This account mirrors significant ideological tendencies of the “Revolutionary War” in Argentina. Indeed, the publication is dedicated to a continuing public awareness of this civil war and its victims among the armed forces and police. In a forthright manner, General Díaz Bessone admits his bias of a veteran protagonist of the military’s causes.
The selection of sources is tilted toward the hard-line military. Included, notably, are lengthy quotations or briefer references extracted from documents that originated from guerrilla sources, a smattering of scholarly publications, newspaper editorials, and official publications. The narration of events, among them military engagements, is placed into the context of global, Latin American, and Argentine cold war tensions. Sensibly enough, the chronology of conflicts is divided into a) an evolutionary phase, to 1970; b) the period of climactic showdown, 1973-76; and c) the time span of the guerrillas’ military defeat, up to 1978. However, the general bemoans the failure of the armed forces to achieve a lasting political success in the face of so-called continuing political subversion.
No wonder. A lack of concern with thousands of victims of the savagery engaged in, or permitted by, the military leadership, especially the famous Disappeared, constitutes a ghastly omission in this historical presentation. The general is more interested in analyzing universally accepted (or disregarded) laws of warfare and in explaining combat missions. Likewise unmentioned are the widely criticized oppressiveness, the petty factionalism among the leadership, the chauvinism, and the ruinous economic policies of the military regimes.
In sum, General Díaz Bessone has taken an important step toward meeting his goal of having more Argentines write Argentina’s recent history. Additional Argentine contributions, especially those of a scholarly quality, would surely be welcomed.
