Seventeenth of October in Argentina - Essay Example

Seventeenth of October in Argentina The day of October 17 is a day, which split history in Argentina. In 1943, the division between the and the government under enemy control by the oligarchy was a blatant one. The environment became tense as the moment in time for the elections drew close. With increased animosity between the warring factions, the regime would put its deceptive stick down on those elections just as it had on earlier ones. A military takeover ousted President Ramon Castillo in June 1943. This was to be the greatest benchmark in Argentinean history. General Pedro Ramirez took office as president following the coup, Colonel Juan Peron, unfamiliar to Argentineans but well known and respected among his military contemporaries, took over the states’ department of labor. A year later, the unit was changed to the secretariat of labor & social welfare. It was during this time; Peron laid his political groundwork that would, profoundly affect Argentine history for the next decade. According to Foss (33), an earthquake damaged a greater part of San Juan’s city of Andrean. More than seven thousand individuals perished and more than twelve thousand others injured. Using his secretariat of labor & social welfare, Peron managed to organize a countrywide assistance for the victims and managed to resources through well-known leading celebrities. Eva Duarte was in the midst of them and helped to mobilize resources to help the needy. Lewis (485) also said, a great party at Luna Park held with the intention of helping the victims of earthquake on January 22. It is at the event that Eva Duarte and Colonel Peron began an association, publicly confirmed; at a social event at colon opera house on July 9, to make merry of the independence day of Argentina. A few days followed and General Farrell assumed presidency on March 11 when Ramirez resigned. At this point Peron became the vice-president as he retained his title of being the departmental head of the secretariat of labor & social welfare coupled with the recent job he had got as the minister of war. According to Martinez (379), Peron had become a respectable individual in the new military government, although it was the most exasperating as far as the opposition was concerned. Eva’s existence and the position that Peron had given her presented another intention; this time his personal equals would make an attempt at it. If Peron was aggressive, the woman at his part even more aggressive. She had made her mind to stand besides her man and not behind him; Peron had accepted it although it was against the wishes’ of the majority. One of the disgruntled sectors of the government was triumphant in getting Peron’s acquiescence from all the positions he was holding at that time. He was sentenced without trial and sent to a prison, in Martin Garcia; A land mass off the shoreline of Buenos Aires. At this psychological moment, that, employees realized that Peron’s departure would entirely mean the departure of his labor policies and all the positive developments it had made. At the dawn of October 17, the workers began abandoning their workstations and heading towards Plaza de Mayo; they demanded for an explanation for the disappearance of their colonel. His departure had produced a void of which he could only fill. Plotkin (69) goes further to show that, at the balcony of Casa Rosada that night, he appeared and announced that elections; were to be held be soon. That building became part of a new strong political strength for Argentina. The encouraging and chanting occupants of the historic plaza de Mayo; to them Peron was the undisputed leader and candidate for the excited cheering individuals. Tumer (114-117) clearly indicates in his book, the week of October 1945, is a week of difficulties in the Argentinean history. That week confirmed for Eva, that the past happenings were indeed a new beginning and not the end for Argentineans. This new establishment would have its firm foundation in the affiliation between Peron and the fundamental support he has of the workers. This association withstood the test of times, and lasted until his death in 1974. This was what propelled him to the presidency of Argentina in 1946, again in 1952 and further more in 1973 after eighteen years in banish. Let us now examine Peron’s leadership styles and policies over the subsequent years. After Peron got married to Eva Duarte after his release, an actress who was known to community as Evita. Peron’s policies dissimilar to those of military juntas, he came up with sound economic policies that supported the electorate. This included nationalizing banks, railways spending the states money toward industrialization goals, and putting the social welfare among his highest priorities. After the death of Eva from cancer in 1952, at the calendar age of 32, Peron was re-elected in 1951 but this time without Eva in his side. He began to loose grip of the electorate fastidiously in 1954, when he made an error of introduction a program against the Roman Catholic cathedral. In this program, his supporters carried out procedures to secularize the states institutions accompanied by vandals who destroyed church properties and harassed priests. Lewis (487) in his book shows how these events greatly angered an unhappy population, which coupled with a bad economy to make a suitable environment for another coup in September 1955. At this time, Peron; was infamously known to the populace; as a dictator who does not recognize the reality on the ground. He goes into exile until 1973, when Hector Campora was forced to resign, elections were again held in September 1973, and Peron again wins and appoints his second wife Isabel as vice-president. His policies now at the age of seventy-seven are out of touch; his political dynamics diminished slowly until, nine months later when he succumbed to heart attack and died a peaceful death. To sum up, the history of political science in Argentina dates back to the European arrival. There were mainly two wandering tribes, the Diaguita in the northwestern section of the state and the Guarani in the southeast. The Germans, Irish, Basque, and British established themselves and became landowners in Argentina. They overtook the pre-Colombian cultures. Buenos Aires was time-honored to be the capital city in the later years of 16th century. Through his contributions in the late forties and early fifties, Peron is arguably the greatest leader who contributed towards the liberalization of Argentina. His contributions led to the establishment of October 17, 1945 as the Independence Day. Bibliography Foss Clive, Juan and Eva Peron (Buenos Aires: The History Press, 2006), 33-37. Lewis H. Paul, The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism (Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1990), 483-487. Martinez E. Tomas, The Peron Novel (New York: Vintage, 1998), 378-381. Plotkin B. Mariano, Manana Es San Peron: A Cultural History of Peron’s Argentina (Latin American Silhouettes): (Washington, 2003), 68-71. Turner Fredrick and Miquens E. Jose, Juan Peron and the Reshaping of Argentina (Pitt Latin American Studies): (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1983), 113-121. Read More