Combat of Maiquetía, during the beginning of the Federal War, 2 September 1859
Date
20 February 1859 – 24 April 1863
Location
Mainly the Barinas, Portuguesa, Cojedes, Apure and Guárico states of Venezuela
Result
Treaty of Coche, establishment of a Federalist government
Belligerents
Federalists
Conservative Government
Commanders and leaders
Ezequiel Zamora † Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Antonio Guzmán Blanco Francisco Linares Alcántara Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual Juan Antonio Sotillo
Julián Castro José Antonio Páez Pedro Gual Escandón Manuel Felipe de Tovar León de Febres Cordero
Casualties and losses
100,000+ dead[1]
The Federal War (Spanish: Guerra Federal) — also known as the Great War or the Five Year War — was a civil war (1859–1863) in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, and their intransigence in granting any reforms. This drove the Liberals – known as the Federalists – to look for greater autonomy for the provinces: a new federalism for Venezuela, as it were. It was the biggest and bloodiest civil war that Venezuela had since its independence from Spain on 5 July 1811. Around a hundred thousand people died in the violence of the war, or from hunger or disease, in a country with a population of just over a million people.
The conflict was a struggle for power between the conservative government of President Julián Castro, who had ousted his predecessor José Tadeo Monagas in March 1858, and the liberal opposition led by Ezequiel Zamora. [2]
The Liberals initially gained the upper hand, winning several battles in 1859, until their crushing defeat in the Battle of Coplé in February 1860. After this defeat and the death of Ezequiel Zamora, the new Liberal leader Juan Crisóstomo Falcón switched to guerilla warfare, that by 1863 had weakened the government troops and caused the desertion of thousands of their soldiers. This forced the Conservative leader José Antonio Páez to sue for peace.
^Salas, Miguel Tinker (2015). Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know®. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 46. ISBN 9780199783281.
^"Federal War (Venezuela, 1859–1863) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
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Global Information
Federalists
Conservative Government