HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Infamous Decade () was a period in
Argentine history The history of Argentina can be divided into four main parts: the pre-Columbian time or early history (up to the sixteenth century), the colonial period (1536–1809), the period of nation-building (1810–1880), and the history of modern Argenti ...
that began with the 1930 coup d'état against
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union who served as President of Argentina from 1916 to 1922 and again from 1928 until his overthrow in ...
. This decade was marked on one hand by significant
rural exodus Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the Human migration, migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In Industriali ...
, with many small rural landowners ruined by the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, which in turn pushed the country towards
import substitution industrialization Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a protectionist trade and economics, economic policy that advocates replacing foreign imports with domestic production. It is based on the premise that a country should attempt to reduce its foreign ...
, and on the other hand, by
electoral fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share o ...
to perpetuate conservative governments in power. The poor results of economic policies and popular discontent led to another coup in 1943, the Revolution of 1943, by the ''
Grupo de Oficiales Unidos The United Officers' Group () or GOU was a nationalist secret society within the Argentine Army which staged a coup d'état in 1943 to overthrow President Ramón Castillo, thus ending the Infamous Decade and forming a military junta which lasted ...
'' (GOU), a nationalist faction of the
Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
, which triggered the rise to power of
Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...
.


The Infamous Decade

Besides electoral fraud, this period was characterised by persecution of the
political opposition In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, coun ...
(mainly against the UCR) and generalised government corruption, against the background of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. The impact of the
economic crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and ma ...
forced many farmers and other countryside workers to relocate to the outskirts of the larger cities, resulting in the creation of the first '' villas miseria'' (shanty towns). Thus, the
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
jumped from 1.5 million inhabitants in 1914 to 3.5 million in 1935.
Felipe Pigna Felipe Pigna (born 29 May 1959) is an Argentine historian and writer. He is among the best-selling authors from Argentina. Biography Pigna teaches at the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, directing the ''Ver la Historia'' proj ...
, ''Los Mitos de la Historia Argentina, 3'', ed. Planeta, 2006, p. 285
Lacking in political experience, in contrast with the European immigrants who brought with them
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
and
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
ideas, these new city-dwellers would provide the social base, in the next decade, for
Peronism Peronism, also known as justicialism, is an Argentine ideology and movement based on the ideas, doctrine and legacy of Juan Perón (1895–1974). It has been an influential movement in 20th- and 21st-century Argentine politics. Since 1946, P ...
.


Political and economic scandals

The democratic liberal senator
Lisandro de la Torre Lisandro de la Torre (6 December 1868 – 5 January 1939) was an Argentine politician, born in Rosario, Santa Fe. He was considered as a model of ethics in politics. He was a national deputy and senator, a prominent polemicist, and founder o ...
(founder in 1914 of the
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
) denounced various scandals, directing an investigation on the meat trade starting in 1935. In the midst of the investigation, de la Torre's disciple, senator-elect
Enzo Bordabehere Enzo Bordabehere (25 September 1889 – 23 July 1935) was an Argentine lawyer and politician. He was a National Senator for Santa Fe Province, and was assassinated in Congress during a session in the Argentine Senate. Biography Bordabehere ...
, was murdered by Ramón Valdez Cora on the Senate floor, and the province of Santa Fe was intervened. The murder was depicted by
Juan José Jusid Juan José Jusid (born September 26, 1941) is an Argentine film director and screenwriter. Career Jusid was born in Buenos Aires. He started his professional career as an actor, puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate ...
's 1984 film, '' Asesinato en el Senado de la Nación''. CHADE (''Companía Hispano Argentina de Electricidad'', an offshoot of the Sofina multinational conglomerate) was also at the heart of an important political and financial scandal. The CHADE scandal, symbol of the Infamous Decade, led to investigations following the revolution of 1943 that deposed
Ramón Castillo Ramón Antonio Castillo Barrionuevo (20 November 1873 – 12 October 1944) was President of Argentina from 1942 to 1943. He took office after the resignation of President Roberto María Ortiz, under whom he was the Vice President. He was ...
's government in a military coup, and to the subsequent Rodríguez Conde report on concessions given to the electrical companies.


