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William A. DePalo
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The Mexican National Army, 1822-1852 (Volume 52) (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) Hardcover – June 1, 1997

by William A. DePalo Jr. (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
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The Mexican army that emerged from its war of independence from Spain was a loose affiliation of royalists and insurgents. Their zeal for self-determination temporarily transcended their ideological differences, but partisan rancor soon polarized an officer corps caught up in postwar regional politics. The political infighting promoted dissension and impeded professionalism, and army solidarity was further damaged, as provincial authority was handed to commandants-general. In an atmosphere of political instability, all attempts to professionalize the army and subordinate it to civilian authority were subverted.

William A. DePalo, Jr., presents the first English-language study of the birth and tumultuous adolescence of the Mexican national army. A comprehensive and cohesive analysis of the army's first thirty years, it fills a void in nineteenth-century Mexican historical studies. DePalo examines the institutional development of the army amid crisis, as Mexican territorial sovereignty between 1822 and 1852 was challenged by such external forces as the Spanish expeditionary army, the Texian rebels, the French armada, and a U.S. invasionary force. Internal military threats such as peasant uprisings and Indian hostilities also provide a backdrop for DePalo's portrait of a poorly trained and decentralized army that was incapable of reacting decisively.

DePalo evaluates the ideological, regional, social, and economic factors that had a corrosive effect on the Mexican army's institutional framework and on the separate governmental attempts at military reform. His conclusions provide insight into how the army's makeup and politicization affected Mexican military affairs in the first half of the nineteenth century, including the Texas Revolution and the U.S.–Mexican War. Latin American and military historians will find DePalo's carefully wrought and well researched study to be a valuable contribution to the literature. The Mexican National Army, 1822–1852 will also engage a reading public interested in the Mexican army and its colorful and controversial role in the nineteenth century.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Texas A&M University Press
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    089096744X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0890967447
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William A. DePalo, Jr., received his Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from the Latin American Institute, University of New Mexico. He has written numerous articles pertaining to military studies in Central America.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Texas A&M University Press; First Edition (June 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 089096744X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0890967447
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 7 ratings

About the author

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William A. DePalo

William A. DePalo

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William A. DePalo Jr was born in New York City on 17 July 1941. He graduated from New Mexico State University in 1963 where he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. Serving 28 years in a variety of Infantry and Special Operations assignments which included two tours in Vietnam where he was awarded the Silver Star, Bonze Star for Valor and two Purple Hearts, he earned a Masters Degree in Latin American History from the University of Oklahoma in 1971 and attended the US Army Command and General Staff College and the Inter American Defense College. Retiring in 1991 with the rank of Colonel, he began a doctoral program at the University of New Mexico that culminated in a PhD in Latin American Studies in 1994, and later served as an adjunct instructor at that institution until 2001. In 2002 he was inducted into the Neptune (NJ) High School Hall of Fame. He is the author of several articles on Latin America and his book, The Mexican National Army, 1822-1852, won the Presidio La Bahia Award (second place) in 1997. Currently he resides with his family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he is an avid triathlete.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
7 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard Matthews
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb scholarship underpins the narrative.
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
I found the author's own impressive military career clearly added enormously to his approach to the material and the narrative he crafted. The book provides an excellent discussion of the very complicated history of the evolution of the colonial army of New Spain into a nascent army of the Mexican Republic. At the hart of the complication is the relationship of the Spanish officer vs. the Creole officers within the Spanish colonial army as it evolved into the Mexican Army. The corruption that was at the heart of the colonial system remained in place after the end of Spanish rule, and it was at the root of the Mexican Army's inability to develop into the professional force needed to sustain a democratic republic, most certainly in the face of United States ambitions regarding the Mexicana territories along the northern frontier. The author explains this sad history in great detail.
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The Moonraker
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Detailed Enough
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
Not enough detail about units
One person found this helpful
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Peter Stines
4.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2002
This is a useful reference for anyone doing research on Mexico's military. It could have used more period illustrations, paintings, lithographs, etc, but it is still worth having in your personal library. The "soldado" is frequently depicted as either an imbecile or a cringing coward, but the facts do NOT bear this out. The defence of the Port of Tampico in 1829 and the Defence of Chapultapec and Churubusco in 1847 all dispell the Hollywood myth. The European connection and the financial woes of the army are explored and, of course, Santa Anna plays a MAJOR roll during the 19th century. If you are a student of military history, go for it !
5 people found this helpful
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