series of disorders and a short-lived Constitutional Republic led by Buenos Aires centralist Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
in 1826 and 1827, the United Provinces established in 1810 again became divided, and the Province of Buenos Aires would emerge as the most powerful among the numerous semi-independent states.
Rosas and the Unitarians
An understanding was entered into by Buenos Aires Governor Juan Manuel de RosasJuan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
and other Federalist
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
leaders out of need and a shared enmity toward the still vigorous Unitarian Party
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
, who advocated differing forms of centralized government
Centralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
. The latter's 1830 establishment of the Unitarian League
Unitarian League
The Unitarian League was a league of provinces of Argentina led by José María Paz, established in 1830, aiming to unite the country under unitarian principles. It was composed by the provinces of San Luis, La Rioja, Catamarca, Mendoza, San Juan, Tucumán, Córdoba, Salta and Santiago del Estero. It...
by Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
leader José María Paz
José María Paz
Brigadier General José María Paz y Haedo was an Argentine military figure, notable in the Argentine War of Independence and the Argentine Civil War.-Childhood:...
from nine western and northern provinces thus forced Buenos Aires, Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
and Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
s into the Federal Pact
Pacto Federal
The Federal Pact was a treaty first signed by the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe on 4 January 1831, for which a Federal military alliance was created to confront the Unitarian Liga Unitaria...
of 1831, following which the Unitarian League was dismantled. The Buenos Aires leader deposed by Rosas in 1829, General Juan Lavalle
Juan Lavalle
Juan Galo de Lavalle was an Argentine military and political figure.-Biography:Lavalle was born in Buenos Aires to María Mercedes González Bordallo and Manuel José de La Vallée y Cortés, general accountant of rents and tobacco for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.In 1799, the family moved to...
, also led a series of rebellions with different alliances against Rosas and the Federal Pact until Lavalle's defeat and assassination in 1841.
Since the fall of Rivadavia and the lack of a proper head of state there was a dynamic whereby leaders (caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
s) from the hinterland provinces would delegate certain powers, such as foreign debt payment or the management of international relations
Foreign relations of Argentina
This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Argentina.At the political level, these matters are officially handled by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, also known as the Cancillería, which answers to the President...
to the Buenos Aires leader. In addition, Rosas was granted the sum of public power
Sum of public power
The sum of public power is a legal figure from Argentina, included in its constitution. It represents the sum of the three powers, and deems the complete delegation of them into the executive power as a crime of high treason....
. These powers also enabled Rosas to participate in the protracted Uruguayan Civil War
Uruguayan Civil War
The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851...
in favor of Manuel Oribe
Manuel Oribe
Manuel Ceferino Oribe y Viana was the fourth president of Uruguay.-Biography:Manuel Oribe was the son of Captain Francisco Oribe and María Francisca Viana, a descendant of the first governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana...
, though unsuccessfully; Oribe, in turn, led numerous military campaigns on behalf of Rosas, and became an invaluable ally in the struggle against Lavalle and other Unitarians. The Argentine Confederation
Argentine Confederation
The Argentine Confederation is one of the official names of Argentina, according to the Argentine Constitution, Article 35...
thus functioned, albeit amid ongoing conflicts, until the 1852 Battle of Caseros
Battle of Caseros
The Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
, when Rosas was deposed and exiled.
Urquiza and the secession of Buenos Aires
The central figure in the overthrow of RosasEjército Grande
The so-called Ejército Grande was the Argentine army that in 1852, under the command of the governor of Entre Ríos Province, Justo José de Urquiza, invaded the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires and defeated Juan Manuel de Rosas's army, which until that moment was in...
, Entre Ríos Governor Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza y García was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces...
, failed to secure Buenos Aires' ratification of the 1852 San Nicolás Agreement
San Nicolás Agreement
The San Nicolás Agreement was a pact signed on May 31, 1852 and subscribed by all but one of the 14 provinces of the United Provinces of the River Plate . The treaty consisted of 19 articles, and its goal was to set the bases for the national organization of the young Argentine state...
