Peronism

1
Peronism

• The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón
• The First Peronato (1946-1955)

2
The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón

1. Family Background
2. Fathers family originally from Italy and some
   had become important doctors in Argentina
3. Mothers family part Mapuche, part Spanish and
   lived more humble lives
4. Perón grew up in rural Buenos Aires and Patagonia
5. Had firm links with the Creole population
6. Originally studied medicine, but then switched to
   military after friends had entered the Colegio
   Militar

3
The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón

• Early military experience
• Well known for athletic abilities, only adequate
  student
• Participated in early interventions in Santa Fe
  in 1919
• At time discussed situation with labor leaders
• Had low level participation in 1930 Coup
• Originally sided with Uriburu, later withdrew
  support and sided with Justo
• Thought the masses would never accept
  dictatorship (written in 1931)
• 1931-36 assigned to teach at Escuela Superior de
  Guerra, had married Aurelia Tizón in 1929 died
  1938

4
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

5
The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón

• Involvement in Coup of 1943
• Began to get workers out of jail
• Insisted on more social and economic benefits
• Created the aguinaldo
• By 1945 Perón had 3 positions
• Minister of Labor and Social Welfare
• Minister of War
• Vice President
• Forced by opponents to resign, Oct. 9, 1945
• Returned in triumph to Bs As on Oct. 17
• Resigned from army Oct. 18 and declared himself
  candidate for president for the Feb. 1946
  elections

6
The Rise of Juan Domingo Perón

• 1946 Elections
• Perón created two parties
• a labor party
• the other a segment of the Radical party
• His VP was Hortensio Quijano, a Radical
• Political platform
• Shorter working hours
• Labor participation in corporate profits
• Political rights for women
• Perón and the Church
• Married Eva Duarte de Perón to get Church support
• Worked with clergy to get Nov. 1945 pastoral
  letter to vote against candidates in favor of
  legal divorce, secular education, separation of
  Church and state

7
Perón as Gardel
8
Carlos Gardel
9
The First Peronato (1946-1955)

1. Economic Policies
2. New role for labor
3. Basic ally of Partido Laborista, Justicialista
4. More people unionized than ever before
5. Included bankers, traveling salesmen, domestic
   servants and rural workers
6. Granted personería gremial to unions that
   supported him
7. Right to represent workers in court
8. Favorable contract negotiations allowed workers
   to increase real wages (38-46 of GNP)
9. Changed the nature of the CGT Confederation of
   Labor
10. Leadership initially hostile to Perón
11. Replaced with pro-Peronist leaders
12. Traditional historiography of labor history

10
The First Peronato (1946-1955)

• Economic Policies
• Increased importance of economic nationalism
• Roca-Runciman act had provoked strong criticism
• War time profits enabled Perón to eliminate
  national debt and propose expropriation of
  foreign companies
• Decline of economic independence in Tucumán, July
  9, 1947
• Took up old idea of nationalizing railroads long
  after some lines had offered to sell to the
  Argentine government
• Reduced foreign investment in Argentina by 40 by
  1955, but at what cost?
• Deterioration of agriculture role of IAPI
• Emphasis on consumer industry, inefficient
• Problems with heavy industry
• The end of the Peronist boom, 1952-1955
  inflation, stagnation

11
Evita lying in state
12
The First Peronato (1946-1955)

• Social Policies
• The role of the descamisados the shirtless
  ones
• Growth of internal migration 1920s onward
• Were the descamisados Perón main strength?
• Women and Peronism
• 1947 Female suffrage law reaction of feminists
• Womens Peronist Party, Partido Peronista
  Feminista
• Children and the Peronist revolution Children
  are the only privileged group in Argentina
• Series of new laws to eliminate stigmas towards
  children
• Adoption, end of illegitimacy

13
Eva and Juan in 1952
14
The First Peronato (1946-1955)

• Social Policies
• Children and the Peronist revolution Children
  are the only privileged group in Argentina
• Work of Eva Perón Foundation (1948-52) after the
  demise of the Sociedad de Beneficencia
• Construction of childrens schools, hospitals,
  vacation spots, orphanages
• Created an entire miniature city for children
• Other reform laws
• Passage of Divorce Law, 1954
• Legally reopened houses of prostitution, Dec.
  1954
• Perón and the Catholic Church
• The overthrow of Perón, 1955