War and the Culture of History at the End of the Colonial Period. The cult to Hernan Cortes among the Bourbon armies

Abstract

 This article attempts to analyse the political and cultural importance of Hernan Cortes within the ranks of the Bourbon armies. My objective is to delve into the pillars that have sustained the cultural memory of the conqueror of Mexico – his values, significance and historical popularity in the second half of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. To that end we have addressed the literature produced in the heat of the controversy over the “New World”, especially apologies, manuals, diaries and poems that defend the controversial figure from accusations of cruelty and barbarism. His actions during the conquest are evoked with pride and nostalgia within the context of prolonged wars and a notable increase in military literature. The praiseful memory of Hernan Cortes, produced by men of arms such as Antonio de Alcedo (1734-1812), Jose de Cadalso (1741-1782), Francisco Saavedra (1746-1819), Gaspar Maria de Nava (1760-1815), Dionisio Alcala Galiano (1760-1805) and Jose Vargas Ponce (1760-1821) is interpreted as a shared trait and mechanism of solidarity among militiamen that contributed significantly to the construction of the historical profile of Cortes. This acclaim of the figure should definitively be understood as a small piece within a much larger process of heroization that marks the culture of the fin de siècle. Lastly, the praise of the conqueror from Extremadura is assessed in relation to the socioprofessional identity of the army, the idea of War and the construction of a common historical culture.