Fearful Vassals: Urban Elite Loyalty in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, 1776-1810.

• Author: Rothera, Evan C.

Blanchard, Peter. Fearful Vassals: Urban Elite Loyalty in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, 1776-1810. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020.

Fearful Vassals examines loyalty in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata by focusing on elites in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Cordoba who "played a vital role in the viceroyalty's affairs, getting involved in local decision-making to ensure that their interests and their goals were protected" (4). Rather than mouthing sentiments about independence and revolution, elites demonstrated "a firm commitment to the Spanish king and to Spanish rule" (4). Elite loyalty to Spain and the king was rooted in their fears about perceived threats to their wealth and lifestyles. Over the course of nine chapters, Peter Blanchard, currently professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto, develops his fascinating analysis. The creation of the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata offered elites "opportunities that helped develop a growing sense of commitment to the region" (15) and Spanish officials formed strategic alliances with elites. Far from undermining urban...