Under the Uniform: Tyrants and Praetorians in the Aftermath of the Revolution (1829–1854)

This essay juxtaposes the biographies, ideologies, and military commands of four nearly contemporary soldier-statesmen: Andrew Jackson in the United States, Baldomero Espartero in Spain, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, in Great Britain, and Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult in France. Despite the differences between their respective four countries in the decade from 1820 to 1830, all of them went through the same post-revolutionary phase, decisive in the consolidation of representative political systems and the formation of party structures. At this juncture, and independently of cultural or ethnic factors, some of these leaders were held up as popular champions of change, whilst others held up their swords in defence of a more reactionary stance.