JUAN PERON – CONSOLIDATION OF POWER
Peron’s victory in the election of February 1946 was legitimate—he was elected constitutional President in one of the cleanest elections in Argentine history. However his power was not absolute; he owed much of his success to the support of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) and the Labour Party; and he did not have the full support of the armed forces or the civilian population. As President, Peron worked towards consolidating his power.
Political institutions
1. Peron dissolved all the forces that helped support him in his campaign, including the Labour Party, and replaced them with a single party—the Sole Party of the Revolution (later known as ‘Peronista’).
a. This helped consolidate his power by centralizing the state under one party that was under Peron’s personal control.
2. Peron met resistance to dissolution of the Labour Party with force:
a. The President of the Labour Party, Luis Gay, was removed from leadership in 1947.
b. Cipriano Reyes, who until that point was an unconditional supporter of Peron, formed an independent Labour bloc and accused Peron of becoming a dictator. In 1948 he was arrested and tortured.
3. Governors, deputies, and other candidates for office in Peronista were appointed by Peron, not elected.
a. This way, Peron ensured that his supporters were in office. This strengthened his position of power because individuals felt that their position could be lost if they did remain loyal to Peron.
4. Peron ordered all trade unions to become part of the official CGT.
a. His power now extended over the trade unions because they were centralized under his command as well.
5. Peron purged the Supreme Court of Justice of opposition in 1947. Three members were accused of malfeasance, impeached and convicted’ new judges were appointed and the Court was ‘Peronzied’.
a. The opposition found it impossible to oppose Peron’s aggressive tactics because the state and law supported him.
6. In the 1948 elections, Peron was re-elected with 62 per cent of the votes.
Censorship
7. The Secretariat of Information was established during Peron’s first term in office.
a. It was established to control publications by journalists, for example the socialist newspaper La Vanguardia.
8. Between 1943 and 1946, 110 newspapers in the country were forced to close.
a. Censorship reduced the power of opposition to gain support.
Lawrence Britt, Fascism Anyone? (2003). “…the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line …The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes excesses.”
9. A speech by Peron given to a group of intellectuals stated “I hope that you [the intellectuals] organize yourselves as a society… no matter what you think, what you feel…” 1947.
10. At least half the music played in radio stations, clubs, cafes, etc, had to reinforce nationalist concepts.
11. Mass rallies were often used: they were held every May 1 and October 17 at Plaza de Mayo.
1949 Constitution and Economic Policies
12. Peron introduced the 1949 constitution. The state now had the right to intervene and even monopolize certain economic areas, such as foreign trade. Other elements included:
a. All sources of energy, such as oil, coal, and gas, were national property and could not be sold.
i. These protectionist policies reflected Peronist aims for an ‘economically independent nation’.
b. The state had a duty to protect the institution of marriage and assist mothers, children, and the elderly.
i. The constitution received the approval of the Catholics because importance was put on the family.
c. Property and capital could only be held by those who worked for their land.
i. This article ended strict rules for private property and opened the possibility of implementing redistribution of land.
Felix Luna, A Brief History of Argentina (1995). “…the policy of Peron was purely statist.”
13. From 1946 to 1948, the Peronist economy received some success: in 1948 Argentine industrial output exceeded its agricultural output.
14. Economic problems intensified after 1951: control of exports and high taxation led to a decrease in production, which hurt industry; there was steep rising of prices and inflation; and less demand for Argentine exports.
a. Argentina’s post-WWII boom was ending because nations were becoming self-dependent due to the Marshall Plan in Europe.
Religion
15. In 1954, Catholic groups formed a rival political party because of the decline of Peron’s regime and his relationship with Nelly Rivas after the death of Eva.
a. Peron was threatened, and persecuted these groups by imprisoning priests, closed all Catholic newspapers and banned religious processions.
16. Peron began to support legislation that the Catholics were opposed to, for example, he granted legitimacy to children born out of wedlock and had prostitution legalized.
a. This anti-clerical campaign initiated resistance among earlier supporters.
Monica Esti Rein, Politics and Education in Argentina (1998). “the two ideologies, Peronism and Catholicism, competed for the hearts of the Argentines.”
Social Policies
17. In 1948, Peron created the Eva Peron Foundation (FEP), a parallel organization to the government.
a. This allowed for social policies to be centralized under one institution, and at the same time he did not lose support of the trade unions that were opposed to increased social aid with the government’s money.
18. The FEP was organized and led by Peron’s wife, Eva.
a. The success of the FEP added to Peron’s popularity.
19. Eva became known as ‘the lady of hope’, ‘the mother of the innocent’ and later, ‘the spiritual leader of the nation’.
Robert D. Crassweller, Peron and the Enigmas of Argentina (1987) “By the end of the 1940s, the FEP exceeded… in general significance most of the ministries of the government. Its assets exceeded $200 million.”
20. In 1947, Peron passed a law enabling women to vote. By 1951 90 per cent of women were registered.
a. Women supported Peron because he worked to improve their social status.
b. Peron wanted to incorporate women into political life because as mothers, they were essential in taking Peronism into the home.
Education
21. New textbooks for all levels of education were commissioned, which included things like: the national anthem; preamble to the 1949 Constitution; and reference to October 19 1945.
22. Political activity in universities was forbidden—about 70 per cent of professors were purged.
a. Professors who did not support Peron would not be able to successfully indoctrinate the students. Also in universities, dissident professors could lead the students towards opposition.
23. After 1952, Eva Peron’s “My Mission in Life” became mandatory reading.
Monica Esti Rein, Politics and Education in Argentina 1946-62 (1998) Peronist teachers had to “fulfill their function as indoctrinators of the students.”
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