Juan Perón Is Inaugurated President of Argentina
Juan Perón was inaugurated as President of Argentina on June 4, 1946, following a tumultuous rise in Argentine politics. Born on October 8, 1895, in Lobos, Argentina, Perón began his career in the military and became involved in politics through a military coup in 1943. Initially serving as the minister of labor, he gained popularity by championing the labor movement and earning the support of the working class, particularly the descamisados, or "shirtless ones." His growing influence led to a brief arrest in 1945, but widespread public support resulted in his release and subsequent election victory in 1946.
During his presidency, which lasted nine years, Perón focused on labor rights and implemented nationalist policies, including the nationalization of certain industries. His charismatic wife, Eva Perón, known as "Evita," played a significant role in his administration, advocating for the poor and establishing the Eva Perón Foundation. After being ousted by the military in 1955, Perón spent years in exile before returning to power in 1973, only to pass away in 1974. His legacy remains influential in Argentine politics, reflecting a complex interplay of labor rights, nationalism, and social welfare.
Juan Perón Is Inaugurated President of Argentina
Juan Perón Is Inaugurated President of Argentina
On June 4, 1946, General Juan Perón was inaugurated as President of the South American nation of Argentina. He and his charismatic wife Eva were important figures in Argentine politics for many decades.
Perón was born on October 8, 1895, in Lobos, Argentina. He attended military schools and was commissioned as an officer. In Argentina the military has always been actively involved in politics, and Perón was no exception to this tradition. He joined a military coup in 1943 and for his role was awarded the position of minister of labor. There Perón worked to strengthen the Argentine labor movement, helping to create new unions and earning the respect and admiration of the working classes. He became a folk hero among the descamisados (shirtless ones), the downtrodden of Argentine industry and agriculture. Perón also became the minister of war and the nation's vice president, but he was ousted from power and arrested in October 1945 by the military, which feared his growing power. His arrest prompted a massive popular outcry, and the government was forced to release him and agree to national elections in February 1946.
Perón won the election by a landslide and took office in June 1946. For nine years he would lead Argentina, working to promote the interests of labor and pursuing nationalist policies, such as the state takeover of certain industries, and distancing Argentina from both the United States and its Cold War communist adversaries. Perón's leadership was enhanced by the presence of his young wife Eva, whom he had married in 1945. Born on May 7, 1919, as Maria Eva Duarte, she was a young and beautiful actress who captivated the Argentine populace, earning the affectionate nickname Evita. Evita was also very intelligent and politically ambitious, working with her husband on behalf of labor interests and establishing the Eva Perón Foundation to help the poor. Resistance from the military blocked her plan to become her husband's vice president in 1951, and she died shortly thereafter of cancer on July 26, 1952.
Perón himself was finally ousted by the military in September 1955. He was forced into exile, going first to Paraguay and then to Spain. In 1961 Perón remarried, to Isabel Martínez, a dancer, and during his exile he continued to exercise considerable influence in Argentine politics due to his remaining connections with the labor movement. He was permitted to return to Argentina in 1973 and won that year's national elections, returning to the presidency in October of that year with Isabel as his vice president. He died shortly thereafter on July 1, 1974. Isabel ruled as president until March 24, 1976, when she was overthrown by yet another military coup.