Articles by John R Bawden
In 1976 the United States Congress halted arms sales to Chile. This paper analyzes the congressio... more In 1976 the United States Congress halted arms sales to Chile. This paper analyzes the congressional debate over arms sales to Chile, the context within which the debate occurred, and the political and military consequences of the action. Scholarship has largely overlooked the embargo’s implications for US-Chile relations or regional security dynamics in South America. Initially US sanctions increased Santiago’s diplomatic isolation and military vulnerability, but Chile’s eventual ability to surmount the effects of the embargo increased Augusto Pinochet’s political independence vis-à-vis Washington. When the Reagan administration began pushing for a transition to democracy it lacked two key instruments to influence a military government: weapons sales and security assistance.
This article, based on institutional publications and testimonial literature, has two principle o... more This article, based on institutional publications and testimonial literature, has two principle objectives. First, it highlights the importance of an academic tradition in Chile’s armed forces. Second, it situates the Chilean military in relation to world events from 1960 to 1975 and demonstrates the significance of wars in Vietnam, South Asia, and the Middle East – among other events – for the ideological, strategic, and tactical dispositions of Chilean officers as they overthrew Salvador Allende, responded to the possibility of war with Peru, and implemented a national security doctrine after 1973. Drawing attention to the voice of Chilean military actors as they evaluated armed conflicts abroad demonstrates the importance of this international context for their doctrines and departs from a tendency to emphasize US military influence in South America while overlooking the indigenous perspective of South American military actors since 1945.
Books by John R Bawden
Latin American Soldiers: Armed Forces in the Region's History, Routledge, 2019
This chapter examines the relationship of Latin American soldiers to the world system. It highlig... more This chapter examines the relationship of Latin American soldiers to the world system. It highlights the fact that since the nineteenth century, militaries on every continent have become much more connected and similar with respect to their organization, ranks, and training methods. Developments such as the professionalization of Latin America's armed forces, female participation, and international peacekeeping missions are considered.
Papers by John R Bawden
Journal of American Studies, 2016
'surrender unconditionally' to their civilian opponents. After the Second World War, South Americ... more 'surrender unconditionally' to their civilian opponents. After the Second World War, South American countries entered into a defensive alliance with the United States. As a result, the United States provided military hardware to its allies under the condition that US planes, ships, and tanks be used for hemispheric defense. Furthermore, thousands of South American soldiers received professional training at war colleges across the United States from the fifties to the seventies. This fact is a major point of controversy in the historiography. This study contends that US military influence in Chile was indeed important, but it did not enter an institutional vacuum. 8 Chilean soldiers had a point of view rooted in their own national traditions, history, and place in the world as an underdeveloped state. Additionally, militaries in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile are poorly compared to those in Central America or the Caribbean. The first group had sophisticated training facilities, consolidated anti-communism sentiments, and professional services long before American influence. By contrast, Caribbean and Central American militaries belonged to a group of less developed countries where the United States exercised a preponderant 8 One influential hypothesis put forward by several Chilean political scientists was that the Chilean armed forces lacked an official doctrine regarding their place in society from 1932 to 1973 and as a result of this 'orfandad ideológica' the Pentagon stepped in and filled the ideological vacuum with its own National Security Doctrine.
The Latin Americanist, 2013
Journal of Latin American Studies, 2014
The Latin Americanist, 2011
Inspired during a 2002 conference at the University of Miami, Florida, this volume considers Lati... more Inspired during a 2002 conference at the University of Miami, Florida, this volume considers Latin American cities as "sites of creativity" (2) where both representations of urban life and the built environment itself are subject to critical aesthetic scrutiny. With an editor's introduction, City/Art includes ten provocative chapters spanning a variety of topics within the urban cultural studies field. From architecture and city planning to more ephemeral artistic manifestations embodied in graffiti, film, fiction and everyday life, the distinguished scholars assembled here provide a thoughtful assessment of what is otherwise a vast, nearly incomprehensible, hyper-dynamic subject. Contributors to City/Art critically take on aspects of contemporary life in Bogotá,
Uploads
Articles by John R Bawden
Books by John R Bawden
Papers by John R Bawden