Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast Episode 210 - The War of the Triple Alliance Part 1: Night Demons
May 30, 2022
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Dr. Francia's Paranoid Rule
- Dr. Francia lived frugally, slept with a gun, uprooted trees along his route, and publicly screamed at the sky when drunk.
- He centralized power, executed elites, and left a surplus in the treasury when he died in 1840.
López Modernized — And Privatized — The State
- Carlos Antonio López modernized Paraguay with railroads, telegraphs, and military reforms while enriching his family.
- His centralization and corruption set the stage for his son Francisco Solano López's personality and later decisions.
Solano López As The State
- Francisco Solano López embodied the state, tolerated no dissent, and demanded money for a memorial that never appeared.
- He transformed Paraguay's institutions into extensions of his will and purged opponents ruthlessly.