Reining in Rebellion: The Decline of Political Violence in South America, 1830–1929

Summary

Nineteenth-century South America was plagued by internal rebellions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, levels of political violence throughout the region declined dramatically. Historical narratives and an analysis of a comprehensive new dataset on all revolts in South America from 1830 to 1929 show that the decline stemmed in large part from the expansion and professionalization of the region’s militaries, which were driven by an export boom and the threat of interstate conflict.