Execution of Severino Di Giovanni and other anarchist show trials

In 1931, a year after the execution of the Italian anarchist
Severino Di Giovanni Severino Di Giovanni (17 March 1901 – 1 February 1931) was an Italian anarchist who immigrated to Argentina, where he became the best-known anarchist figure in that country for his campaign of violence in support of Sacco and Vanzetti and an ...
and his comrade Paulino Scarfó—who had implemented a
propaganda of the deed Propaganda of the deed, or propaganda by the deed, is a type of direct action intended to influence public opinion. The action itself is meant to serve as an example for others to follow, acting as a catalyst for social revolution. It is primari ...
campaign aimed both at international support of the
Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco (; April 22, 1891 – August 23, 1927) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (; June 11, 1888 – August 23, 1927) were Italian immigrants and anarchists who were controversially convicted of murdering Alessandro Berardelli and Frederick Parm ...
case and at attacking
Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
's interests in Argentina—three anarchists were given life sentences during a
show trial A show trial is a public trial in which the guilt (law), guilt or innocence of the defendant has already been determined. The purpose of holding a show trial is to present both accusation and verdict to the public, serving as an example and a d ...
in which they were
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
d, on the charges of having assassinated family members of conservative politician José M. Blanch.Los "presos de Bragado", historia que culmina después de 70 años
, '' Clarín'', 15 October 2002
Known as the "prisoners of
Bragado Bragado is a city in the center-northwest provinces of Argentina, province of Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the head town of Bragado Partido. The city is 210 km west-southwest from Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires City, not f ...
" (''presos de Bragado''), the case raised international public indignation. Anarchists, who had created a solidarity network with comrades expelled under the 1902 Law on Residency which legalised the expulsion of immigrants who ''"compromise national security or disturb public order"'', were considered as public enemies by Uriburu's dictatorship. Prior to their execution, three anarchist bombs had detonated at three strategic places on the Buenos Aires railway network on 20 January 1931, killing three and wounding 17. In 1942 Minister Solano Lima signed the prisoners' releases; their names were cleared by a 1993 law upheld by
Socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
deputy
Guillermo Estévez Boero Guillermo Estévez Boero (28 December 1930 – 3 February 2000) was an Argentina, Argentine student activist, lawyer and Socialism, Socialist politician. Estévez Boero was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, and studied law at the National Unive ...
. In 2003 a law granted a pension to the daughter of one of the anarchist victims of this show trial.


Justo's presidency (1932–1938)

In 1933
Arturo Jauretche Arturo Martín Jauretche ( Lincoln, Buenos Aires, November 13, 1901 – Buenos Aires, May 25, 1974) was an Argentine writer, politician, and philosopher. Early years Jauretche spent his childhood and adolescence in the city of Lincoln befor ...
took part in a failed uprising, led by Col. Francisco Bosch and Col. Gregorio Pomar in
Paso de los Libres Paso de los Libres is a city in the east of the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It had about 44,000 inhabitants at the , and is the head town of the department of the same name. The city is on the right-hand (western) shore ...
, in the province of
Corrientes Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragui, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It has ...
. He was subsequently detained.


