The Congress that had declared independence in 1816 and later drafted the centralist 1819 constitution was forced to disband in 1820. Its end symbolized the loss of a functioning national legislature and left the provinces to govern themselves and bargain directly.
Officers in the Army of the North refused orders to fight fellow provinces in the civil conflict. The revolt weakened Buenos Aires’ central government by removing a key army from the struggle, helping set up the defeat that followed at Cepeda.
Forces led by Estanislao López (Santa Fe) and Francisco Ramírez (Entre Ríos) defeated the central government army under Supreme Director José Rondeau. The loss shattered the authority of the 1819 constitution and triggered the political breakdown later called the “Anarchy of 1820.”
After the defeat at Cepeda, Rondeau stepped down as Supreme Director. His resignation underscored that the national executive could no longer enforce decisions across the provinces.
With the national government collapsing, Buenos Aires convened an open town council meeting (cabildo abierto). It created a Junta de Representantes to act as the province’s political authority and to choose a new governor.
The new provincial Junta selected Manuel de Sarratea as governor to negotiate with the victorious litoral caudillos. This marked Buenos Aires acting more like one province among others, rather than the head of a unified national system.
Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Entre Ríos signed the Treaty of Pilar to end immediate hostilities and set rules for interprovincial relations. The pact is often treated as an early foundation for later federal organization, emphasizing autonomy and negotiation instead of central command.
In Córdoba, Juan Bautista Bustos rose to power during the wider collapse of central authority. His government focused on organizing provincial institutions and promoting a federal union idea that would limit Buenos Aires’ dominance.
Santiago del Estero announced it would govern itself rather than remain under Tucumán’s authority. The move shows how the 1820 breakdown at the center encouraged provinces (and sub-regions) to redefine political boundaries and leadership.
Ramírez proclaimed a short-lived “Republic of Entre Ríos,” centered on Entre Ríos and Corrientes. While not widely recognized as an independent country, it was a strong statement that litoral leaders would set their own political rules during the vacuum left by the fallen Directory.
Buenos Aires and Santa Fe agreed to a peace arrangement that reduced the risk of renewed fighting between the port province and the litoral. It also pointed toward convening a broader congress in Córdoba—an attempt to rebuild national coordination by pact rather than decree.
Tucumán and Santiago del Estero signed a peace and friendship treaty, formally settling the struggle sparked by Santiago’s autonomy claim. The agreement illustrates the main outcome of 1820–1821: provinces increasingly used negotiated pacts to recognize boundaries and authority when no strong central government existed.
The 1820 collapse of central authority (the Anarchy of 1820) and provincial realignments (1820–1821)