Antonio Lopez de’ Santa Anna is often portrayed as a villain in the popular historical narratives of both the United States and Mexico.

In his 2007 book ‘‘Santa Anna of Mexico” professor of Latin American Studies Will Fowler demystifies Santa Anna, placing him in the context of his country’s history, social changes and challenges to Mexico from Spain, France and the United States.

It is important for Americans to take time to orient themselves to Mexico’s political history, since we share a 1,951 mile border with the country.

Santa Anna was born in 1794 and died in 1876 and as such he witnessed Mexico’s transition from Spanish rule, experiments in republican governance, warlords ruling as factions for a time and known as the caudillo (strongman) Santa Ana would control the Veracruz area for much of his life.

Several revolutions would plague Mexico and Santa Anna himself would initiate four revolts in 1822, 1823, 1828, and 1832. Conflicts included a Spanish attempt to re-conquer Mexico, Texas’ secession which led to the Alamo and the Mexican-American War all of which would see Santa Ana playing major roles. All of this begs the question, was he a turncoat, traitor, revolutionary or hero?

Santa Anna could have remained an obscure storekeeper but instead he disobeyed his father and joined the Fixed Infantry Regiment in Veracruz. The year was 1810 and the Mexican was 16 when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Spain leaving Spain’s Latin American colonies ripe for revolt.

Santa Anna was a cadet when the Mexican War of Independence erupted and when it ended a decade later in 1821, Santa Anna had hardened into a 27-year-old colonel. Initially, he fought as a Spanish loyalist successfully playing a role in preventing Miguel Hidalgo from escaping to the United States. He also suppressed Indian-led insurrections and got his first taste of glory in 1813 suppressing Jose de Toledo and the Texan Rebels in the Battle of Medina. This battle was fought in San Antonio de Bejar where he nostalgically led Mexican forces over two decades later through the very same ground to lay siege to the Alamo.

A womanizer and gambler, Santa Anna got into trouble for stealing army funds to cover his gambling debts as a junior officer.

What changed Santa Anna’s loyalty to Spain was the 1821 Plan of Iguala. The book describes this plan as a vague agreement to respect religion, independence and union. He joined the Iturbide Revolution and liberated his home region of Veracruz and its valuable port. While this act can lead one to label Santa Anna a turncoat, he was among the 85,000 who switched sides and a demonstration to his commitment to the revolution was his forcible eviction of his Spanish benefactor from Veracruz. The history of Mexico offers valuable lessons on how Spanish, Creole and Indians along with those from mixed families reconciled themselves amidst bouts of fanaticism and intolerance.

From 1823 to 1832, Santa Anna would rise as the caudillo (strongman) of Veracruz, a temporary dictator of Yucatan and his political cultivation of jarochos, a Mexican version of cowboys from his district.

Santa Anna played no part in the drafting of the 1824 Mexican Constitution, as he was fighting in Yucatan but he returned to see a Mexico divided by two Masonic orders, the Yarkinos and Escocenses with differing views on constitutional reform.

Combined with a U.S. Ambassador, Joel Poinsett, who actively meddled in Mexican politics this turmoil led to a severe reaction from the Mexican congress, the 1827 Expulsion Laws that expelled the Spanish, after an attempt was made to reassert Spanish rule and the 1827 Plan of Montano that abolished Masonic Lodges.

Santa Anna was one of those who enforced the expulsion edict and he also focused on the firm administration of his region of Veracruz and Xalapa. He created town councils, local militia, reformed the custom house and established three primary schools in each of the 12 districts of Veracruz. These reforms within his region coupled with an audacious victory in the Battle of Tamaulipas propelled Santa Anna to national fame and the presidency. This battle saw Santa Anna ordering an assault on a fortress in the midst of a hurricane leading to the expulsion of the last concentration of Spanish forces from Mexico in 1829.

The book continues with Santa Anna’s presidency and the myriad of civil wars he personally led leaving governance of Mexico to his deputy. It also offers a Mexican perspective of the Alamo in 1836. Santa Anna needlessly divided his army into four columns and ordered an unnecessary direct assault on the Alamo when he had control of all of San Antonio. After the massacre, Santa Anna was captured in the Battle of San Jacinto and spent time in Washington, D.C., having dinner with Andrew Jackson.

Some Americans cheered on Santa Anna for his anti-slavery policies in Mexico and during the Mexican-American War Santa Anna would see Mexico City occupied by U.S. forces and he signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ceded half of Mexico to the United States.

The book ends with Santa Anna switching loyalties between the French-installed monarchy of Maxmillian I and the republicans under Benito Juarez. Santa Anna would face a trial for his actions and would barely escape the death sentence, living the rest of his life in poverty, upon his return from exile. This is a detailed biography for those with a passion for Mexican history, Texas history and American relations with Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Cmdr. Aboul-Enein maintains a regular book column in Washington DC military newspapers. He wishes to thank YN1 (AW) Gavin Irby, USN for his edits and discussions of this book that enhanced this column.