Backlands — David Koresh has nothing on Antonio Conselheiro

Backlands: The Canudos Campaign by Euclides da Cunha is a real story about a religious fanatic who formed a rebellious community in the desert of Bahia, Brazil. Eventually they run afoul of the government, which sends 4 different armies out to crush them.

I remember the weeks of our government’s standoff with the Branch Davidians in Waco, TX, followed by the fire that killed 76 people. Imagine if instead of that, it was 6 months of hand to hand fighting that left more than 2,000 soldiers wounded or dead and more than 15,000 followers killed. The harsh terrain was as deadly as the poorly armed villagers, and led to the first 3 armies having to retreat after running out of supplies.

What struck me as the most revealing part of the book, was how the conflict became a blank canvass for the country to paint their worst anxieties. People opined that it was a plot by the monarchists, to overthrow the new republican government. It was a symptom of general social disorder, etc. Very similar to the tremendous anxiety that Ebola or ISIS provokes amongst our chattering class. Small misteps are spun into a narrative to fit political objectives. This story made me realize, that this impulse is very human and I can only imagine what the Romans had to say about every setback or natural disaster that appeared.