Battle of Cepeda (1820)
Encyclopedia
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 the Directorial government
of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
. Both provincial leaders
, Estanislao López
and Francisco Ramírez, were strong allies of José Gervasio Artigas
.
Supreme Director José Rondeau
called back the Armies that were fighting the Argentine War of Independence
to fight the Federals. The Army of the Andes
, commanded by José de San Martín
refused to abandon the offensive against the royalists in Chile and Peru. The Army of the North
, commanded by Manuel Belgrano
, mutinied at Arequito
, as the troops and the officiality refused to fight a civil war
, and asked instead to go back to the northern frontier
to fight the royalists.
organization for Argentina, as the Provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires signed the Treaty of Pilar
on February 23.
Some provisions included in the Treaty on behalf of Buenos Aires
, proved unacceptable to Artigas
(styled "Protector of the League of the Free Peoples
", who was exiled in Entre Ríos following his defeat to the Brazilian Empire invasion
of the Banda Oriental
), so he ordered both López and Ramírez to renounce it. But, in one of the most important turns of Argentine history, however, both caudilloss turned themselves against their former inspirational leader and Ramírez battled against him, destroying the remnants of his army and pushing him forward to exile in Paraguay
.
Then, Ramírez took on seriously his own chances as hegemonic leader, so he declared the Republic of Entre Ríos
on September 29, 1820, but the experiment would barely live as long as Ramírez himself. On July 10, 1821, he was assassinated by the forces of his former ally Estanislao López, who fought this time alongside Buenos Aires and Corrientes
Provinces, fearful of Ramírez' aspirations.
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, Argentina
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...
.
It was the first major battle that saw Unitarians
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...
and Federals
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...
as two constituted sides. Federal League
Liga Federal
The Federal League or League of Free Peoples was a confederal state based around Montevideo from 1815 to 1820...
Provinces of Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
and Entre Ríos
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....
joined forces to topple the 1819 centralist Constitution, and the Directorial government
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
The 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...
of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
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...
. Both provincial leaders
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...
, Estanislao López
Estanislao López
Estanislao López was a governor and caudillo of the , between 1818 and 1838, a hero of provincial federalism and an ally of Juan Manuel de Rosas during the Argentine Civil War.-Biography:...
and Francisco Ramírez, were strong allies of José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...
.
Supreme Director José Rondeau
José Rondeau
José Casimiro Rondeau Pereyra was a general and politician in Argentina and Uruguay in the early 19th century.-Biography:...
called back the Armies that were fighting 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...
to fight the Federals. The Army of the Andes
Army of the Andes
The Army of the Andes was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire...
, commanded by José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
refused to abandon the offensive against the royalists in Chile and Peru. The Army of the North
Army of the North
The Army of the North , contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest and the Upper Peru from the royalist troops of the Spanish...
, commanded by Manuel Belgrano
Manuel Belgrano
Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina...
, mutinied at Arequito
Arequito Revolt
The Arequito Revolt , was a military revolt by officers of the Army of the North, through which they recused themselves from the fight in the civil war against the federals. Their intention was to return to the front of the war against the royalists in Upper Peru, an objective they could not...
, as the troops and the officiality refused to fight a civil war
Argentine Civil War
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 , though they first arose during this period....
, and asked instead to go back to the northern frontier
Upper Peru
Upper Peru was the region in the Viceroyalty of Peru, and after 1776, the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, comprising the governorships of Potosí, La Paz, Cochabamba, Los Chiquitos, Moxos and Charcas...
to fight the royalists.
Consequences
The complete victory of the Federal forces over a diminished Directorial army led to the end of the central authority established by the 1819 Constitution through the Supreme Director, and laid the foundations for a rather new FederalFederal republic
A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. A federation is the central government. The states in a federation also maintain the federation...
organization for Argentina, as the Provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires signed the Treaty of Pilar
Treaty of Pilar
The Treaty of Pilar was a pact signed among the rulers of the Argentine provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires, which is recognized as the foundation of the federal organization of the country...
on February 23.
Some provisions included in the Treaty on behalf of Buenos Aires
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...
, proved unacceptable to Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...
(styled "Protector 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...
", who was exiled in Entre Ríos following his defeat to the Brazilian Empire invasion
Luso-Brazilian invasion
The Luso-Brazilian invasion of the Banda Oriental, also known as the Portuguese Invasion of 1816 and the War against Artigas , was an armed conflict between the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and the people of the Banda Oriental and the Misiones Province...
of the Banda Oriental
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...
), so he ordered both López and Ramírez to renounce it. But, in one of the most important turns of Argentine history, however, both caudilloss turned themselves against their former inspirational leader and Ramírez battled against him, destroying the remnants of his army and pushing him forward to exile in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
Then, Ramírez took on seriously his own chances as hegemonic leader, so he declared the Republic of Entre Ríos
Republic of Entre Ríos
The Republic of Entre Ríos was a short-lived republic in South America in the early nineteenth century. Comprising approximately of what are today the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes, the country was founded in 1820 by the caudillo General Francisco Ramírez and lasted only one...
on September 29, 1820, but the experiment would barely live as long as Ramírez himself. On July 10, 1821, he was assassinated by the forces of his former ally Estanislao López, who fought this time alongside Buenos Aires and 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:...
Provinces, fearful of Ramírez' aspirations.
See also
- History of ArgentinaHistory of ArgentinaThe history of Argentina is divided by historians into four main parts: the pre-Columbian time, or early history , the colonial period , the independence wars and the early post-colonial period of the nation and the history of modern Argentina .The beginning of prehistory in the present territory of...
- United Provinces of the Río de la PlataUnited Provinces of South AmericaThe 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...
- 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...
- Liga FederalLiga FederalThe Federal League or League of Free Peoples was a confederal state based around Montevideo from 1815 to 1820...