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The Girondins of Chile: Reminiscences of an Eyewitness
The Girondins of Chile tells of the strong influence that the European revolutions of 1848 had in Chile, and how they motivated a young Santiago society with high cultural aspirations but little political knowledge or direction. Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna, a Chilean writer and historian who lived during those days in Santiago, relates the events of the time, events in which he was a participant. He pays special attention to how the 1848 revolutions influenced a group of young liberals he called "Chilean Girondins." When news of the fall of Philippe d'Orléans and the installation of the Second Republic arrived, there was an explosion of jubilation in Santiago. Now there were no barriers to ideas, "much less to the generous ideas proclaimed by the sincere people of France." But when a proletarian revolution took place in France in June, Chilean public opinion became virulently anti-revolutionary. Except, of course, among the liberal youth, the Chilean Girondins, who were headed
towards revolution--and sooner than anyone thought.
When revolution came in 1851, Vicuña Mackenna found himself sentenced to death for taking part in the uprising. After escaping and spending some years in exile, he was able to return in 1855. He remained active in politics, yet his account of what happened in the 1851-52 revolution was not published until 1876.
towards revolution--and sooner than anyone thought.
When revolution came in 1851, Vicuña Mackenna found himself sentenced to death for taking part in the uprising. After escaping and spending some years in exile, he was able to return in 1855. He remained active in politics, yet his account of what happened in the 1851-52 revolution was not published until 1876.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
11 people want to read
About the author
Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna
222 books3 followersChilean writer, journalist, historian and politician
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 15, 2023
A book from a series of translated 19th C Latin American works. I would probably never have taught this memoir, but I am happy to read it now.
"The Girondins of Chile" is less a book and more an essay. The introductory historical essay is longer (48 pages) than the main text (38 pages). Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna was a writer, journalist, historian, and politician (he ran for president) who was part of the educated Chilean elite in the latter half of the 19th C and espoused liberal, progressive, democratic governance in the face of conservative, authoritarian political forces.
The main text is a memoir of the years 1847 to about 1853. It is more of a book review than a memoir; more precisely, it is a review of the extraordinary effects of a book–Alphonse de Lamartine’s "History of the Girondins" (1847)--upon its arrival in Chile. The thesis here is that Lamartine’s book and the French Revolution of 1848 produced a liberal, democratic political revolution in Chile in the early 1850s, which was then crushed by conservative political forces. At the beginning of the French Revolution in the 1790s, the Gerondins were one of the groups pushing for revolutionary change (democracy, individual rights, the end of the monarchy), but they were bested by the more radical Montagnards, and in the political struggle for power that led to the Reign of Terror most of the Gerondins lost their lives. A group that espoused the virtues of republican and democratic governance were dealt with cruelly and tragically by those who were more interested in power than ethical government. Lamartine’s book functioned to revive the virtues of the Girondins, thus helping fuel the 1848 revolution. In Chile, the political actors who are inspired by the 1847 book and the 1848 revolution become the Gerondins of Chile, but unlike their French predecessors, although they are persecuted and run out of power, they are not ignominiously and tragically executed. Instead, over the years, many, like Vicuña Mackenna, pursued their liberalism and successfully shifted Chilean politics to the left.
Vicuña Mackenna uses the florid, Romantic prose of the period to heighten the emotion of everything he talks about. I know a little about Chilean history, but I hardly know any of the political actors, Chilean or French, that Vicuña Mackenna names and builds into the narrative. The footnotes to the volume are good, but my lack of familiarity with Vicuña Mackenna’s catalogs of people reduces significantly the power of the memoir for me. It is like Homer’s catalogs of warriors in "The Iliad." But with repeated exposure to "The Iliad" over the years, some of those names become familiar to me. I would need to do a lot more reading of the histories of Chile and France to become familiar with all of these historical figures. Nonetheless, an interesting read.
"The Girondins of Chile" is less a book and more an essay. The introductory historical essay is longer (48 pages) than the main text (38 pages). Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna was a writer, journalist, historian, and politician (he ran for president) who was part of the educated Chilean elite in the latter half of the 19th C and espoused liberal, progressive, democratic governance in the face of conservative, authoritarian political forces.
The main text is a memoir of the years 1847 to about 1853. It is more of a book review than a memoir; more precisely, it is a review of the extraordinary effects of a book–Alphonse de Lamartine’s "History of the Girondins" (1847)--upon its arrival in Chile. The thesis here is that Lamartine’s book and the French Revolution of 1848 produced a liberal, democratic political revolution in Chile in the early 1850s, which was then crushed by conservative political forces. At the beginning of the French Revolution in the 1790s, the Gerondins were one of the groups pushing for revolutionary change (democracy, individual rights, the end of the monarchy), but they were bested by the more radical Montagnards, and in the political struggle for power that led to the Reign of Terror most of the Gerondins lost their lives. A group that espoused the virtues of republican and democratic governance were dealt with cruelly and tragically by those who were more interested in power than ethical government. Lamartine’s book functioned to revive the virtues of the Girondins, thus helping fuel the 1848 revolution. In Chile, the political actors who are inspired by the 1847 book and the 1848 revolution become the Gerondins of Chile, but unlike their French predecessors, although they are persecuted and run out of power, they are not ignominiously and tragically executed. Instead, over the years, many, like Vicuña Mackenna, pursued their liberalism and successfully shifted Chilean politics to the left.
Vicuña Mackenna uses the florid, Romantic prose of the period to heighten the emotion of everything he talks about. I know a little about Chilean history, but I hardly know any of the political actors, Chilean or French, that Vicuña Mackenna names and builds into the narrative. The footnotes to the volume are good, but my lack of familiarity with Vicuña Mackenna’s catalogs of people reduces significantly the power of the memoir for me. It is like Homer’s catalogs of warriors in "The Iliad." But with repeated exposure to "The Iliad" over the years, some of those names become familiar to me. I would need to do a lot more reading of the histories of Chile and France to become familiar with all of these historical figures. Nonetheless, an interesting read.
March 18, 2013
The French revolution of 1848 inspired a circle of Chilean Hispanic elite youths to each adopt names from the French revolution of 1789, to sit around and talk and be provocative. Who knew?
I'm an admirer of Oxford's Library of Latin America, and agree that the English language sphere has no excuse to be so ignorant of Latin American history and culture, but this title isn't my favorite so far. It's small--the introduction is fifty pages, the original essay only forty--and that's okay. But neither essay particularly stirred my imagination.
I'm an admirer of Oxford's Library of Latin America, and agree that the English language sphere has no excuse to be so ignorant of Latin American history and culture, but this title isn't my favorite so far. It's small--the introduction is fifty pages, the original essay only forty--and that's okay. But neither essay particularly stirred my imagination.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews