Bolivian Civil War

Bolivian Civil War
Battle map illustrating the army movements
Date 1898–1899 Location Bolivia Result Liberal victory Creation of the Federal Government Junta La Paz becomes de facto seat of government
Belligerents
Conservatives	Liberals
Commanders and leaders
Severo Fernández	José Manuel Pando Pablo Zárate Wilka

The Bolivian Civil War, also known as the Federal War (Spanish: Guerra Federal) was a civil war in Bolivia fought from 1898 to 1899. The war saw two factions, a conservative side supported by the political, economic and religious elite of the country with control of the armed forces and who defended a unitary state, and a liberal faction opposed to the policies set by the state and that intended to transform the country into a federation, with support of the peasantry, the indigenous peoples and small Catholic businesses.^[1]

The conflict was ultimately won by the liberal side, putting an end to decades-long political rule by the Bolivian conservatives and leading to a time of political change called the federal revolution (Spanish: revolución federal). The outcome included the attempted move of the country's capital city from Sucre to La Paz, however subsequent political conflicts challenged this process eventually frustrating a complete move and also hindering the transformation into a federal republic. In consequence Sucre remained the constitutional capital, whereas La Paz became the de facto seat of government,^[2] a situation that remains in present time.

During the war, both sides committed atrocities against the civilian populace. Within the territory controlled by each faction, a surge of revolutions and counter-revolution further complicated the everyday lives of civilians. In addition, foreign interests were also present, as the liberals had strong links with Peru and the conservatives with Chile.

The post-war period was marked by the general disillusionment at the Federal Government Junta, created after the war by members of the liberal faction. While the Junta did conduct some political reforms, it largely continued the political foundations of its predecessors, including preserving the unitary state and rejecting any possibility of establishing a federal or confederal state. Additionally, the new government did not uphold the promises made to the rural and indigenous classes, and protests by them were met with oppression and executions. The most significant execution of this period was that of Pablo Zárate Wilka, an indigenous leader who had proved to be the biggest ally of the liberal faction during the war.

The political consequences of the civil war continued on during the 20th century, as its ideological bases served as foundations for subsequent political upheaval, such as the Bolivian Revolution of 1952.