The Rise of Juan Domingo Pern

1
The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón

• Early military experience
• 1936-38 served on the border with Chile
• Then sent to Germany for advanced training,
  1938-40
• 1941 sent back to Mendoza led to friendship
  with Edelmiro Farrell, one of the main
  conspirators in 1943 coup
• Involvement in Coup of 1943
• Helped form GOU, Grupo Obra de Unificación
• Was rewarded with the Secretariat of Labor, Oct.
  1943 during Presidency of Pedro Ramírez who
  lasted only until Feb. 1944 replaced by VP,
  General Farrell

2
Perón as Gardel
3
The 1943 Military Coup and its Impact on the
Jewish Community

• Partly due to economic reasons associated with
  petroleum development
• Partly part of the spread of right wing ideas in
  Argentina since the 1920s and the belief that the
  Axis Powers would win WWII
• Right wing in Argentina closely linked to the
  Catholic Church as well as Fascist ideasnew
  phenomenon
• Reintroduced Catholic education in the public
  schools in Dec. 1943, prohibited Kosher
  slaughtering of animals and prohibited the use of
  Yiddish language newspapers and in public spaces
• Named anti-Semitic politicians to important
  positions outside Buenos Aires

4
Peróns Links to 1943 Coup

• Helped organize officers that led 1943 coup, but
  began to help imprisoned labor leaders.
• By 1945 had become VP, Minister of Labor and
  Social Welfare, and Minister of War
• Views did not always coincide with other officers
  and imprisoned in 1945 until Dec. 17 when freed
  after demonstrations and announced his candidacy
  for president

5
Eva Perón
6
Perón and the Jews

• Perón believed that new coalitions of
  marginalized groups needed to be formed.
• Still needed support of anti-Semites at same time
  he courted support of Jews
• Jewish community, according to Leonardo Senkman,
  could not distinguish between Peróns support of
  social welfare and fascism and his disinterest in
  organized anti-Semitism
• Reinforced by Peróns unwillingness or inability
  to control acts of anti-Semitism
• Jewish organizations opposed Perón, so the
  President created his own Jewish association, the
  OIA- Argentine Israeli Association in February
  1947-the President often met with the Jewish
  community through the OIA and lauded its
  accomplishments
• Larger Jewish community frustrated by lack of
  official tolerance for legal immigration of
  holocaust victimsstill saw itself as an
  alternative Zion

7
Perón and the Establishment of Israel

• As early as 1947 Perón pressured to recognize the
  partition of Palestine, which he never did.
• However, he did recognize the State of Israel in
  February, 1949, 9 months after Israels creation.
• On March 12 the OIA hosted an elaborate banquet
  to celebrate the recognition of Israel and it was
  attended by Juan and Eva, as well as the most
  influential members of the Jewish community
• Perón used the Israel issue to support the OIA
  over the DAIA, the official Jewish collection of
  organizations
• After the UN recognized Israel in May, Argentina
  became the 1st Latin American country to
  establish diplomatic relations with an OIA
  member, Pablo Miguel, named 1st Argentine
  diplomatic representative, and soon economic
  missions began in 1950

8
Why did many in the Jewish Community in Argentina
Remain Opposed to Perón?

• Never made an effort to stop anti-Semitic acts
• Never fulfilled the communitys wish to serve as
  a haven for Holocaust refugees
• Supported the Jewish community when it was to his
  benefit
• Juan and Eva accepted bribes to allow Nazis to
  settle in Argentina
• In 1949 gave amnesty to all illegal aliens and
  allowed about 10,000 Jews to become legal.
• Distinguished between Peróns recognition of
  Israel and his mixed performance in Argentina
• Conclusions

9
Vargas and the Jews

• Just before WWI, only 5-7,000 Jews in Brazil,
  mostly Sephardic in Amazon region
• Rapid change after that, particularly with the
  development of São Paulo industry. Many very poor
  and helped out by the Damas Israelitas
• Some became very rich like Mauricio Klabin and
  his extended family. By the 1930s relatives
  elected to the Brazilian parliament on Horacio
  Lafer was Finance Minister under Vargas
• Until 1922 immigration sporadic and individual
• By 1933 40,000 Jews in Brazil and between 1931
  and 1942 27,500 entered.

10
Brazil After 1889

• End of slavery in 1888 led to end of empire
• Republic established in 1889, and politics
  dominated by two states São Paulo and Minas
  Geraistwo largest and most powerful states.
• Southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul always
  objectedthats where Vargas came from
• In the 1920s military revolt led by Luis Carlos
  Prestes called the Tenente Rebellion as a result
  of the presidential elections.
• 1930 Vargas led another coup after being defeated
  at the polls by entrenched politicians
• Followed by other rebellions.

11
Getulio Vargas
12
Rio Grande do Sul
13
Community Divisions

• German Jews did not approve of Eastern European
  Jews and accused them of working at jobs in which
  Blacks dominated
• Yiddish was banned in 1938 along with other
  foreign languages.
• Definite class distinctions

14
Rise of Anti-Semitism in 1920s

• Political movements in Italy and Spain adopted by
  those who felt threatened by the presence and
  success of immigrants.
• At the same time the Tenentes insisted on
  far-reaching modernizing reforms.
• Some wanted Vargas as a revolutionary, others as
  a dictator who would impose immigration reforms
  among other things.

15
Vargas Response

• Encouraged nationalism in the 1930spartly
  reflected in immigration reform laws
• Yet his government gave women the right to vote
  in 1933 and in 1934 passed a constitution
  restoring full civil rights, leading to his
  election as president.
• Appeared to have no specific ideological views.
  Wanted power for himself and modernization in
  Brazil.
• To that end in 1937 in response to a fictive
  Communist threat, he declared a dictatorship
  called the Estado Nôvo and declared himself a
  dictator and ruled until 1945. Also dropped
  immigration restrictions in 1938 and allowed Jews
  to enter.
• Thrown out by a military coup in 45.
• Reelected president in 1951 and in the midst of
  criticism and rising inflation, committed suicide
  in 1954.