Latin America 20th Century
Mexican Revolution, 1910 Diaz = dictator from 1876-1910; focused on allowing foreign industry in; peasants repressed by military Revolution broke out in 1910. Pancho Villa & Emiliano Zapata = peasant leaders. Worked to redistribute land.
Middle class supported the Constitutionalists Constitution of 1917 = agrarian reforms, universal suffrage, labor protections, & public schools (to take power from the Catholic Church)
Villa & Zapata
After the Revolution One party rule. President = Cardinas Redistributed land to peasants Nationalized industries Took over foreign-owned oil companies
Argentina & Brazil - Dictators Rule by large land owners. Industry owned by outsiders. Rising middle class. Great Depression caused dictatorships to develop. Peron in Argentina, Vargas in Brazil. Import Substitution Industrialization. Democracy didn’t develop as in Mexico until very recently.
Cuba: Communism US-backed dictator in power: Batista. Economy run by the USA. Overthrown by Communist Rev of Fidel Castro. Redistributed wealth. Kicked out US business. Sought $ & support from USSR. Cuban Missile Crisis. For developing nations Cuba = a successful challenge to the USA
Today No more dictatorships, except in Cuba. Mexico = success story. All are trying to move toward democracy. Same problems persist.
CCOT: Mexico Analyze the changes and continuities within the political and economic systems of Mexico from the period 1820-present.
Conservative Reaction: Chile The powerful in Latin Am. feared Cuba’s example. Brazil clamped down on dissidents. Chile’s elected leader in 1970 = Allende. Big social reformer. Ousted by conservative Pinochet dictator, helped by USA & CIA. Violent repression of dissent. HARSH dictatorship, no personal rights.
Conservative Reaction: Argentina Dictatorship took over in Argentina to repress social reformers. Dirty Wars – 1970s. Thousands died in repression when the military seized power.
Nicaragua Dictator Samoza ruled in 1970s. Overthrown by Sandinistas (with Communist leanings & support) Iran-Contra Affair. The USA sold weapons to Iran & funneled profits to “Contras” who fought against Sandinistas. HUGE amount of violence & weapons influx into Central America.