de la Paz Al Olvido / From Peace to Oblivion

De la paz al olvido narra la historia del declive de Porfirio D燰z en medio de la transformaci鏮 en M憖ico y Europa, en la que se cruzan la Revoluci鏮 mexicana y la Belle 夗oque, el fin del orden mon嫫quico y el inicio de la democracia moderna.

Rafael Tovar y de Teresa ofrece al lector el retrato de una 廧oca y la cr鏮ica de un personaje que lo fue casi todo: h廨oe, dictador, soldado, pacificador, culto c癉ico y fantasma en el exilio.

El 15 de septiembre de 1910, Porfirio D燰z cumpl燰 ochenta a隳s, encabezando los festejos del Centenario -una conmemoraci鏮 cuyo objetivo era presentar a M憖ico ante el mundo como un pa疄 pr鏀pero y moderno, y asimismo ensalzar la figura del arquitecto de ese progreso-. Sin embargo, la fiesta tambi幯 ser燰 la antesala de una convulsi鏮.

Menos de un a隳 despu廥, el 25 de mayo de 1911, D燰z presenta su renuncia como presidente de la Replica, para partir rumbo al exilio europeo, antes de una semana, a bordo del Ypiranga. Tres a隳s m嫳 tarde, estalla la Gran Guerra, dando fin a la larga paz del siglo XIX. Once meses despu廥, el 2 julio de 1915, muere en Par疄 el caudillo mexicano.

Parece un periodo breve, pero el cambio pol癃ico, social y cultural ocurrido en estos a隳s es uno de los m嫳 radicales de la historia. D燰z llega a una Europa que vive el ocaso de una 廧oca marcada por el crecimiento econ鏔ico, el fulgor cient璗ico y art疄tico, y el imperio de fuertes hombres de Estado. El viejo general ve en este declive su propio reflejo, mientras desde M憖ico le llegan noticias de la guerra civil y de c鏔o su nombre va cayendo en el olvido.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

From Peace to Oblivion paints the vast panorama that comprises the timeline between Porfirio D燰z's triumphant toast until his last breath.

From Peace to Oblivion narrates the story of Porfirio D燰z's decline during Mexico and Europe's transformation: the Mexican Revolution and the Belle 夗oque, the end of the monarchic order, and the beginning of modern democracy. Rafael Tovar y de Teresa offers readers the portrait of an era and the chronicle of a character who was nearly everything: hero, dictator, soldier, pacifier, highbrow connoisseur, and exiled ghost.

On September 15, 1910, Porfirio D燰z turned 80 years old, leading the centennial festivities--a commemoration whose objective was to present Mexico to the world as a prosperous, modern country, and likewise sing the praises of the architect of this progress. However, the party would also be the precursor to a convulsion.

Less than a year later, D燰z presented his resignation as the president of the Republic, leaving for exile in Europe aboard the Ypiranga. Three years later, the Great War broke out, ending the long peace of the 19th century. Eleven months afterward, on July 2, 1915, the Mexican commander died in Paris.

It seems like a short period, but the political, social, and cultural change of those years is one of the most radical in history. D燰z arrived in a Europe that was experiencing the twilight of an era marked by economic growth, scientific and artistic brilliance, and the empire of strong men of state. The old general saw his own reflection in this decline, while receiving news from Mexico of civil war and of how his name had begun to fall into oblivion.