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The Mexican National Army, 1822–1852 by William A. DePalo, Jr. |
"DePalo's research is thorough and impressive."—Military History of the West
"For the Mexican War buff, this is an important book."— Military Images
The Mexican National Army, 1822–1852 presents the first English-language study of the Mexican national army from its genesis to mid-century, when the independence-era protagonists faded from the national scene. This comprehensive chronological evaluation of the army’s first three decades fills a long-standing void in the historical literature of nineteenth-century Mexico.
The national army that emerged from Mexico’s war of independence from Spain was an expedient confederation of royalists and insurgents whose fervor for self-determination temporarily transcended ideological differences. Preoccupied more with regional autonomy than national unity, partisan rancor quickly polarized the officer corps, promoting dissension and retarding military profession-alization. Army cohesion and civilian political ascendancy suffered further when territorial authority was vested in commandants-general, whose decentralized commands became largely autonomous fiefdoms. The unabated military rivalry and political turbulence engendered by these occurrences conspired to frustrate initiatives intended to modernize the army and subordinate its leadership to civilian control.
The author gives substantive treatment to the various military reform programs undertaken to provide Mexico with a proficient and affordable armed force. To measure institutional proficiency, DePalo renders detailed analyses of the army’s performance in answering the external challenges to Mexican territorial integrity posed in turn by Spain, Texas, France, and the United States. Also scrutinized in this same context are the endless peasant disturbances, Indian hostilities, and military uprisings that sapped army resources and detracted from its national security role.
DePalo’s penetrating analyses and succinct conclusions clearly explain how the regionalization and politicization of the military force structure retarded the nation’s political, social, and economic development and contributed to the loss of nearly one-half of Mexico’s national territory. Latin American and military historians alike will find DePalo’s carefully crafted and thoroughly researched study to be a valuable addition to the literature of this period. It will also engage general readers interested in the army’s pivotal role during the first three decades of Mexican nationhood.
WILLIAM A. DEPALO, JR., is an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico’s Latin American and Iberian Institute. He is the author of several articles dealing with contemporary Latin American military issues. He lives in Albuquerque.
Number Fifty-two: Texas A&M University Military History Series
The Mexican National Army, 1822–1852
0-89096-744-X cloth $39.95s
1-58544-397-2 paper $24.95s
LC 96-51447. 6 1/8x9 1/4. 292 pp. 4 maps. 3 apps. Bib. Index.
Latin American History. Military History.
Publication Date: June 1997.
NEW IN PAPER AUGUST 2004
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