The Wars of Independence in Spanish America

Abstract

Christon Archer notes in the preface to his book that the independence period has been attracting renewed attention in recent years, tied in part to the approaching bicentennial of major events. His collection of articles is a useful addition to that reanalysis. In keeping with his particular interests, he has chosen as the focus of his book “the military side of the wars and the nature of insurgency, rebellion, and counterinsurgency”(p. xii). He has put together a stimulating mix of primary and secondary materials, dividing them into four sections, namely, the origins of the wars, the situation in New Spain, the developments in South America, and the “defeat of Spain” (not the victory of the Americans). Some of the pieces he has chosen will be familiar to many readers, as they include articles and sections of books by Brian Hamnett on insurgency in Colombia, Peter Guardino on the war in Guerrero, Stephen Stoan on Pablo Morillo and the war in Venezuela, and Timothy Anna on Peru. A recent but less well-known article by Rebecca Earle that examines the impact of disease and an older piece by Margaret Woodward on the Spanish army give details and differing explanations of why Spain ultimately failed to suppress the colonials. A section of a book by Virginia Guedea on a Mexican insurgent illustrates how petty acts could lie behind military decisions. Archer has translated this selection as well as primary documents on New Spain by the military commander Félix Calleja and the viceroy Juan Ruíz de Apodaca, and on Venezuela by the captain general José de Cevallos. They provide participants’ viewpoints of the developments, indicating some of the difficulties that the royalists faced in their attempts to suppress the revolts and their optimism that success would eventually crown their efforts. Other primary accounts by Major George Flinter, Daniel O’Leary, and General H. L. V. Ducoudray Holstein are more analytical. They elaborate on the military events in New Granada while presenting contending views of Simón Bolívar. Archer introduces all of these with an original article that supplies an overview of the events and the literature and sets the scene for his selections.Any criticisms of the book will probably rest more on what has been left out than what has been included. New Spain looms large in the volume as a whole, which in view of the fact that it had become the center of Spain’s American empire by the late colonial period is probably justified. Some, however, may take exception, possibly on the grounds that this was a theater marked largely by insurrection and counterinsurgency and not the famous battles that are associated with the independence wars. The lack of details about what took place in Argentina and Chile may also upset a few. In addition to a discussion of the military events as they affected in the Southern Cone, the inclusion of a piece about the futility of campaigns at this time—the mindless marching through mud and rain with nothing to show for the soldiers’ efforts except exhaustion and frustration—would have been useful. A description of a set-piece battle would also have been welcome, as it would have reinforced the central theme of the book as well as illustrating once again the brutality that marked the period. Nevertheless, one completes this book with a better understanding of what were truly chaotic times, as well as the role of the military that was obviously essential to the revolutionaries’ ultimate success. Spanish American independence was not going to be secured by negotiation and concession, and the selections leave no doubt as to why military men remained important throughout Spanish America once the fight for independence had finally been won.Designed as a reader for undergraduate courses, instructors may wish to assign it to more senior students, as Archer’s selections leave many questions unanswered and contradictory points unexplained; for example, from what is presented here the reader is still left unclear whether Bolívar was a hero or an inhumane brute. The lack of definitive answers may frustrate those undergraduates expecting clear answers, but it points to another of the strengths of this book. Archer has tried to force the reader to think, and for this—and for his selection of readings— he is to be highly commended.