Origins of single-party states: Perón and Argentina (history class)

1. Perón’s policies

2. Social
• Status of women
• Education
• Arts, media and cenzorship
• Propaganda

3. Economic policies
• producer of raw materials when Europe was
recovering from war.
• accumulated revenues in its foreign accounts
from its exports during WWII.
• plenty resources and strong demand for A.’s
goods  economy was in a positive direction

4. Economic policies
Economic aims – independent Argentina:
• autarky: repatriation of foreign debt + transfer
of foreign-owned companies to the state
• strong state presence in the economy
• nationalism: own industries: armament and
heavy industry
– aimed at full-employment rates

5. Economic policies
Policies implemented:
• protectionism: tariffs on imported goods
• state subsidies to new industries
• nationalization: railway, gas, power plants (from the
wartime profits)
• state control of river and air transportation (taken away
from private companies)
• export control of meat, grains: state bought directly from
producers at fix price and sold it on international markets
for much more
• state control of currency exchange
• nationalization of the Central Bank of Argentina: designed
the banking policies all banks had to follow

6. Economic policies
Source O

7. Economic policies
1946-48:
• construction industry expanded – thanks to
the govt investments in public works
• exports increased
– more money to buy the essential imports for
industrialization
• working class living standards increased
• in 1948: industry output surpassed
agricultural output

8. Economic policies
Questionable policies:
• wage increases: w/o considering if all sectors made
enough to pay for them
• price controls – to keep prices low (while increasing
salaries)  many problems
– rise of salaries: production costs increased
– producers not allowed to sell at higher prices:
• stopped producing
• or sold their products on the black market for higher prices (to cover
their increasing costs)
• currency revaluation (making the peso stronger)
– OK, imports are more affordable,
– but what about export revenues??? A. products are now a lot
more expensive for foreigners

9. Economic policies
Agricultural output fell, because of:
• taxes, control of exports, currency revaluation
 this led to a smaller export rev.  less money
to buy imported capital goods  less industrial
progress
rising levels of prices and inflation
State companies were making losses  had to
be covered from the govt budget (increasing its
expenditures)

10. Economic policies
1951 – because of the above mentioned problems:
• agricultural export regulations made more flexible  to
promote growth
• policies to attract foreign investments  accepted US
participation in exploiting A. subsoil
– for this he had to give up his ideology of autarky and nationalization
• so the economic problems were really huge!
• opponents: immediate criticizims – about letting US investors
in
– reminded P. that the 1949 constitution prohibited the transfer of energy resources to foreign hands
• biggest mistake:
– they thought that the comparative advantage that A. had in the early days would be enjoyed
infinitely BUT
• Europe recovered very fast from the WWII
• wartime profits were spent on nationalization
• Cold War did not develop into WWIII  A. is not needed that much as a supplier of primary
products
These problems led to social unrest and the rise of the
opposition.

11. • Source P – pic of workers in a car factory
• Source Q – „New Argentina”  not so new
ideologies of policymakers choosing the „Third
Way” (between capitalism and communism)
Economic policies

12. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
since 1946: workers living conditions rose, but
also, the economy wasn’t doing great…

13. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
after 1951: the economic problems led to the
opposition’s rise
• the living standard of the middle class was not really improved
– the freezing of the rents made their extra income freeze as
well
• landowning class: lot of their export revenues taken away
• industrialists experienced tight control of imports
• economic problems slowly began to be felt on the working class
too  trade unions organized strikes
• financial difficulties – negotiations to attract foreign investment
 that goes completely against original Peronism!!!
• „The Peronist dream of a united nation showed signs of rifts.” p.
44

14. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
What was the govts response to this
situation???
• increased persecution of opponents
• limited the freedom of speech
• reinforced the cult of the Leaders Eva and
Perón
• P. wanted to make Eva Vice-President
– bad reaction from traditionalist armed
forces, middle, upper classes

15. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
• Eva stepped down (perhaps because of her cancer OR the
pressure on Perón).
• Sep 1951: attempted coup by General Benjamin Menéndez
– failed.
• as a response P. declared „internal state of war”  could
suspend constitutional freedoms and increased his power
• 1952 summer: P. re-elected for the 2nd time
• 26 July 1952: Eva Perón dies of cancer – her supporters
devastated  her cult grew to near-religios highs 
irritating the Catolic Church and the more traditional armed
forces  Catholic groups started to organize themselves
politically  P. felt threatened  imprisoned Catholic
priests, closed Catholic newspapers and banned religious
processions.

16. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
Source A - Perón and the Church: first for each
other then competitors, later enemies.

17. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
• April 1953: CGT demonstration for P. – bomb – 5 dead
• in response Jockey Club attacked by extreme Peronists
• June 1955: Corpus Christi Day– Catholics accused of
burning an Argentina flag – they said it was the police
to provoke people against them
• navy and armed forces bombarded the Presidential
Palace  hundreds of civils dead, P. alive.
• Peronists set Churches and anti-Peronist buildings on
fire
• Perón offers his resignation and fires some of the govts
key people – not enough for the opposition.

18. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
Perón did nor react:
• as a military man, he didn’t want to go against
the military
• did not want to antagonize the enemy and
lose his supporters from the army that was
still loyal to him
• did not want more chaos, especially not a civil
war between: Peronists and non-Peronists
31 Aug 1955: CGT domnstration for P.

19. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
Source B: P’s speech: „To violence we will
respond with a greater violence”
Liberating Revolution: 16 Sep 1955 Perón’s govt
fell  taken over by a military junta  P.
escaped to Paraguay and stayed there till 1973.
Source C – pic of the Liberating Revolution on
the Plaza de Mayo

20. The rise of opposition and the fall of
Perón
HW: Student Study Section pp.48-49