During the nineteenth century, Latin America witnessed a dreadful level of international and internal conflict. In many regions, the continual loss of life and destruction of property created great obstacles to peaceful economic development and an ordered political system. The nature of war during this period gave rise to the Latin American caudillo—the military leader who employed violence as a means of securing his own political and economic position.
Robert Scheina offers an interesting panorama of the Latin American wars of this era. The topic is so large that the volume is necessarily a reference work rather than a monograph. In the preface and introduction, Scheina briefly analyzes the different nature of conflicts—civil wars, international conflicts, and revolutions or rebellions. He then outlines the various causes of wars in this era, such as racial conflict, natural resources, boundaries, secessions, Indian wars, class struggles, and so on. Whether they agree with...
