Battle of Yungay

Battle of Yungay
Part of the "War of the Confederation"
Planning map for the Battle of Yungay
Date January 20, 1839 Location Yungay, Ancash Region, Peru Result Decisive victory of the Restoration Army End of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
Belligerents
Peru-Bolivian Confederation	United Chilean-Peruvian Restoration Army
Commanders and leaders
Andrés de Santa Cruz Ramón Herrera José Trinidad Morán José María Pérez de Urdininea Anselmo Quiroz †	Manuel Bulnes Ramon Castilla José María de la Cruz Agustín Gamarra Crisóstomo Torrico Juan Bautista Eléspuru † Juan Francisco de Vidal
Strength
6,000	5,400
Casualties and losses
3,000 casualties	664 casualties

The Battle of Yungay (or Yungai) effectively destroyed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation created by Bolivian Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1836. On January 20, 1839, the alliance formed Chilean Army led by Chilean General in Chief Manuel Bulnes and force of Peruvians opposed to Santa Cruz, decisively defeated the Confederate Army commanded by Santa Cruz after six hours of combat in the battlefield of Yungay, in northern Peru, 200 km north of Lima.

The Chilean victory at Yungay effectively brought the Peru-Bolivian Confederation to an end, and Andrés de Santa Cruz exiled himself in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The Peruvian government paid the debt contracted with Chile due to Chilean aid on the restoring campaign, also giving decorations and awards to Chilean and Peruvian officials. Also, Peruvian officers who served under the Confederation - among them Guillermo Miller, Mariano Necochea, Luis José Orbegoso, Domingo Nieto – were banned from the Peruvian army.

The victory of Yungay is remembered by the Chilean Army with the "Hymn of Yungay", and by Peru with the creation of the Ancash Department.

Led by Rear Admiral Manuel Blanco Encalada the first Chilean incursion into Peruvian territory, during the war between Chile and the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, this incursion was defeated at the Battle of Paucarpata by Andrés de Santa Cruz forces, Blanco and Santa Cruz signed the Treaty of Paucarpata on November 17, 1837. By signing this pact, Chile agreed to resume the commercial trade and the Confederation would recognise and pay the Chilean efforts in the Peruvian independence war.

Upon Blanco Encalada's return, however, the Chilean Parliament and the public opinion rejected the treaty and organised a second expedition of 5,400 soldiers under General Manuel Bulnes, along with 600 expatriate Peruvians under General Agustín Gamarra serving as reinforcements.

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