Other Notes
- Peronism: social justice, political sovereignty, economic independence
- NOT a military government — supported, but did not control the military
Ideology
- Peronism
- ”fascism with sugar”
- combined right-wing beliefs with left-wing social policies
- Guided by three tenets:
- social justice
- divide wealth among working class
- ”We aim at eliminating class struggle, replacing it by a fair agreement between workers and employers under the law which derives from the state” - (Peron)
- political sovereignty
- state determines aims of country and mobilizes resources to achieve them
- state is above all social classes and mediates class conflicts
- economic independence
- self-sufficiency (autarky) and nationalization of foreign companies
- economic activities centralized in hands of state
- national industry to satisfy domestic demands supported by protectionist policy
- social justice
- ”fascism with sugar”
Relevant Persons/Groups
Timeline
1941 Peron returns to Argentina, promoted to colonel
1943 (June 4) Military coup against President Castillo by United Officers’ Groups
- led partially by Peron
- Peron becomes Secretary of Labor and Welfare
1944 Peron meets Eva at a fundraising event for earthquake victims - Military coup, General Farrell becomes president
- Peron promoted to Minister of War and (later, in July) VP
1945 Peron is thrown out of office and imprisoned - workers march demanding Peron’s release
1946 First Term
1947 Women granted right to vote
1949 New constitution granting second term and increased presidential power
1951 Peron is re-elected President
1952 Second Term - Eva dies
1955 Ousted from power
1973 Peronist party w Hector Campora as President - Peron returns to Buenos Aires in June and Campora resigns
- Peron then wins the September elections
Emergence of Authoritarian State
| Emergence | ||
| Conditions | Methods (social/political/economic) | Rise to Power & Legitimacy |
| Social: long-term neglect of workers - political instability with the Infamous Decade (13 years, 1930-43) where Presidents came to office through coups or fraudulent elections - gov’ts neglected workers’ rights and social support - worsens the social slum issue - labor movements, socialist parties, intellectuals had limited political involvement so frustrated Economic: long term bad economy - Great Depression - price of commodities plummeted - eroded trade for Argentina - dependency on importing industrial goods Political: short term outbreak of WW2 - outbreak of WW2 in 1939 encourages belief that Argentina needs self-sufficiency - success of fascism in European countries that improved social and economic situation in Italy and Germany long term neglect of worker rights - due to depression, Argentina sought to develop industrialization (1930s) - rural workers found job in factories but lived and worked in poor conditions - people move from countryside to cities, but limited housing and poor living conditions, difficulty to find jobs causes development of slums - trade unions were also unready to absorb masses of workers | Legal: Minister, Secretary, and VP positions used to gain support → dubbed the “colonel of the people” - garners support from working class - Secretary of Labor and Welfare — labor reform, including paid holidays, retirement benefits, wage increases, Peasant Statute (unionizing rural) - also demands unions to recognize government leadership, and makes unions respond to him - tied to him due to the benefits he brought - garners support from army - 1944, after Peron becomes Minister of War and VP, increases army size and budget - manpower triples by 1945 - expenditures doubled from 1943-5 - purchased new equipment, expanded military production factories, raised officer pay, improved living quarters Force: Leading role in coup - founding member of the United Officers Group but kept low profile as supporter of Presidents Persuasion: Cult of Personality - connected to lower class through Evita (Eva) Duarte - Evita Peron Foundation - born higher class, but lowered himself to be part of the Descamisados (“shirtless ones”) - earthquake fundraising campaign in 1944, meets Eva - move from labor welfare to social aid (broader appeal) Ideology: nationalism, social justice, economic independence, political sovereignty appealed to people - Peronism - nationalism - socialism Propaganda: fucking canon event - 17 Oct 1945 March for Peron | - climbed the ranks through supporting successful military coups - obtained positions of power that legitimized him (like Stalin) - Secretary of Labor - Minister of War - Vice President - brought positive reform that benefited the people - As Secretary of Labor, introduced laws for better worker welfare, increased pay, paid holidays etc. - fulfills demands of workers - associates Peron to worker rights (thus people fear losing benefits) |
