Natalia Sobrevilla Perea

How (not) to make a durable state

The great transformations brought by the age of revolution at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth resulted in the final dismemberment of the composite Hispanic Monarchy (monarqui?a espan?ola) and the emergence of over a dozen new states, which embarked on the process of creating nations. This was not only the case as regards the new republics that arose in the Spanish transatlantic possessions from Mexico to Chile but also with respect to Spain, which had to redefine itself and build a nation on the remains of an empire that still included the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines as well as territories in the mainland with important cultural and linguistic differences such as those found in the Basque country, Galicia and Catalonia. The key question was how to build a durable state. I argue that the way in which the Hispanic Monarchy was constituted by the amalgamation of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, with their histories of expansion and dynastic unions, as well as how the colonial enterprise was carried out resulted in deeply embedded systems of government and governance that created particular idiosyncrasies. The way in which the composite monarchy unraveled from the eighteenth century onwards and the attempts the new Bourbon monarchs made to stem this decline are also considered as they created some of the challenges with which the new states had to grapple in the nineteen century. By looking at Europe and America I hope to present a richer picture of the differences and similarities that characterized both areas in the national period.

Power of the law or power of the sword: the conflictive relationship between the executive and the legislative in nineteenth-century Peru

ABSTRACT The Peruvian parliament was a central institution in the early republic, but so far very little has been written on its history. This is due to the fact that military leaders took control of power for most of the nineteenth century. This article reflects on three main questions: what was the role of the legislative in nineteenth-century Peru? What was its relationship with the executive power? And what part did conflict play in these relationships? Most initial congresses were tasked with writing up constitutions, because institutions had to be created, and there was a strong belief that having a written charter mattered. The strongmen who took power felt the need to obtain legitimacy from both constitutions, and elections, but often did not see eye to eye with congress. This led congress to be closed, particularly when legislators refused to bow down to presidential power.The Peruvian parliament was a central institution in the early republic, but so far very little has been written on its history. This is due to the fact that military leaders took control of power for most of the nineteenth century. This article reflects on three main questions: what was the role of the legislative in nineteenth-century Peru? What was its relationship with the executive power? And what part did conflict play in these relationships? Most initial congresses were tasked with writing up constitutions, because institutions had to be created, and there was a strong belief that having a written charter mattered. The strongmen who took power felt the need to obtain legitimacy from both constitutions, and elections, but often did not see eye to eye with congress. This led congress to be closed, particularly when legislators refused to bow down to presidential power.

From Europe to the Andes and back: Becoming ‘Los Ayacuchos’

This article studies the trajectories of the officers defeated at the battle of Ayacucho who upon their return to Spain had prominent political careers. It follows them before, during and after the Wars of Independence in the Andes in an attempt to discern a certain pattern of relationship between Europe and America during the crucial decade of the 1820s, and beyond. It enquires on the far-reaching consequences of prolonged mobilization on both sides of the Atlantic, and the degree to which the histories of Europe and America were intertwined during this period. The disintegration of empire and the reactions to the Cádiz Constitution led to similar situations with confrontations between liberals, radicals and conservatives as well as the military irrupting onto the political world. It became possible, both in Spain and America, for capable and ambitious men of humble origins to reach the highest echelons of power.This article studies the trajectories of the officers defeated at the battle of Ayacucho who upon their return to Spain had prominent political careers. It follows them before, during and after the Wars of Independence in the Andes in an attempt to discern a certain pattern of relationship between Europe and America during the crucial decade of the 1820s, and beyond. It enquires on the far-reaching consequences of prolonged mobilization on both sides of the Atlantic, and the degree to which the histories of Europe and America were intertwined during this period. The disintegration of empire and the reactions to the Ca´diz Constitution led to similar situations with confrontations between liberals, radicals and conservatives as well as the military irrupting onto the political world. It became possible, both in Spain and America, for capable and ambitious men of humble origins to reach the highest echelons of power.