‘Union leaders understood perfectly well that if Peron lost power, the

progress they had been making would swiftly deteriorate.’

‘Peronism is a

question of the heart rather

than the head.’

‘Peronism … rejects all the previous ills of the

politics of previous times…’

‘Internal relations between industrialists &

workers completely changed in nature.’

‘He began to characterise his base of support as ‘the people,’

while referring to the opposition as ‘the

oligarchy.’

‘The mass goes wherever its rulers take it; otherwise, it overflows and god

forbid.’

Juan Peron’s Argentina

Topic 3: Origin of Authoritarian and Single Party States

Paper 2

Three periods to examine

• Rise to power or emergence of SPS – what kind of circumstances made it possible?

• Establishment of SPS – how is power maintained once power has been assumed?

• Domestic policies & impact – how is the state structured & what kinds of policies (social & economic)? Role of women, attitudes to religion, culture inside the state?

Hint: organise your notes under these headings

Lesson 1a – Peron: Origin and Rise

Essential QuestionWhy did Peron come to Power?

Learning Outcomes - Students will:– Learn what the Great Leap Forward was?– Learn about their consequences

Success CriteriaI can differentiate between the Short-term and Long-term reasons why Peron came to power

Reading

• 10~28• How is the rise of Peron

similar and different to Hitler’s rise in Germany?

Vocab

• Infamous Decade

Quick historical background• Independence from Spain 1816• Economy in 19th & 20th century = export of food (wheat, meat)

& import of manufactured goods • European immigrants = rural working class & skilled labourers

continuous increase in agri output • Euro & US capital investments developed meatpacking,

communications & service industries Buenos Aires = major port • Ruling class = landowners sustained growth until Great

Depression

How are the non-ruling class likely to feel about the ruling class? What do you think conditions for the

non-ruling class are like?

‘The Infamous Decade’ 1930 - 1943

• Depression = difficulties importing goods that it didn’t produce

• 1930 – econ difficulties = overthrow of ruling democratic party = start of Infamous Decade– Presidents came to power through coups or electoral

fraud– Lots of econ & social changes – develop national

industries, reduce dependency on imports– Traditional parties banned from elections, opponents

persecuted, widespread corruption, no faith in system

The international context

What is going on in the world between 1930 and 1946?

How would these events impact Argentina? Pick 1 & write a few sentences.

Great DepressionFear / spread of communism

Emergence of fascism

The international context

What is going on in the world between 1930 and 1946 as Peron is rising to power?

Great Depression: difficulties importing goods which it didn’t produce – and it didn’t produce much that could be

immediately consumed

Fear / spread of communism: social & economic conditions could have attracted people to communism – as in

Russia

Emergence of fascism: Italy & Germany are fascist – people disillusioned with ‘democracy’ in infamous decade

see improved conditions there

What factors contributed to Peron’s rise to power? Create a chart and use pages 12-14 to fill it in.

Long term factors Short term factors

Do you think long term or short term factors contributed most to Peron’s rise to power? Pick at least one type of each factor to

explain in more detail.

Lesson 1b – Peron: Origin and Rise

Essential QuestionWhy did Peron come to Power?

Learning Outcomes - Students will:– Review: Short-term and Long-term effects– Learn about their consequences

Success CriteriaI can explain why Peron rose to power

What factors contributed to Peron’s rise to power? Create a chart and use pages 12-14 to fill it in.

Long term factors Short term factorsCorruption & ‘fake’ democracy Outbreak of WWII

Middle class / intellectuals = no voice

Military coup

Working class disorganised / lacked a leader to address issues

GOU & its programme

Buenos Aires too influential & provinces suffered

Vocab

• Autarky• Nationalization• Protectionism• 3 Peronist Principles• descamisados

Peron: Rise to powerComplete the chart to help you keep track of the

steps Peron took in his rise to power and what influenced his ideology (Peronism). You may work in a

pair / group.

Make sure that you can answer the question at the bottom of the page; the answer can be found in the

book.

30 minutes

Key terms – Peron’s economic goals

Autarky: self sufficiency

Nationalisation: when the state takes property previously owned by private individuals & companies

Protectionism: Government policies promoting home industries by preventing the competition of foreign goods. Importation of goods is checked or discouraged by putting tariffs, quotas or regulations in place.

Three Peronist Principles

1. Social justice– Wealth / privilege needs to be fairly distributed– State should be involved in this – No class struggle

2. Political sovereignty– State should represent all classes– State should be ‘above’ social classes

3. Economic independence– Nationalisation & autarky– Protectionism

The Peronist economic reform had 2 main purposes. One was to preserve the country’s resources from the appetites of foreign

interests and to put them at the service of the state. The other was to divide up those resources fairly so that there would be no excessively

wealthy people at the expense of excessively poor ones. Policy directors did not speak of socialism, of course, but rather of the social reform of the capitalist system: the capitalist system would remain in

place but it would be restricted by state management.

From Monica Esti Rein, Politics and Education in Argentina, 1946-1962, 1998. (page 21)

a) Why did Peron favour nationalisation?b) How does economic independence relate to social justice and

political sovereignty?

Who supported & opposed Peron?Supporters Opposition

• Working class / native Argentinians

• CGT (General Confederation of Labour – union)

• Labour Party • Unions • Army

• Wealthy landowners / farmers• Industrialists & businessmen • Traditional political parties • Uni lecturers, intellectuals,

newspapers – afraid of Peron’s growing power

• Traditional Catholics in armed forces

Use your book to help you write a few keywords or ideas to summarise why each group supported or opposed Peron. You

may work with a partner / split up the work. Pages 22-23.

17 October 1945

Read the description of the events on page 24, then discuss the following questions with

a partner.

1. Who are the ‘descamisados’? 2. List a few characteristics of 17 October

that made it stand out. 3. What is significant about the protest?

17 October 1945

1. Who are the ‘descamisados’? – ‘the shirtless’ – Peron’s followers / workers

2. List a few characteristics of 17 October that made it stand out. – Broke ‘dress code’; washed in the fountains;

broke social codes; workers / powerless won

3. What is significant about the protest? – Workers secured Peron’s release

TOK connection

1946 elections

• Labour Party support, trade unions, radical parties • UD = opposition but lots of internal

problems, including with US ambassador • Christmas bonus = more support for

Peron, but why? • Wins by 55% of the vote

What do you think?

• What are the most significant factors that led to the rise of Peron? • Name 2 groups that opposed Peron

and suggest why. • How important was Peron’s role as

Secretary of Labour and Welfare?