, and the State of Buenos Aires
State of Buenos Aires
The State of Buenos Aires was a secessionist republic resulting from the overthrow of the Argentine Confederation government in the Province of Buenos Aires on September 11, 1852. The State of Buenos Aires was never recognized by the Confederation or by foreign nations; it remained, however,...
was declared. The secessionist state rejected the 1853 Constitution of Argentina
Constitution of Argentina
The constitution of Argentina is one of the primary sources of existing law in Argentina. Its first version was written in 1853 by a Constitutional Assembly gathered in Santa Fe, and the doctrinal basis was taken in part from the United States Constitution...
, and promulgated its own the following year. The most contentious issue remained the Buenos Aires Customs
Buenos Aires Customs
The Buenos Aires Customs House is a government building and architectural landmark in the Montserrat section of Buenos Aires.-Overview:...
, which remained under the control of the city government and was the chief source of public revenue. Nations with which the Confederation maintained foreign relations
Foreign relations of Argentina
This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Argentina.At the political level, these matters are officially handled by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, also known as the Cancillería, which answers to the President...
, moreover, kept all embassies in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(rather than in the capital, Paraná
Paraná, Entre Ríos
Paraná is the capital city of the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, opposite the city of Santa Fe, capital of the neighbouring Santa Fe Province...
).
The State of Buenos Aires was also bolstered by its numerous alliances in the hinterland, including that of Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero Province
Santiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
(led by Manuel Taboada), as well as among powerful Liberal Party governors in Salta
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
, Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
, Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
and San Juan
San Juan Province (Argentina)
San Juan is a province of Argentina, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders with Chile at the west....
. The 1858 assassination of San Juan's Federalist
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
governor, Nazario Benavídez, by Liberals inflamed tensions between the Confederation and the State of Buenos Aires, as did a free trade agreement between the chief Confederate port (the Port of Rosario
Port of Rosario
The Port of Rosario is an inland port and a major goods-shipping center of Argentina, located in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, on the right-hand shore of the Paraná River, about 550 km upstream from the Atlantic Ocean.-Overview:...
) and the Port of Montevideo
Port of Montevideo
The Port of Montevideo , in the northern part of the Old City of Montevideo, Uruguay, is one of the major ports of South America and plays a very important role in the economy of Uruguay.-History:...
, which undermined Buenos Aires trade. The election of the intransigent Valentín Alsina
Valentín Alsina
*For the city, see Valentín Alsina, Buenos Aires.Valentín Alsina was an Argentine lawyer and politician.Alsina was born in Buenos Aires and studied law at the University of Córdoba. He occupied diverse posts in government, and had a successful civil career as an advocate and professor of law at...
further exacerbated disputes, which culminated in the Battle of Cepeda (1859)
Battle of Cepeda (1859)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 at Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina. The Republic of the Argentine Confederation army, led by Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated the Province of Buenos Aires forces, led by Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.-The battle in context:Before the...
.
Buenos Aires forces, led by General Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
, were defeated by those led by the President of Argentina, Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza y García was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces...
. Ordered to subjugate Buenos Aires separatists by force, Urquiza instead invited the defeated to a round of negotiations, and secured the Pact of San José de Flores
Pact of San José de Flores
The Pact of San José de Flores was a treaty signed between the Argentine Confederation and the State of Buenos Aires on November 11, 1859...
, which provided for a number of constitutional amendments and led to other concessions, including an extension on the province's customs house concession and measures benefiting the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires
Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires
The Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires is a publicly-owned Argentine bank and the second-largest in the nation, by value of assets and deposits.-History:...
, whose currency was authorized for use as legal tender at the customs house (thereby controlling much of the nation's foreign trade).
Mitre ultimately abrogated the Pact of San José, leading to renewed civil war. These hostilities culminated in the 1861 Battle of Pavón
Battle of Pavón
The Battle of Pavón was a key battle of the Argentine civil wars fought in Pavón, in Santa Fé Province, Argentina, on September 17, 1861, between the Army of Buenos Aires, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre, and the National Army, commanded by Justo José de Urquiza...
