Dictatorship and Sentiment: Emotions in an European Account on Dr Francia, Supreme Dictator of Paraguay

Abstract

In 1818, the Swiss physicians Rengger and Longchamp travelled to Paraguay with the aim of studying its natural history. As a consequence of a failed murder attempt against Supreme Dictator José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, they were forced to stay there until 1825. Their experiences gave birth to the Ensayo histórico sobre la revolución del Paraguay. Considering the peculiarity of dictatorial rule at the beginning of the nineteenth century and the increasing importance of sentiment, the present article attempts to analyse this essay in light of the history of emotions. Beyond the dichotomy reason/emotion, the expressed feelings (fear, mistrust, honour, nostalgia, etc.) and the emerging emotional regime may legitimise or discredit the dictator.