Modern Peru: A New History offers a sweeping account of Peru's history from the wars of independence to the present day. Delving into a history characterized by instability and a series of interrupted national projects, the contributors examine the legacies of Tupac Amaru's 1780s rebellion and the intense ideological debates between conservatives and liberals about the newly independent nation. They analyze the mid-nineteenth-century guano state, the catastrophic defeat in the War of the Pacific, and the establishment of an exclusionary oligarchic state-the 'Aristocratic Republic'-based on a diverse export economy. Outlining Peru's twentieth-century transition from a rural, agrarian society to a primarily urban one, the contributors explore the 1968 coup and its unfulfilled promise of top-down social transformation, which was followed by years of democratic rule marked by internal armed conflict and economic mismanagement. This period culminated in the authoritarian neoliberal revolution of Alberto Fujimori, whose economic and political legacies have, in the new century, resulted in a booming economy, now in abeyance, and a deeply dysfunctional democracy. Accessible and wide-ranging, Modern Peru provides a singularly panoramic perspective on Peru's history. Contributors. Eduardo Dargent, Paulo Drinot, Cynthia McClintock, JosE Luis REnique, Natalia Sobrevilla Perea, Alberto Vergara, Charles Walker
Paulo Drinot is Professor of Latin American History at University College London. Alberto Vergara is Professor of Political Science at the Universidad del PacIfico.
Introduction. The Curse of Freedom? / Paulo Drinot and Alberto Vergara 1 1. A Complex Destiny: Peru and the Difficult Transition from Colony to Republic (1780-1880) / Charles Walker 9 2. How Illusory Was Prosperity? The Rise and Fall of the Guano State in Peru (1840-1880) / Natalia Sobrevilla Perea 52 3. "We Want a Homeland!" The Struggle for a Technical State (1879-1919) / Jose Luis Renique (Translated by Ines Renique) 88 4. Fictitious Progress? Mass Politics and "Integration" in Peru (1919-1968) / Paulo Drinot 138 5. From the Baseless Triangle to the Realm of Anti-Politics: Political Inclusion, "Articulation," and Mobilization in Peru (1968-1994) / Eduardo Dargent Bocanegra 205 6. Shut Up and Shop! Representation and Governance in Contemporary Peru / Alberto Vergara 253 7. Peru, the First Two Centuries: Challenges, Failures, and Achievements in Comparative Perspective / Cynthia McClintock 311 Contributors 329 Index
"'When did Peru screw up?,' famously asked Zavalita in Mario Vargas Llosa's classic Conversation in the Cathedral (1969). As this volume shows, there are many possible answers to that burning question: economic crises, foreign and internal wars, military dictatorships, and more. Yet, Peruvian peoples showed resilience and hope in the face of adversity. Written by a stellar group of scholars, this book offers invaluable clues to decipher the fascinating but frequently dreadful history of modern Peru." - Carlos Aguirre, University of Oregon "Two hundred years since Independence, Peru continues its struggle to define itself, as it is split by geography and thought. Paulo Drinot and Alberto Vergara bring together a prominent grouping of historians and social scientists who track Peru from the late-colonial period to the present day. They offer rich insights into Peru at different historical periods as well as from distinct methodological approaches in their attempt to answer 'what country is this?' This volume will enrich teaching and anyone who wishes to learn more about Peru's historical and political context." - Cynthia E. Milton, author of Conflicted Memory: Military Cultural Interventions and the Human Rights Era in Peru
