# First Central American Civil War (1826)

URL: https://allhistories.com/costa-rica/timeline/1826-first-central-american-civil-war
Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Themes: battle

The Federal Republic of Central America was divided from its birth between liberals, who wanted a decentralised, secular republic, and conservatives, centred on the Guatemalan elite, who favoured a strong centre and the privileges of the Church. Relations between President Manuel José Arce and the liberal state governments broke down in 1826. War began in September 1826, pitting the federal government and Guatemala against El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Francisco Morazán, a Honduran liberal, emerged as the outstanding commander of the Protective Allied Army of the Law, and after a series of campaigns he captured Guatemala City, which surrendered on 13 April 1829. Arce and other conservative leaders were imprisoned or exiled, and the liberals took control of the federation. Costa Rica avoided taking part in the fighting, although in April 1827 it accepted a Salvadoran invitation to send representatives to a meeting of the "free" states. The war deeply weakened the federation and left a legacy of hatred between factions. For Costa Rica, its relative isolation from the conflict reinforced a tendency to put its own stability first and contributed to the growing sense that it could manage without the union. At this point in the timeline (1826–1829), the Head of State of Costa Rica was Juan Mora Fernández (8 September 1824 – March 1833); the President of the Federal Republic of Central America was Manuel José Arce (29 April 1825 – 14 February 1828).

## Why it matters
The civil war revealed the weakness of the federation and encouraged Costa Rica's preference for neutrality and self-reliance.

Ruler at the Time: [Juan Mora Fernández](https://allhistories.com/costa-rica/rulers/juan-mora-fernandez)

President of the Federal Republic of Central America: Manuel José Arce (Liberal)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — First Central American Civil War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Central_American_Civil_War)
- [Wikipedia — Francisco Morazán](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Morazán)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Francisco Morazan](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Francisco+Morazan)
- [Wikipedia — Late Colony, Independence And Federation (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Central_America)