Juan Peron1895-1974Argentina

Populist Leader

• Political leader who claims to side with the common person

• Often supported by working class and Labor Unions

• Claim to fight against the elite and wealthy

Background• Born lower Middle class family

Buenos Aires Argentina• Made his way up the military ranks

through acceptance in a military Academy at age 16

• Toured Fascist Europe 1938-1940(Germany, Italy, and Spain)

• Admired Mussolini

1943 Military Coup

• Participated in Military coup of government• Was rewarded with high level appointments

(secretary of Labor)– Liberal changes that helped the working class

increased his support

Power of his Wife

• Wife was a Evita Peron popular actress from working class origins

• With her support he was freed from failed coup 1945

• She helped him rule and was loved by the masses

Terms as President• 1st Term-Became president

1946-1951– Changed the constitution and

regained power• 2nd Term- 1951-1955– Made increasingly liberal social

changes– Economy was not improving– Forced into Exile by more

conservative Military Coup

In Exile 1955-1971

• Still had large support base “Peronistas”

• Final Term– Elected President 1973

died in office 1974

– After his death political instability until Military Junta Assumed power

Background to Argentina Argentina Gained independence from

Spain in 1816. The Argentine economy and early

20th centuries developed based on the export of food such as wheat and meat and the importation of manufactured and luxury goods, from Europe.

Industrial development was mostly restricted to meatpacking and refrigerating factories to facilitate the exports of food to distant markets.

Economic Growth early 1900’s immigrants from Europe provided the country with a

rural working class and skilled urban laborers, European – and later US – capital was invested in

developing the Argentine railways and meatpacking, communications and service industries,

Buenos Aires became a major port for exports. sustained level of growth until the Great Depression of

1929.

Argentina’s Fall• Great Depression caused political instability.• Argentine Presidents came to office either through coups

d’état or fraud in elections. 1930-1943

Juan Peron's Rise to Power• June 1943- there was a coup

d’etat against the conservative President by the GOU (United Officer’s Group)

• Peron, as a colonel, had a large role in the coup d’etat.

Peron Was given title Sec of Labor • labor laws long desired by the working class

were promoted• Peron used celebrities and propaganda to

fundraise for the new government, • gaining him strong public approval.• Grew a large base of support form the working

class (descamisados)

Peron Gains More Power

• 1944 president Farrell appointed him Vice President and Secretary of War

Attempt to Oust Peron• Peron gave an anti-

conservative speech in 1945 that solidified  his opponents dislike of him

• October 1945 forced to resign and was arrested by military opponents fearful of his changes

Perons Populist Base Gained support after an earthquake

in San Juan that killed thousands of people.

 Key part of the relief effort and large amounts of money from celebrities and other fundraising.(Met future wive Evita)

As Secretary of Labor Promised improvement in wages, hours, safety, and insurance

Demands for freedom of Juan Peron Mass demonstrations by the

people to regain his freedom The General Confederation of

Labor.  The GCT helped Peron gain support for the presidential elections.

support through Evita’s connection with labor groups and common person

She gave passionate speech and rallied support for his release

Peron was Released in 1945 days after his arrest. and would be elected President 1946.

Peron’s Populist Regime

• In 1947 Peron disbanded the Labor Party and replaced it with the Sole Party of the National Revolution.

• Women received the vote in 1947 and Peron had Congress pass legislation that increased women’s access to education and improved their wages and working conditions.

• From 1941 to 1950, the number of women admitted to universities more than doubled.

Cont.

• In the presidential election of 1951, 90% of registered women, eligible to vote for the first time, voted and 65% cast their votes for Peron.

• 7 women senators and 24 women deputies were elected to Congress, the largest female delegation of government representatives in the Americas.

• Peron changed the name of his party to the Partido Peronista ( Peronist Party)

Peronismo3 key points

1. Economic Policies• his goal as a free, just and

independent Argentina -- independent economically from foreign influence.

• He embarked on a five-year plan to industrialize the country

• His regime started building Argentina's steel and iron industries and subsidizing the manufacture of farm and industrial machinery.

• Argentina began making airplanes, and ships for its merchant marine.

2. Social Policies  The goal behind

peronism was to create social equality for all people of Argentina.

