Armed Citizens and Citizens in Arms
The Military and the Creation of the State of Peru, 1800‒1860

Sheds new light on the armed forces in nineteenth century Peru and how they were an institution of social provision.

Natalia Sobrevilla Perea (Author)

9781009098892, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 September 2025

240 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.462 kg

'Based on exhaustive archival research, Armed Citizens and Citizens in Arms documents how the military contributed to state-building in nineteenth-century Peru by providing pensions to soldiers and their survivors. It is a rich and fascinating study of how citizens interacted with the Peruvian state from the first days of the republic.' Raul L. Madrid, University of Texas at Austin

In this book, Natalia Sobrevilla Perea reconstructs the history of the armed forces in nineteenth-century Peru and reveals what it meant to be a member. By centering the experiences of individuals, it demonstrates how the armed forces were an institution that created social provision, including social care for surviving family members, pensions for the elderly, and assistance for the infirm. Colonial militias transitioned into professional armies during the wars of independence to become the institution underpinning and sustaining the organization of the republic. To understand the emergence and weaknesses of nineteenth-century Peru, it is imperative to interrogate how men of the sword dominated post-independence politics.

Introduction
1. Antecedents
2. On being a citizen soldier
3. Blood spilled in battle: caring for soldiers
4. Soldiers at war and peace
5. Montepíos, a corporate identity of colonial origin
Conclusions.

Subject Areas: History of the Americas [HBJK]