Consolidation of Power (social/political/economic) 1946-49
Legal: consolidated executive power and supported military + people
- formation of the Peronista party, with membership controlled by Peron
- united trade union members under the GCT (General Confederation of Labor)
- raised officer pay
- provided immediate social benefits
- purged army leadership
- replaced Supreme Court members with new judges supporting Peron
- expelled radical leaders from political office
- prevented opposition from accessing media and press
Force: oppress opposition
- arrested and tortured opposition
- ex. Cipriano Reyes (leader of independent labour bloc in Chamber) accused Peron of dictatorship, arrested and tortured in 1948
- ex. Luis Gay (President of Labor Party + Secretary General of CGT) removed from CGT
Charisma: cult of personality
- Cult of Personality w/ Eva Peron
- shaped labor force to support Peron
- linked Peron to workers, symbolical
- managed government relationship to labor
- provided benefits to women, minorities
Propaganda: cultural
- Rainbow Tour 1947
- Loyalty Day after the march for Peron’s freedom
Maintenance of Power (social/political/economic) 1949-55
Legal:
- constitution edits in 1949 to allow second term w/ immediate re-election
- gave women vote in 1947, which allows him to gain more votes in 1951
Force:
Charisma: cult of personality
- continued support by Eva Peron
- enfranchisement of women garners continued support
- Eva Peron Foundation builds hospitals, houses, orphanages, runs campaigns for health
Propaganda:
- control of artistic expression
- radio and newsreels that transmitted Peron’s speeches and highlighted his achievements
Foreign Policy:
Nature, Extent, Treatment of Opposition:
- censorship and control of education
- secret police
- punish/rewarded industrialists with gov’t contracts
Causes of Downfall
overthrown by coup in 1955, returns later in 1973, doesnt do much cuz he dies B)
he fucking died
Policies
| Social | Purpose | Practice | Result |
| allowing divorce in church worker/labor benefits: - continuous wage increases, more holidays - healthcare social security programs (as Minister of Labor) |
| Political | Purpose | Practice | Result |
| suppression of opposition (arrested opps, censored media, bought out opp newspaper “La Prensa”) |
| Economic | Purpose | Practice | Result |
| promotion of industrialization via protectionist measures (ex. tariffs raised) state subsidies to assist development of industry state control of imports and exports purchase and nationalization of railroads, gas companies, power plants state control of currency exchange nationalization of Central Bank of Argentina continuously increased wages controlled prices of goods | preserve resources for country, divide wealth, and capitalism restrained by state management | paid off national debt 1947 control of goods prices |
| Women | Purpose | Practice | Result |
| passed suffrage to women |
Opposition (weak/moderate/strong)
| Cause | Extent | Response | |
| industrialists and businessmen | disliked labor legislation and claimed it would raise production cost disliked state interference in economy | ||
| socialist/communist trade unions | Peron favored unions directly loyal to him, so they lost influence | ||
| traditional political parties | feared Peron’s usage of media and labor organizations to win power | ||
| intellectuals, university teachers, newspapers | censorship | ||
| traditional catholics | critiqued Peron’s revolutionary style thought he had too much power “lack of morals” for living with Eva |
| Cause | Extent | Response | |
| Political Parties | wanted free elections afraid Peron once in office would suppress other parties (which he did) | difficult for opposition parties to influence government policy without risking expulsion or imprisonment | meetings disbanded by the police censorship lack of access to media and press |
| Military | Eva’s bid for vice-president was highly unpopular | attempted coup in 1951 eventually removed Peron from office | |
| Church | closure of Catholic schools legalization of divorce personal actions | excommunicated Peron, discrediting him in the eyes of the people | |
| Labour Unions | some unions turned against Peron after the government was unable to sustain wage increases 2nd term |
Extent of Authoritarian Control
Successes and Failures
| Successes | Failures |
Relevancy
Paper 2 - World History (Subject 10) Authoritarian States in the 20th Century
Paper 3 - History of the Americas (Subject 14) Political Developments in Latin America 1945-1980 — Populist Leaders
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