For Kern

Nicaraguan Civil War

The Nicaraguan civil war was a traumatizing experience both to the Citizens and the international world especially the United States of America. The war reminded people of the previous experience in the 1912 civil war. The war involved the US supported conservatives against the Mexico supported Liberals. Each party was seeking power with one faction agitating for respect to the constitutionality while the other faction is fighting to protect the interest of the United States implemented by the Somoza dynasty. This paper looks at the history or background of the war, the causes well as the aftermath of the war.

The Nicaraguan Civil war was a one-year affair beginning in 1962 and ended in 1927. The war came as a result of e coup d’état by Emiliano Chamorro a member of the Conservative party and former President of Nicaragua. According to the article “Sandino: The Testimony of a Nicaraguan Patriot” by Conrad, Robert Edgar, the author opines that Chamorro’s move was informed by his desire to take control of the nations. Chamorro would later force the then President and Vice president, Carols Solórzano and Juan Sacasa respectively to flee Nicaragua. Additionally, Chamorro got rid of all the Liberals in his government with hope that the United States would support him. However, the US government did not approve of his regime on grounds that he acquired power through the backdoor thus unconstitutional.

I agree with Thomas’ position about the war when he says that the war ensued after the liberals who were yearning for power were enticed with support by the US armed forces. Although the war was started as a result of the coup by Chamorro, (Morris et al, 1986) argues that advent of the war was the hardline stance by the Liberals under the control of Sandino Cesar. He did not subscribe to the leadership influenced by the United States. The Liberals were against the US interference with the local affairs in their country through their continued funding of the Conservative regimes.

This line of thought is supported by another article, "Celebrating the Demise of Solecism: Fifty Recent Sources on the Nicaraguan Revolution," by Booth (1982). The author indicated that the designated Sacasa Bautista supported liberals and the conservatives; Sacasa Diaz did win the voting process or election and was named as head on 1933Jan the 2nd.They add that in the United States, there was growing concern over the situation in Nicaragua. Although the Liberals opposed the invention of the US Marine’s in their political affairs, it is the latter that initiated the peace deal or the Peace of Tipitapa that in turn put an end to the war. It was after both eh Liberals and Conservatives handed in their ammunition of (31 machine guns and 3,704 rifles) and (308 machine guns and 10,445 rifles) respectively. The peace deal allowed Moncada to retain power until the next election that was to be supervised by the US. The peace deal resulted in Sandino branding Moncada a traitor.

Works Cited

Anderson, Thomas P. Politics in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. New York: Praeger, 1988

Blachman, Morris J. ,WilliamLeoGrande, and Kenneth E. Sharpe (Eds.). Confronting Revolution: Security Through Diplomacy in Central America. New York: Pantheon, 1986.

Booth, John A. "Celebrating the Demise of Somocismo: Fifty Recent Sources on the Nicaraguan Revolution," Latin American Research Review, 17, No. 1, 1982, 173-89.

Conrad, Robert Edgar (Ed.). Sandino: The Testimony of a Nicaraguan Patriot, 1921-1934. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1990.