, and to victory on the part of Mitre and Buenos Aires over Urquiza's national forces. President Santiago Derqui
Santiago Derqui
Santiago Rafael Luis Manuel José María Derqui Rodríguez was president of Argentina from March 5, 1860 to November 5, 1861. He was featured on the 10 Australes note, which is now obsolete....
, who had been backed by Urquiza, resigned, and the Argentine Confederation was replaced by the Argentine Republic on December 17, 1861. Mitre, who despite victory reaffirmed his commitment to the 1860 constitutional amendments, was elected the republic's first president in 1862.
National unification
President Mitre instituted an limited suffrage electoral system known as the voto cantadoArgentine presidential elections, 1862-1910
Argentina held nine presidential elections between 1862 and 1910, every six years.-Background:These elections were all indirectly decided in the electoral college, and not reflective of popular vote...
("intoned vote"), which depended on a pliant electoral college
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
and would be conditioned to prevent the election of secessionists to high office through electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
, if necessary. The 1874 election of Catamarca Province
Catamarca Province
Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja...
Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Remigio Aurelio Avellaneda Silva was an Argentine politician and journalist, and president of Argentina from 1874 to 1880. Avellaneda's main projects while in office were banking and education reform, leading to Argentina's economic growth...
, who had been endorsed by an erstwhile Buenos Aires separatist, Adolfo Alsina
Adolfo Alsina
Adolfo Alsina Maza was an Argentine lawyer and Unitarian politician, and one of the founders of the Partido Autonomista and the National Autonomist Party.-Biography:...
, led to renewed fighting when Mitre mutineed a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
to prevent the inaugural. He was defeated, however, and only President Avellaneda's commutation spared his life.
Vestigial opposition to the new order continued from Federalists, notably La Rioja
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...
leader Chacho Peñaloza
Chacho Peñaloza
Peñaloza won victories in La Rioja and entered the city of Córdoba on June 14, 1863. His refusal to fight within city limits led to his defeat on June 28, however, and he was later routed in Los Gigantes, San Juan Province, by Colonel Pablo Irrazábal....
, who was killed in 1863 following a long campaign of internecine warfare, and Entre Ríos leader Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo Ramón López Jordán was an Argentine soldier and politician, one of the last influential "caudillos" in the history of Argentina...
, whose Jordanist rebellion of 1870 to 1876 marked the last Federalist revolt. The 1880 election of the leader of Conquest of the Desert
Conquest of the Desert
The Conquest of the Desert was a military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca in the 1870s, which established Argentine dominance over Patagonia, which was inhabited by indigenous peoples...
, General Julio Roca, led to a final armed insurrection by Buenos Aires Governor Carlos Tejedor
Carlos Tejedor (politician)
Carlos Tejedor was an Argentine jurist and politician, Governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1878 and 1880. Tejedor was a prominent figure in the movement against the Federalization of Buenos Aires.-Life and times:...
. Its quick defeat and a truce brokered by Mitre quieted the last source of open resistance to national unity (Buenos Aires autonomists
Autonomist Party
The Autonomist Party was a political party in the Dalmatian political scene, that existed for around 70 years of the nineteenth century and until World War I. Its goal was to maintain the autonomy of the Kingdom of Dalmatia within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as opposed to the unification with the...
), and resulted in the Federalization of Buenos Aires, as well as the hegemony of Roca's PAN
National Autonomist Party
The National Autonomist Party was an Argentine political party during the 1874-1916 period. Created on March 15, 1874 by the union of the Autonomist Party of Adolfo Alsina and the National Party of Nicolás Avellaneda...
and pro-modernization Generation of '80
Generation of '80
The Generation of '80 was the governing elite in Argentina from 1880 to 1916. Members of the oligarchy of the provinces and the country's capital, they first joined the League of Governors , and then the National Autonomist Party...
policy makers over national politics until 1916.
