Armies Without Nations : Public Violence and State Formation in Central America, 1821-1960

Public violence, scarcely analyzed and little understood, is the subject of this pathbreaking research into the histories of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Robert Holden shows how the national and international dimensions of public violence intersected there to produce "armies without nations. Public violence, a persistent feature of Latin American life since the collapse of Iberian rule in the 1820s, has been especially prominent in Central America. Robert H. Holden shows how public violence shaped the states that have governed Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Linking public violence and patrimonial political cultures, he shows how the early states improvised their authority by bargaining with armed bands or montoneras. Improvisation continued into the twentieth century as the bands were gradually superseded by semi-autonomous national armies, and as new agents of public violence emerged in the form of armed insurgencies and death squads. World War II, Holden argues, set into motion the globalization of public violence. Its most dramatic manifestation in Central America was the surge in U.S. military and police collaboration with the governments of the region, beginning with the Lend-Lease program of the 1940s and continuing through the Cold War. Although the scope of public violence had already been established by the people of the Central American countries, globalization intensified the violence and inhibited attempts to shrink its scope. Drawing on archival research in all five countries as well as in the United States, Holden elaborates the connections among the national, regional, and international dimensions of public violence. Armies Without Nations crosses the borders of Central American, Latin American, and North American history, providing a model for the study of global history and politics. Armies without Nations was a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2005. Contents......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 PART I: 1821–1939......Page 18 1 Historical Dimensions of Public Violence in Latin America......Page 20 2 Binding Hatreds: Public Violence, State, and Nation in Central American History......Page 36 3 Guatemala: Organizing for War......Page 61 4 El Salvador: A Democracy of Violence......Page 69 5 Honduras: Caudillos in Search of an Army......Page 79 6 Nicaragua: A New Army Finds Its Caudillo......Page 91 7 Costa Rica: Caudillos in Search of a State......Page 107 PART II: 1940–1960......Page 116 8 Transformations......Page 118 9 Defining Collaboration: The United States and Central America......Page 130 10 Guatemala: "Showcase of Latin America"......Page 145 11 El Salvador: Distrustful Collaborator......Page 170 12 Honduras: Remaking an "Armed Rabble"......Page 185 13 Nicaragua: "Ready to Receive Order from Uncle Sam"......Page 207 14 Costa Rica: An Army Renamed......Page 225 15 Conclusions......Page 238 Statistical Appendix......Page 244 Notes......Page 254 Works Cited......Page 314 A......Page 334 C......Page 335 E......Page 337 F......Page 338 H......Page 339 I......Page 340 L......Page 341 N......Page 342 P......Page 343 R......Page 344 S......Page 345 U......Page 346 Z......Page 347 Drawing On Archival Research In All Five Countries As Well As In The United States, Holden Elaborates On The Connections Among The National, Regional, And International Dimensions Of Public Violence. Armies Without Nations Crosses The Borders Of Central American And Latin American History, Providing A Model For The Study Of Global History And Politics.--jacket. Part 1 : 1821-1939. Historical Dimensions Of Public Violence In Latin America -- Binding Hatreds : Public Violence, State, And Nation In Central American History -- Guatemala : Organizing For War -- El Salvador : A Democracy Of Violence -- Honduras : Caudillos In Search Of An Army -- Nicaragua : A New Army Finds Its Caudillo -- Costa Rica : Caudillos In Search Of A State -- Part 2 : 1940-1960. Transformations -- Defining Collaboration : The United States And Central America -- Guatemala : Showcase Of Latin America -- El Salvador : Distrustful Collaborator -- Honduras : Remaking An Armed Rabble -- Nicaragua : Ready To Receive Orders From Uncle Sam -- Costa Rica : An Army Renamed -- Conclusions -- Statistical Appendix -- Notes. Robert H. Holden. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 303-321) And Index. To "conceive of violence" as a subject of historical inquiry may be only slightly less challenging today than it was in 1970 when Hofstadter synthesized the range of difficulties posed by the systematic study of a subject so ubiquitous and momentous, yet disparate in form, origin, and effect.