 Focus on the working class.

 The people were to work to better the community.

He expanded the number of unionized workers

Nationalization.• began buying the seventy percent of the

nation's railways that had been British owned• foreign ownership that had been denounced

as imperialism. • And the government bought the British

owned trolley system. • nationalized the U.S. owned telephone

company, and he nationalized other key sectors of the economy.

• He put limits on the amount of profits that foreign-owned firms could take out of the country.

• A dramatic drop followed in foreign investing in Argentina.

Cont.

He tried to achieve economic independence through a five year plan, that would increase the workers pay and improve industrialization by 40%.

Peron used heavy taxes for the rich, and lowered the poor and working class tax.  

The lack of involvement in WWII helped Argentina decrease much of its debt.

3. Political Policies

• Peron dictated the political life of the country by his command of the armed forces.

• Control of union– In return for wage and benefit increased Peron gained

control of the Unions independence• He severely restricted and in some areas

eliminated constitutional liberties.• Also, in 1949 he arranged a convention to write a

new constitution that would permit his reelection.

Foreign affairs

• Peronism also lacked a strong interest in matters of foreign policy

• Strong belief that the political and economical influences of other nations should be kept out of Argentina.– This would change 1950’s when Argentina needed more

capitol to drive economy

Treatment of Opposition

• The limited opposition of Peron was allowed for a while,

• was quashed very effectively until later in first presidential term.

• The opposition was mainly found in the richer areas of Argentina and in many of the universities.

1950’s Placed severe pressure on opposing parties became more dictatorial

• Peron imprisoned many of the opposition leaders and fired hundreds of teachers who opposed him.

• imprisoned many of the opposition leaders for long periods of time.– Some were killed or tortured

Cont.

• These tactics of Peron were incredibly successful in quashing the opposition.

• However, in later years, Peron was not able to control the military, who eventually ousted him from power.

Accomplishments

• Taking advantage of government leniency if not outright support, trade unions were formed in every industry.

• Social Security was made universal.• Education was made free to all who were

qualified.

Cont.

• Vast low-income housing projects were created.

• Paid vacations became standard.• All workers (including white-collar employees

like bank tellers, etc.) were guaranteed free medical care and half of their vacation-trip expenses.

Cont.

• Workers recreation centers were constructed all over Argentina, including vast resort in the lower sierras.

Cont.

• He paid off Argentina’s foreign debt and launched a 5-year plan in 1946 that covered everything from the woman’s right to vote to shipbuilding.

Failures

• Peron failed to sustain these progressive changes over the long haul.

• All of the gains of the Peron era have disappeared as workers’ lives and fortunes have gone downhill.

Cont.

• For example, although he raised rural wages and forced landlords to sell cheap

• He did not nationalize the land.• Thus, the amount of land under cultivation

dropped.• Also, steel and meat production stopped.

Economic Down Fall

• after 1949 Argentina entered a period of severe recession which included several drought-induced bad harvests.

• The 1948 Marshall Plan helped Western Europe trade with US and Canada– Money did not reach Argentina– Created more competition

• Exports dropped so low that in 1952 Argentina actually had to import wheat.

Slow Economy and Foreign Investment

• Real wages dropped 20% from 1949 to 1952 as inflation reached 30 % per annum.

• Starting in 1951, the regime grew more repressive.Peron went against old views of and keeping

foreign influence out– 1953 Peron gave Standard Oil the rights for

exploration, drilling, refining, and distribution in Argentina and this was the last straw for the nationalist military.

His Overthrow1. Become more repressive2. Working class suffered from unemployment wage

freeze and inflation3. Wealthy and middle class had high taxes and a

falling Economy4. Went Against Industrialist in trying to keep wages up5. Allowed Foreign investment against what military

wanted1955 Military Coup forces him out of Power and into

Exile

The return of Peron• 1971 Military Government set to re-establish

Democracy• 1973 - The Peronist party wins elections in March.

Hector Campora is inaugurated president. – Campora resigns and Peron becomes president in a special

election• 1974 - Peron dies in July. His third wife, Isabel,

succeeds him. Terrorism from right and left escalates, leaving hundreds dead. There are strikes, demonstrations and high inflation.

• A Milttary Junta takes power in 1976