History of Bolivia (1809–1920)

The invasion of the Iberian Peninsula from 1807 to 1808 by Napoleon Bonaparte's forces proved to be critical for the independence struggle in South America, during which the local elites of Upper Peru mainly remained loyal to Spain, supporting Junta Central, a government which ruled in the name of the overthrown king Ferdinand VII of Spain. Many radical criollos in 1808–1810 began a local power struggle. Pedro Domingo Murillo proclaimed an independent state in Upper Peru in the name of King Ferdinand VII. During the following seven years, Upper Peru became the battleground between the armed forces of independent United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and royalist troops from Viceroyalty of Peru.

After 1820, the criollos who had formed the Conservative Party supported General Pedro Antonio de Olañeta. During the 1820–1823 liberal revolution in Spain, Olañeta, convinced that revolution threatened the traditional royal authority, refused to join the royalist forces or the rebel armies under the command of Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre. Olañeta did not relinquish his command even after the Peruvian royalists included him and his forces in the capitulation agreement following their defeat in the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824, the final battle of the wars of independence in Latin America. Olañeta continued his resistance until his men killed him on April 2, 1825.

During the 1829-39 presidency of Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz, Bolivia enjoyed the most successful period of its early history with significant social and economic reforms. Santa Cruz got involved in Peruvian politics and succeeded in unifying Peru and Bolivia into the Peru–Bolivian Confederation.

During the War of the Confederation, Chilean and Peruvian rebel armies were forced to sign the peace treaty known as the Paucarpata Treaty, which included their unconditional surrender.