el_chavista
30th June 2011, 02:01
This article (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1858/01/bolivar.htm) is dismissive at Simon Bolivar's personality, his political ideas and practices, as well as at the army under his command and the struggle for independence: the Liberator's army is described as "rogue, cowardly, brutal and miserable".
Needless to say, the article is most shocking for the chavistas as lack of accuracy on history becomes evident from the very beginning as Marx types the name Bolivar y Ponte, when it is known that the name Ponte was the second name of the father of the Liberator, the Liberator was Bolivar y Palacios.
Beyond Marx's Eurocentrism and admiration for capitalist progress, it is due to make an analysis of the sources and especially on their authors, all of them were involved in the struggles for independence in South America and all of them had strong disagreements and clashes with Bolivar at different times: Ducoudray-Holstein, in New Grenada, the Caribbean and Venezuela; Gustavus Hippisley in Venezuela, Guayana and Apure; and John Miller in Chile and Peru.
Marx used mainly and mostly the work of Ducoudray-Holstein "Histoire de Bolivar, jusqu'à sa mort par continuée Alphonse Viollet" Paris 1831.
Ducoudray-Holstein, son of a French Huguenot born in Holsteinborg (Holstein, then Germany, now belongs to Denmark) and his real name was Henri Louis Villaume, the name he carried during the Napoleonic wars in the French invasion of Spain, until he deserted from the French army and took the name mentioned here.
He participated in the War of Independence by the side of brigadier Castillo, a Bolivar's sworn enemy in the defence of Cartagena. He deserted again and went to Haiti when Spanish Morillo invaded Cartagena. He approached to Bolívar and after accepting his leadership, he was incorporated in the Keys expedition in 1816 by order of Petion. In the Keys he intrigued and betrayed Bolivar, which caused his dismissal from the liberating army, keeping a strong grudge against Bolivar.
Ducoudray Holstein published a book full of bitterness and outs gossip under the title "Memoirs of Simon Bolivar, President Liberator of the Republic of Colombia, and of major historical Generals" was published two years later in Europe under the French title mentioned previously.
The second is a story of Colonel Gustavus Hippisley by the title of "Account of a Journey to the Orinoco" London 1819
Gustavus Hippisley spent a short time in the liberation struggle, hired in London by Lopez Mendez, a patriot representative in Apure, after demanding a series of exaggerated payments. As the rank of general was not granted to him he opted for deserting and after arriving in London he published his book which is dedicated to talk about his expenses and to rant about Bolivar for not having paid the price he considered, so their stories are very poorly accurate.
Curiously, after recognizing the independence of the Great Colombia, Hippisley sent back flattering letters saying that George Washington would be well below the Liberator, a detail Karl Marx ignored.
And finally the "Memoirs of General John Miller (in the service of the Republic of Peru) " not specifying year or place of editing.
John Miller writes his memoirs together with his brother William Miller, who never ground floor in Latin America.
John Miller had strong differences with Bolívar, as Miller demanded of the new Republic that all trade had to be in the hands of the English realm, which would mean losing all traces of political, economic and social independence, so all the struggle would end in an absurdum.
Needless to say, the article is most shocking for the chavistas as lack of accuracy on history becomes evident from the very beginning as Marx types the name Bolivar y Ponte, when it is known that the name Ponte was the second name of the father of the Liberator, the Liberator was Bolivar y Palacios.
Beyond Marx's Eurocentrism and admiration for capitalist progress, it is due to make an analysis of the sources and especially on their authors, all of them were involved in the struggles for independence in South America and all of them had strong disagreements and clashes with Bolivar at different times: Ducoudray-Holstein, in New Grenada, the Caribbean and Venezuela; Gustavus Hippisley in Venezuela, Guayana and Apure; and John Miller in Chile and Peru.
Marx used mainly and mostly the work of Ducoudray-Holstein "Histoire de Bolivar, jusqu'à sa mort par continuée Alphonse Viollet" Paris 1831.
Ducoudray-Holstein, son of a French Huguenot born in Holsteinborg (Holstein, then Germany, now belongs to Denmark) and his real name was Henri Louis Villaume, the name he carried during the Napoleonic wars in the French invasion of Spain, until he deserted from the French army and took the name mentioned here.
He participated in the War of Independence by the side of brigadier Castillo, a Bolivar's sworn enemy in the defence of Cartagena. He deserted again and went to Haiti when Spanish Morillo invaded Cartagena. He approached to Bolívar and after accepting his leadership, he was incorporated in the Keys expedition in 1816 by order of Petion. In the Keys he intrigued and betrayed Bolivar, which caused his dismissal from the liberating army, keeping a strong grudge against Bolivar.
Ducoudray Holstein published a book full of bitterness and outs gossip under the title "Memoirs of Simon Bolivar, President Liberator of the Republic of Colombia, and of major historical Generals" was published two years later in Europe under the French title mentioned previously.
The second is a story of Colonel Gustavus Hippisley by the title of "Account of a Journey to the Orinoco" London 1819
Gustavus Hippisley spent a short time in the liberation struggle, hired in London by Lopez Mendez, a patriot representative in Apure, after demanding a series of exaggerated payments. As the rank of general was not granted to him he opted for deserting and after arriving in London he published his book which is dedicated to talk about his expenses and to rant about Bolivar for not having paid the price he considered, so their stories are very poorly accurate.
Curiously, after recognizing the independence of the Great Colombia, Hippisley sent back flattering letters saying that George Washington would be well below the Liberator, a detail Karl Marx ignored.
And finally the "Memoirs of General John Miller (in the service of the Republic of Peru) " not specifying year or place of editing.
John Miller writes his memoirs together with his brother William Miller, who never ground floor in Latin America.
John Miller had strong differences with Bolívar, as Miller demanded of the new Republic that all trade had to be in the hands of the English realm, which would mean losing all traces of political, economic and social independence, so all the struggle would end in an absurdum.