Main conflicts
- War between the Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la PlataSupreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la PlataThe Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata , was a title given to the executive officers of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, according to the form of government established in 1814 by the Asamblea del Año XIII...
and José Artigas' League of the Free PeoplesLiga FederalThe Federal League or League of Free Peoples was a confederal state based around Montevideo from 1815 to 1820...
(1814 — 1820) - Battle of Cepeda (1820)Battle of Cepeda (1820)The Battle of Cepeda of 1820 took place on February 1 in Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina.It was the first major battle that saw Unitarians and Federals as two constituted sides. Federal League Provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos joined forces to topple the 1819 centralist Constitution, and...
- Conflicts with La Rioja leader Facundo Quiroga (1826 — 1835)
- Federalist war against the Unitarian LeagueUnitarian LeagueThe Unitarian League was a league of provinces of Argentina led by José María Paz, established in 1830, aiming to unite the country under unitarian principles. It was composed by the provinces of San Luis, La Rioja, Catamarca, Mendoza, San Juan, Tucumán, Córdoba, Salta and Santiago del Estero. It...
(1831) - Revolution of the RestorersRevolution of the RestorersThe Revolution of the Restorers was a rebellion that took place in Buenos Aires in 1833. The governor Juan Ramón Balcarce was ousted from office and replaced by Juan José Viamonte. The rebellion was motivated by actions taken by Balcarce against former governor Juan Manuel de Rosas...
against Buenos Aires Governor Juan Ramón BalcarceJuan Ramón BalcarceJuan Ramón González de Balcarce was an Argentine military leader and politician.Juan was the older brother of Antonio González de Balcarce and of Marcos González de Balcarce. He fought against the British in 1807, and in the 1812 military campaign in Peru under General Manuel Belgrano. He was...
(1833) - Conflicts with La Rioja leader Chacho PeñalozaChacho PeñalozaPeñaloza won victories in La Rioja and entered the city of Córdoba on June 14, 1863. His refusal to fight within city limits led to his defeat on June 28, however, and he was later routed in Los Gigantes, San Juan Province, by Colonel Pablo Irrazábal....
(1835 — 1845; 1860 — 1863) - French blockade of the Río de la PlataFrench blockade of the Río de la PlataThe French blockade to the Río de la Plata was a two-year long naval blockade imposed by France on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce. It was imposed in 1838 to support the Peru–Bolivian Confederation in the War of the Confederation,...
(1838) - Free Men of the South revolt, quelled at ChascomúsChascomúsChascomús, is the principal city in Chascomús Partido in eastern Buenos Aires Province in eastern Argentina, located south of the capital Buenos Aires. As of 2001, the city had a population of 30,670 people.-History:...
in 1839 - Pedro Ferré's Corrientes revolt (1839 — 1842)
- Involvement in the Uruguayan Civil WarUruguayan Civil WarThe Uruguayan Civil War, also known as "Guerra Grande", was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851...
by Rosas on behalf of Manuel OribeManuel OribeManuel Ceferino Oribe y Viana was the fourth president of Uruguay.-Biography:Manuel Oribe was the son of Captain Francisco Oribe and María Francisca Viana, a descendant of the first governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana...
(1839 — 1851) - War with the Northern Coalition (1840 — 1841)
- Revolt by Juan LavalleJuan LavalleJuan Galo de Lavalle was an Argentine military and political figure.-Biography:Lavalle was born in Buenos Aires to María Mercedes González Bordallo and Manuel José de La Vallée y Cortés, general accountant of rents and tobacco for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.In 1799, the family moved to...
against Juan Manuel de RosasJuan Manuel de RosasJuan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
(1841) - Battle of CaaguazúBattle of CaaguazúThe Battle of Caaguazú took place in Mercedes Department, in Corrientes Province, Argentina on 28 November 1841, during the Argentine Civil War, between the forces of Entre Ríos Province, commanded by brigadier Pascual Echagüe and Corrientes Province, under brigadier José María Paz, with a sound...
and defeat of Unitarian forces in Corrientes (1841) - Joaquín MadariagaJoaquín MadariagaJoaquín Madariaga was a soldier and Argentine politician. Madariaga was Governor of the Corrientes Province and leader of the provinces resistance against the national government of Juan Manuel de Rosas.-The Revolution of Madariaga:...
