Andean Wars



The Andean Wars were a series of wars fought in the South Andean region, largely involving Peru and Charcas

= War of 34' =









The United Republic of Peru-Charcas (commonly known as the Andean Union) was a unitary republic formed in 1912. This republic saw a somewhat prosperous beginning, although unrest would rapidly increase.



When the Viceroyalty of New Granada was created in 1717, it was clarified the areas above the Marañón and Amazon River were part of this Viceroyalty. Yet in a Spanish royal decree in 1802, this land was given to the Viceroyalty of Peru that now controlled the whole "Comandancia General de Maynas". When Peru became independent, Spain stated the royal decree actually never came to be effective and that it was still part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. However, after the decisive Peruvian victory in its war of independence, it was given de facto authority to Peru, although it was allowed for the Spanish to keep holding control over a few settlements beyond Ecuador's Andes mountain range. This allowed for the foundation of many Peruvian settlements in the zone without arising any tensions with Spain.



The situation changed when Ecuador and Cundina became independent in 1910; these new countries just came to be independent and thus had a lot of territorial ambitions. The "Comandancia General de Maynas" provided an access to the Amazon river, this made Cundina and Ecuador interested in the region and demanded a division of the land on multiple occasions. The Andean Union was conformed with the Status Quo of De Facto authority over the area and thus ignored the demands. This would result in the building of Cundinan and Ecuadorian settlements over the region to impose their influence and to arise tension with the Andeans. The most provocative action made was the construction of the Leticia settlement in 1931, a town bordering the Amazon river and the Andean Union's de jure territory. While this significantly arose tensions and the Andeans rapidly built a fortification close to the village, the Andeans did not oppose and admitted the construction of this town.



In 1934 Cundina and Ecuador made a secret treaty dividing the areas uniquely for themselves, a year later this treaty would come to light, and the three nations quickly started to mobilize troops over the area. In 1936, the Cundinans would blast down an Andean merchant ship passing near the city of Leticia and the Ecuadorians would take an Andean fortress in 1934, which was easily seized back by the Andeans a month later. The war was seeming inevitable, and in November 1937, the Cundinans would take the Andean city of El Encanto, to which the Peruvians would respond with the taking of the city of Leticia, marking the beginning of the war.



Originally the Cundinan and Ecuadorian administrations thought a victory against the Andean union would be easy since this was an unstable and declining nation. While the Andeans did face serious socio-economic difficulties, they did not know its military still stood as one of the most prominent of the regions. In addition, a civil war would arise in Ecuador the same year of the war, this would lead to the Andeans quickly taking the province of El Oro, the revolting city of Guayaquil, and subsequently all the southern part of Ecuador. One Andean key victory was carried out by Jose Quiñones, a pilot of the Air Force who impacted and blown his aeroplane with him inside into an Ecuadorian counter-air defence, subsequently dying; Quiñones would be remembered as a Peruvian national hero. In just a year, the Andeans would occupy Ecuador and focus all its troops on Cundina. After long years of battle, Peru-Charcas would occupy the city of Cali and start having quick and decisive victories inside of the Cundinan territory. The Cundinans, alarmed by the Andeans and in fear of a further advance into their territory, would sign a peace treaty in 1942 in which Peru would take the whole "Comandancia General de Maynas" for themselves, and receive payment from Cundina and Ecuador for war reparations.

= Andean Civil War =

The Andean Union was an unindustrialized country with a low standard of living. The devastating war of 34' terribly worsened the socio-economic landscape leading to starvation, unrest and instability all around the country. Charcan nationalism would start to emerge, their participation in the war ended up only giving territories to the Peruvian part, and they were underrepresented in a union where Peru was clearly dominant. Also, socialist uprisings lead by José Carlos Mariátegui would start emerging across the country. Mariátegui was a unionist who advocated for a revolution that should evolve organically based on local conditions and practices. Mariartegui would create the PSP (Peruvian Socialist party), which advocated for a united socialist Andean Union, where indigenous traditions would hold alongside the forcefully increasing European values. The ideology, ideas and revisions to Marx made by Mariartegui who was affectionately known by his Quechua name, "Amauto" resulted in a new variety of Marxism known as Amautism. Amautist positive view of a nation's cultures, where tradition is considered as one of the few values left of the capitalist societies, and its importance in maintaining it, differences and contrasts the classic Marxist beliefs of culture and superstructure where it is viewed as a mean for the dominant class to maintain its hegemony over society.

All these factors would result in a multi-sided civil war in 1944 between the government, socialists, and Charcan separatists. The government would remain prominent in the coastal and northern areas of Peru, Separatists would quickly take most of Bolivia, and socialists would expand between Western Bolivia, inland Peru and the border between these two. In addition, other small factions like anarchists, liberals and indigineous movements.

After three years of internal war, the frontiers ended up stalemated and no side appeared to be moving further. The war had been looking as if it would not have an eventual conclusion, this significantly concerned the United States and the USSR who feared the Andean Union would turn to either a completely communist or capitalist state.

This ultimately resulted in the Rio de Janeiro Conference of 1947, intended to settle the Andean conflict. It involved several nations including diplomats from the United States, the Soviet union, the Netherlands, Argentina, Chile, the Andean Union, the PSP, and the Republic of Charcas. It was signed and agreed that Peru and Bolivia would divide, with the Northern part becoming a capitalist republic, and the Southern portion (which was more supportive of socialism) turning into a multi-party communist constitutional monarchy, restoring the title of Inca and giving it to the throne's successor.