Eduardo SacheriArgentine writer and screenwriter, dedicated much of his work to exploring fictional stories with books such as The question of their eyes, Papers in the wind, The night of the Power Plant -all adapted to the cinema with great success-, How much I loved you and The two of us in the stormamong others. Now, he is putting aside the well-known writer’s suit – as in 2022 with the first historical essay book, The days of the Revolution– to give way (again) to the History teacher and present the second installment of this collection: The days of violence. A history of Argentina when it began to be Argentina (1820-1852).
In this new book -which already occupies the top positions in the sales rankings in bookstores a few days after its publication-, Sacheri It delves into the turbulent period between the battles of Cepeda, in 1820, and Caseros in 1852, and offers a sharp and reflective look at an Argentina in formation.
With a tone close to the reader, warm and didactic, In this work, the writer explores what the collapse of large political structures was like and the emergence of new realities on the Argentine scene. From the collapse of the Directory and the League of Free Peoples in 1820 to the fall of the Argentine Confederation led by Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1852, the author invites us to reflect on how these critical moments marked a before and after in the history of the country.
“The year 1820 is very important in the Río de la Plata, in this territory that little by little is becoming Argentina. At the beginning of that year, the battle of Cepeda took place, very famous for everything that happened from there,” says Sacheri in the book about the temporal cut of this volume and continues: “And in 1852 another battle takes place, which It’s Caseros’s. On both occasions, large political structures collapse and from that collapse something new is born.”
But if there is something fundamental in this work is violence, which gives the book its title. Through vivid and detailed descriptions, the author immerses the reader in the brutality of the political conflicts of the time, where shootings, the slaughter of prisoners, the display of corpses and the execution of opponents became common practices. It is, then, about contextualizing this aspect, as a crucial element in the understanding of historical events.
Why write about History? As Sacheri explains to Noticias Argentinas, “It is important that those of us who teach history do everything possible to facilitate the encounter between the most serious and up-to-date academic work and the society for which that work is intended. I think that is one of the main functions of those of us who dedicate ourselves to teaching.”
In more than 300 pages, the author of The general functioning of the world delves into the differences between unitary and federal, the importance of provincial States, the complexity of the figure and role of Juan Manuel de Rosas, la Mazorca, and other central figures of this period, such as Justo José de Urquiza, Manuel Dorrego and Bernardino Rivadavia.
“Every time deserves to be understood before being judged,” emphasizes the bestseller and anticipates that the History saga will continue in the coming years with the titles The days of the Constitution. When it finally becomes Argentina (1852-1880) and The days of Progress. When she believes she is destined for greatness (1880-1916).
With The days of violence, Sacheri introduces the reader to a time in which violence was not only a political tool, but a constant in everyday life. The political and military confrontations reached unsuspected levels of brutality. Executions, the slaughter of prisoners and the display of corpses were common practices in a landscape dominated by the struggle for power and survival.
As Sacheri details in his new book, street intimidation began to intensify significantly in the years prior to the institutionalization of violence with La Mazorca. The atmosphere became increasingly tense. The clashes with blows and the nightly shooting of houses became more frequent, with a climate of growing hostility. This violence, not yet formalized, would be a prelude to the parapolice organization that would be established with La Mazorca, marking a dark period of persecution and political terror in the city.
Like a teacher in front of a class, Sacheri instructs the reader and tells how blood colored the political and military conflicts that shook the provinces., revealing the deep divisions and rivalries that threatened to tear apart the social and political fabric of the emerging nation. In the midst of a maelstrom marked by passions and conflicting interests, the National Constitution emerged.
The time arc of the book covers a period of thirty-two years, crucial for the formation of modern Argentina. The battle of Cepeda in 1820 marks the beginning of this journey. In this confrontation, the Directory and the League of Free Peoples crumble, leaving a power vacuum that would open the way to new forms of political and social organization, as detailed by Sacheri. The conclusion of this historical section comes with the battle of Caseros in 1852, where the Argentine Confederation led by Juan Manuel de Rosas meets its end. This defeat, according to what the author explains, symbolizes not only the fall of a regime, but also the emergence of a new Argentina, with more defined institutions and structures.
The days of violence builds the scenario that crosses this territory of the Río de la Plata, in a stage of experimentation and constant conflict. Political instability, civil wars and internal struggles forge a country that – although still in gestation – begins to outline the features that will characterize it in the future.
But instead of dividing the protagonists into heroes and villains, Sacheri offers a comprehensive view that recognizes the motivations and limitations of each historical actor, and accounts for the complexity of the time to better understand the roots of current conflicts.