's Corrientes revolt (1843 — 1847) - Battle of Vuelta de ObligadoBattle of Vuelta de ObligadoThe naval Battle of Vuelta de Obligado took place on the waters of the Paraná River on November 20, 1845, between the Argentine Confederation, under the leadership of Juan Manuel de Rosas, and an Anglo-French fleet.- Background :...
(1845) and Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la PlataAnglo-French blockade of the Río de la PlataThe Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was a five-year long naval blockade imposed by France and Britain on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It was imposed in 1845 to support the Colorado Party in the Uruguayan Civil War and closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce...
(1845 — 1850) - Entre Ríos leader Justo José de UrquizaJusto José de UrquizaJusto José de Urquiza y García was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces...
's break with RosasEjército GrandeThe so-called Ejército Grande was the Argentine army that in 1852, under the command of the governor of Entre Ríos Province, Justo José de Urquiza, invaded the provinces of Santa Fe and Buenos Aires and defeated Juan Manuel de Rosas's army, which until that moment was in...
(1851) - Battle of CaserosBattle of CaserosThe Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
(1852) - Revolution of September 11, 1852, creating State of Buenos AiresState of Buenos AiresThe State of Buenos Aires was a secessionist republic resulting from the overthrow of the Argentine Confederation government in the Province of Buenos Aires on September 11, 1852. The State of Buenos Aires was never recognized by the Confederation or by foreign nations; it remained, however,...
- Siege of Buenos Aires (1853)
- Battle of Cepeda (1859)Battle of Cepeda (1859)The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 at Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina. The Republic of the Argentine Confederation army, led by Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated the Province of Buenos Aires forces, led by Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.-The battle in context:Before the...
- Battle of PavónBattle of PavónThe Battle of Pavón was a key battle of the Argentine civil wars fought in Pavón, in Santa Fé Province, Argentina, on September 17, 1861, between the Army of Buenos Aires, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre, and the National Army, commanded by Justo José de Urquiza...
(1861) - Felipe Varela's Revolución de los Colorados in Catamarca and other western provinces (1867)
- Entre Ríos leader Ricardo López JordánRicardo López JordánRicardo Ramón López Jordán was an Argentine soldier and politician, one of the last influential "caudillos" in the history of Argentina...
's rebellion (1870 — 1876) - Bartolomé MitreBartolomé MitreBartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
's insurrection against Autonomist PartyAutonomist PartyThe Autonomist Party was a political party in the Dalmatian political scene, that existed for around 70 years of the nineteenth century and until World War I. Its goal was to maintain the autonomy of the Kingdom of Dalmatia within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as opposed to the unification with the...
and President-elect Nicolás AvellanedaNicolás AvellanedaNicolás Remigio Aurelio Avellaneda Silva was an Argentine politician and journalist, and president of Argentina from 1874 to 1880. Avellaneda's main projects while in office were banking and education reform, leading to Argentina's economic growth...
(1874) - Buenos Aires Governor Carlos TejedorCarlos Tejedor (politician)Carlos Tejedor was an Argentine jurist and politician, Governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1878 and 1880. Tejedor was a prominent figure in the movement against the Federalization of Buenos Aires.-Life and times:...
's rebellion against President-elect Julio Roca (1880)
See Also
- Rise of the Republic of ArgentinaRise of the Republic of ArgentinaThe rise of the Republic of Argentina was a process that took place in the first half of the XIX century in South America. Modern Argentina was initially the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a colony of the Spanish Empire in southern South America. It was part of a monarchy, ruled locally by a...
- United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
- Argentine ConfederationArgentine ConfederationThe Argentine Confederation is one of the official names of Argentina, according to the Argentine Constitution, Article 35...