Political instability in post-independent Argentina. 1810-1827

Abstract

After independence from Spain was partially achieved in 1810, the different political experiments of self-government in the River Plate were marred by continual internal and external conflicts during the two decades that followed. As a consequence, the role of the military became an essential component in the process of the consolidation of independence, both on the battlefield and in the political arena. The first Governments were mainly controlled by Army Officers with too much on their hands, and therefore the development of local politics and institutions suffered a great deal in these early stages. This paper focuses on three different stages of the political process in the River Plate during the 1810-1827 period which culminated with the failure of Rivadavia's presidential experiment.