Mexicans at Arms

One of the very few English-language books on the state of politics in Mexico City at the time of the Mexican-American War, and (so far) the most informative I've found. Serves as an excellent explanation for the political disunity in Mexico and the pandemic of opportunism in the senior Mexican politicians and officers. Serves as an introduction to the troubled relationships between various Mexican governments and the Catholic Church as well. If the reader looks carefully, the book also highlights the difficulties inherent in forming a new democratic government in a country where geographic divisions play an important role, where national finances were consistently a grinding problem for any party in government, and where the revolution was based almost entirely on antipathy to a weak (and therefore neglectful) Spain rather than a coherent set of beliefs woven into a fundamental set of laws that could contain conflicts over the ambitions, ideologies and interests of individuals, regions and parties. Without it, Mexico clearly found itself grasping at any straw that would provide stability or resolve the various demands of different groups of Mexicans.Like many other books, it will also let the reader in on one of the saddest jokes in Mexican history. There were political and legal frameworks within which Mexican democracy and (on a broad scale) political unity could develop, beginning with the Constitution of 1824. These frameworks were overridden by rank opportunists like Santa Anna as well as opportunists with ideological pretensions like Juan Nepucemo Almonte. In the end, though, those who destroyed an environment of freedom, justice and opportunity for all Mexicans were the first to insist that Mexicans were somehow unable to govern themselves. Santa Anna at least had the decency to finally disappear for good. Nepucemo Almonte would become one of the leading lights among Mexicans willing to cooperate with the French Invasion of the 1860's that attempted establish Maximillian as the emperor of Mexico and Mexico as a French satrapy under Napoleon III.Be aware that the author was forced to deal with several problems in putting together this book. There's relatively little direct information available as to the players' motives and actions, so the author had to extrapolate a great deal of information from news articles, editorials and letters written to withstand public scrutiny. The politics of Mexico immediately before, during and immediately after the overthrow of Spanish rule were intense, complicated and constantly changing in dramatic ways. Even the politics of the capital were extremely hard to keep track of. All in all, though, the author seems to have made the right decisions in terms of choosing sources and deciding what events to leave in or leave out in that the tale he tells, while complicated, makes sense and is consistent with what we know from other sources.

Wonderful Work! Pedro Santoni does a great job of making the reader understand the near political impossibility of keeping the power and keeping the peace in Mexico in 1846. Following Parades, his party, and his lust for power, Santoni allows the reader to see the complexities in Mexico during the Mexican War. He also does well in helping the reader to understand the Santa Ana Wild Card. Essential for any true study of the Mexican War.