1. JUAN DOMINGO PERON
Peron was three times elected president of Argentina, with two consecutive terms from 1946 to 1952; then from 1952 to 1955 when he resigned and left into exile for years, returning to Argentina in June being re-elected for a third term in September. He died in July 1974.
Historians have tried for years to unravel why Peronism has been so passionately defended or rejected being one of the most controversial topics in Latin American history.

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In the 19th and early 20th century the economy was based on the export of food such as wheat and meat and the importation of manufactured and luxury goods.
The industrial development was mostly restricted to meatpacking and refrigerating to facilitate the transportation of food to distant markets.
Buenos Aires became the major port for exports thanks to the European and later US capitals which were invested in railways, meatpacking, communications and service industries.
And of course, the land owners defended the economic model based on agro-exporting due to the level of growth until the Great Depression of 1929.

3. THE INFAMOUS DECADE (1930 – 1943)
Due to the Great Depression the prices fell and in 1933 they were at 50% of their 1928 level.
The economic problems contributed to political instability and in 1930 caused the overthrow of the Union Civica Radical (UCR) or Radical Party (democratic government see i.f page 11) led by Hipolito Yrigoyen by army officers with popular support.
This was followed by a period called “The Infamous Decade” which actually lasted for 13 years and presidents came to power either through coup d’états or fraud in elections.
The impact of the depression was short-lived, but it became clear the necessity to overcome the economic vulnerability.
The governments began to develop national industries to reduce importations and dependency.

4. THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
With the outbreak of WWII, the idea of gaining economic independence was strengthened.
During the Infamous Decade, traditional parties were denied to participate, opponents were persecuted, imprisoned and tortured. Corruption was widespread and people lost faith in the political system.
THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
The economic problems that began in 1930 and the industrialization plans opened gaps between the rich and the poor.
Rural workers arrived in the cities trying to find jobs in factories, but lived and worked in precarious conditions.
Argentinians felt attracted to European models like Nazism, Fascism and Communism; which seemed to have improved the situation in Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union.

5. Why did Peron come to power?
There is no straightforward answer and the long-term and short-term causes must be analyzed.
The governments of the Infamous Decade were very unpopular for many reasons.
At a political level, the middle class felt their voices unheard and there was the lack of a leading figure who would be able to organize the opposition.
The intellectuals were frustrated since they couldn’t voice their thoughts and were unable to fight against fraud and nepotism.
Peron is best known for addressing effectively the problems of the working class.
Before 1943 very little was done to grant the social legislation. No laws protecting workers’ rights existed.
Labor movements and socialist parties had limited political participation.

6. Another structural problem was that the capital ruled over the country
Another structural problem was that the capital ruled over the country. The railroads connected the provinces to Buenos Aires, but not to each other.
The levels of malnutrition and illiteracy were higher in the interior, which pushed rural workers to Buenos Aires where they found poor living and working conditions.
When WWII broke out, Argentina declared neutrality, which was welcomed due to Argentinian vessels could supply the Allies without facing attacks from the Axis.
USA put pressure on the government to break diplomatic relations with the Axis. Argentina was divided.
In June 1943, a coup d’etat overthrew President Ramon Castillo ending the Infamous Decade. The coup was led by the GOU (Grupo de Oficiales Unidos).

7. The GOU was a group of young officers from lower and middle class families, anti-communist, ultra catholic and nationalist.
The ideas of the GOU responded to various necessities such as ending corruption and fraud, restoring the constitution.
They believed the country needed to develop and strengthen national industries and its defenses; fearing the possible expansion of communism they wanted to improve the working and living conditions of employees from above.
They also defended the idea of remaining neutral during WWII.
Even though they had a set of aims it was only with Peron these aims became a program of action.

8. Colonel Peron did not occupy the presidency in the coup d’état of 1943
Colonel Peron did not occupy the presidency in the coup d’état of This was held for 3 days by General Rawson, who was replaced by General Pedro Ramirez, and in march 1944 by Edelmiro Farrel (a supporter of Peron).
The process of industrialization started in the 1930s caused a rush of internal migration (see page 15 i.f.), the government provided very little social assistance.
Peron was appointed Secretary of Labor and Welfare (an institution with no political weight) from November 1943 to October 1945.
Instead of repressing the workers like in the past, Peron listened to them and acted upon their demands and needs. (see the reforms on page 15)
He said there were 3 actors: the workers, the employers and the state, and all should have a say; he also made sure he was seen as the creator and producer of all reforms. (see source c page 16)

9. In exchange of recognition, Peron expected the unions to recognize the government leadership. Peron made progress militarizing the trade unions, that’s to say, to make them respond to the government .
The most important central labor was the Confederación General de Trabajo (CGT), which was founded in 1930, shortly before the coup it split into CGT1 and CGT2. Peron dissolved CGT2 and he restructured the CGT1 as one single union that responded to him. (see source d page 16)

10. HOW DID PERON’S WORK AS SECRETARY OF LABOR CONTRIBUTE TO HIS RISE?
Workers realized that it was more likely that conflicts would be resolved and demands met if they went to Peron and accepted his role in the negotiation.
It was also the extent to which Peron was personally associated with the new acquired rights, this meant the workers who feared the loss of their benefits became unconditional supporters of Peron.
In 1944 a devastating earthquake hit the province of San Juan, in which he organized and attended a fundraising campaign he met the actress Eva Duarte, who played a fundamental role in Peron’s rule.

11. MINISTER OF WAR AND VICE-PRESIDENT
Argentina abandoned neutrality in 1944 by breaking relations with the Axis and declared war on Germany and Japan in 1945.
This led to President Ramirez’s resignation and the appointment of Edelmiro Farrell. Peron took office in the War Ministry without abandoning the Secretary of Labor.
Peron launched a massive expansion of the armed forces increasing both size and budget.
- Purchase of new military equipment.
- Local factories produced military material.
- Officers payments were raised.
- Military barracks and living quarters were improved.
- These policies gained him the support of the army.

12. THE PERONIST IDEOLOGY
Even though there are hundreds of writings, speeches and recorded interviews with Peron, historians and political analysts have always found it very difficult to agree in their interpretation of Peron’s ideas and aims.
There are some prevailing ideas on the role of the state, the importance given to economic independence, political sovereignty and social justice, there are also contradictions in some of his thoughts. (see source e page 18)
Peron was influenced:
- by the army
- by Catholicism
- by contemporary ideologies (Nazism and Fascism)

13. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE
Social justice was not a new idea, the term refers to the integration of the working classes.
In order to avoid huge gaps between the different social classes, Peron thought the state should share and distribute wealth with discipline.
Most of the labor reforms attempted to bring social justice (fair agreements between workers and employers).
To prevent crises like the one in the 1930s, Peron believed Argentina needed to become economically independent, focusing on two main issues: the achievement of self-sufficiency and the nationalization of foreign companies; but to do this protectionist had to be applied. (see page 21 i.f.)