Fourth Central American War 1907

The underlying reason for Nicaraguan resistance to signing the treaty ending the Third Central American War became evident by January 1907; President Jose Santos Zelaya was supporting exiled Honduran liberals in their efforts to topple President Manuel Bonilla. In response, Honduran troops violated Nicaraguan territory in an effort to suppress the Honduran rebels. Nicaragua protested and sought reparations. The issue was referred to an arbitration board (consisting of one member from each of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Hondura, and Nicaragua) which convened on February 15th but failed to produce a solution to the escalating conflict.

With the support of the Nicaraguan army, the Liberal rebels invaded Honduras on February 19, 1907 (possibly after another incursion by Honduran forces), and soon established a provisional junta. El Salvador joined the war on the side of its ally, Honduras. Between March 17th and 23rd, the Nicaraguan army achieved a decisive victory over the combined armies of El Salvador and Honduras at Los Potrillos de Namasigue; described at the time as the greatest battle in the history of Central America, with 10,000 troops engaged, it is also notable for the introduction of machine guns into Central American warfare. Honduran forces and Bonilla withdrew towards Amapala with Nicaraguan forces in pursuit. By March 25th, the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, was occupied. Meanwhile, US marines were landed at Puerto Cortes to protect the mostly American owned banana trade while United States naval units prevented a Nicaraguan attack on Amapala in the Golfo de Fonseca, where Bonilla prepared to make his last stand. After negotiations conducted by the United States naval commander, Bonilla sought refuge on the USS Chicago, and Honduran forces at Amapala surrendered on April 23, 1907.

American officials took an active role in arranging a final peace settlement, with which Zelaya was less than happy. The settlement provided for the installation of a compromise regime, headed by General Miguel Davila, in Tegucigalpa. Davila was a liberal but was distrusted by Zelaya, who then made a secret arrangement with El Salvador to oust him from office. This plan failed to reach fruition because the United States, alarmed by the threat of renewed warfare, called the five Central American presidents to a conference in Washington in November. The Central American Peace Conference of 1907 made a major effort to reduce the level of conflict within the region. The five presidents signed the General Treaty of Peace and Amity of 1907 pledging themselves to establish the Permanent Central American Court of Justice, which would resolve future disputes. The treaty also committed the five countries to restrict the activities of exiles from neighboring states and provided the basis for legal extraditions. Another convention adopted by all five states committed the signers to withhold recognition from governments that seized power by revolutionary means. The United States and Mexico, which had acted as cosponsors of the conference, indicated informally that they would also deny recognition to such governments. From the point of view of the United States Department of State, these agreements represented a major step toward stabilizing Central America.

References

Clodfelter, 676; COW91; Honduras - A Country Study; Slade, 222-3.

William F. Slade. The Federation of Central America. Journal of Race Development 8(2), 1917.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

Central America

Belligerents

El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua

Dispute

Governance

Initiation Date

February 19, 1907

Termination Date

April 23, 1907

Duration

64 days

Outcome

Negotiated Settlement
(Mediated by USA)

Fatalities

Total: 1,000
El Salvador:300
Honduras: 300
Nicaragua: 400

Magnitude

3.0