On February 24, 1946, Juan Domingo Peron was elected President of the Argentineansignaling a key moment in the history of the country. This election was the starting kick of a change in the political landscape of Argentina and announced the rise of peronism, a movement that would deeply influence the country’s socio -economic and political course.
Born on October 8, 1895 in Lobos of the Province Buenos Aires In a family of landowners, Peron was introduced to the military school at the age of 16, thus beginning his upward trend in the army ranks. Before he was nominated for the presidential office, he was a colonel of the army and had emerged as an important personality in Argentina’s policy. Indeed, in 1943 he had played a decisive role in the military coup that overthrew the government of Ramon Castillo. Following the coup, Peron was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, gathering significant support from the working class, as he applied measures and political favorable measures for workers. His influence was further expanded when he assumed the roles of the Vice President and the Minister of War in 1944.
Until the early 1940s, a group of army officers called Gou (Grupe de oficiales Unidos) and had the nickname “The Colonels” had had a significant influence on the Argentine government. President Pedro Pablo Ramirez was skeptical of Juan Peron’s growing power within the government, but he could not limit it. On February 24, 1944, Ramirez signed his resignation, whose document had written by Peron himself. The president was appointed by Edeliro Hulian Farrell, a friend of Peron, while the latter returned to his post as Minister of Labor, but also as the strongest man in the Argentine government.
Peron’s support came mainly from unskilled workers who had moved to industrialized urban centers and joined unions.
On October 9, 1945, Juan Peron was arrested by his opponents within the government, who were afraid that, utilizing strong support of his base – which was largely consisting of unskilled workers who had recently moved from the agricultural areas in the industrialized urban centers. Six days later, 250,000 to 350,000 people gathered in front of Casa Rosada, the Argentinean Government, to demand the liberation of Peron. At 11 pm, Peron climbed the Casa Rosada balcony and turned to the crowd.
Following Peron’s ascension to the presidential chamber, his government began to release a highly fictional version of the 17th October demonstration, in which his then companion Eve Douarte (later Peron) appeared to knock on every door to the door. This version became popular in the cinematic transfer of Andrew Weber’s musical Evita, however, historians agree that this description is inaccurate. At the time of Peron’s imprisonment, Eve was still an actress without a political influence on labor unions. In addition, it was not particularly popular in the film and radio industry. The mass rally that liberated Peron from prison was actually organized by various trade unions, especially by the CGT, which was the main base of Peron.
On October 18, 1945, the day after his release, Peron married Eve at a discreet political ceremony in Hunin. On December 9, 1945, a religious marriage was held in La Plata.
Now, Peron’s popularity was soaring in view of the 1946 elections. Of course, the political climate that preceded the election was strongly polarized. Peron’s supporters, mainly coming from the recently formed Labor Party, made a strong election campaign with a platform for social justice and labor rights. The opposition included conservatives, socialists, communists and the radical political union.
This alliance was backed by various members of the economic elite and by the US Ambassador to Argentina, Sperul Briden. Briden’s involvement, including the publication of a critical “blue -bible”, accusing Peron of sympathy for fascism, was at the heart of a harsh political controversy. However, Peron managed to skillfully turn the situation to his advantage, giving the election the character of a choice between himself and foreign intervention. Indeed, he put forward the dilemma of “Briden or Peron”, which found a great deal of appeal to the nationalist feelings of the population.
Peron’s rise to the presidency marked the start of a new era in Argentina’s policy.
The elections held on February 24, 1946, were the first free and coercive elections in Argentina since 1928. Voters were impressive, with about 81.21% of registered voters coming to the polls. Peron secured an undisputed victory, receiving 1,485,468 votes and 53.71%. His main opponent, Jose Tamporini of the Democratic Union, garnered 1,262,630 votes, accounting for 45.65%. Based on this result, Peron received 304 electors against 72 tamporini. Peron’s Coalition has achieved significant victories in key areas, including the federal capital and provinces such as Buenos Ares, Katamarca and Tukuman. Opposition victories were confined to provinces such as Cordoba and Korientes.
Peron’s rise to the presidency marked the start of a new era in Argentina’s policy. His government focused on industrialization, labor rights and social welfare programs, with the aim of reducing foreign economic influence and promoting national sovereignty. His wife, Eva Peron, was also a central person in his rule, who played a decisive role in promoting the right to vote for women and social relief initiatives, further consolidating the regime’s relationship with the working class and the poor. The Peronistist Movement, characterized by the mix of nationalism, philanthropy and social welfare policies, would leave an indelible mark on the political landscape of Argentina, affecting the country’s direction for the coming decades.
Column: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poumenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