Economic and social policy


The Roca-Runciman Treaty

It was during Justo's term that Argentina signed the Roca-Runciman Treaty with the United Kingdom, which assured the UK a provision of fresh meat in exchange for important investments in the field of
transportation in Argentina Transport in Argentina is mainly based on a complex network of routes, crossed by relatively inexpensive long-distance buses and by cargo trucks. The country also has a number of national and international airports. The importance of the long- ...
, given certain economic concessions from Argentina, such as giving control over the public transport in Buenos Aires to a British company, the ''Corporación de Transportes''. At the 1932
Ottawa Conference The British Empire Economic Conference (also known as the Imperial Economic Conference or Ottawa Conference) was a 1932 conference of British colonies and dominions held to discuss the Great Depression. It was held between 21 July and 20 Augus ...
, the British had adopted measures that favored imports from its own colonies and dominions. The pressure from Argentine landowners for whom the government restored trade with the main buyer of Argentine grain and meat had been very strong. Led by the president of the British Trade Council, Viscount Walter Runciman, they were intense and resulted in the signing on April 27 of the Roca-Runciman Treaty. The treaty created a scandal, because the UK allotted Argentina a quota less than any of its dominions—390,000 tons of meat per year were allotted to Argentina in exchange for many concessions to British companies, and 85% of exportation had to be arranged through British refrigerated shippers. In addition, the tariffs of the railways operated by the UK were not regulated, the treaty did not establish customs fees over coal, had given special dispensation to British companies with investments in Argentina and had reduced the prices of their exports. So many problems resulted from the treaty that Vice President Roca, after the signing of the treaty, declared, "By its economic importance, Argentina resembles just a large British dominion."
Lisandro de la Torre Lisandro de la Torre (6 December 1868 – 5 January 1939) was an Argentine politician, born in Rosario, Santa Fe. He was considered as a model of ethics in politics. He was a national deputy and senator, a prominent polemicist, and founder o ...
, one of Roca's principal and most vociferous opponents, mocking his words in an editorial, wrote, ''"In these conditions we wouldn't be able to say that Argentina had been converted into a British dominion because England does not take the liberty to impose similar humiliations upon its dominions."'' The National Democratic Party, one of the parties that had supported the nomination of Justo for President, had split because of this controversy. Finally the Senate rescinded the treaty on July 28. Many workers strikes followed the deliberations, especially in
Santa Fé Province The Invincible Province of Santa Fe (, , lit. "Holy Faith") is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco (divided by the 28th parallel south), Corrientes, Entre ...
, which ended with government intervention.


Import substitution industrialization and Pinedo's economic policies

On the other hand, the trade isolationism of the world powers ultimately prompted the beginning of Argentine industrial development via
import substitution Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a protectionist trade and economics, economic policy that advocates replacing foreign imports with domestic production. It is based on the premise that a country should attempt to reduce its foreign ...
. Important firms, such as the Bunge & Born
agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...
food company and the Tornquist group, previously turned towards exports but began to diversify their activities and invest in national industries aimed at local consumption. Under the direction of
Minister of Economy A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...
Federico Pinedo from Independent Socialist Party, economic policy became interventionist, although still in a conservative aim. Pinedo created the
Central Bank A central bank, reserve bank, national bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the monetary policy of a country or monetary union. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central bank possesses a monopoly on increasing the mo ...
(BCRA), which was advised by Sir
Otto Niemeyer Sir Otto Ernst Niemeyer (23 November 1883 – 6 February 1971) was a British banker and civil servant. He served as a director of the Bank of England from 1938 to 1952 and a director of the Bank for International Settlements from 1931 to 1965. ...
, the director of the
Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the Kingdom of England, English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one ...
.
Felipe Pigna Felipe Pigna (born 29 May 1959) is an Argentine historian and writer. He is among the best-selling authors from Argentina. Biography Pigna teaches at the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, directing the ''Ver la Historia'' proj ...
, ''Los Mitos de la Historia Argentina, 3'', ed. Planeta, 2006, p. 284
The BCRA's board of director was mainly composed of personalities tied to private banks. It had as its missions the managing of the
peso The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...
and the regulation of
interest rates An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, ...
. Writer and thinker
Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz (February 14, 1898 – May 30, 1959) was an Argentine writer, philosopher, journalist, essayist and poet, friend of Arturo Jauretche and Homero Manzi, and loosely associated with the political group ''Fuerza de Orient ...
was a strong critic of British involvement in Argentina, of which the BCRA itself was the prime example. The '' Juntas Reguladores Nacionales'' were also created during this period, aimed at developing private and state activities and controlling the quality of products, both for national consumption and for export. In order to support prices of products and avoid
overproduction In economics, overproduction, oversupply, excess of supply, or glut refers to excess of supply over demand of products being offered to the market. This leads to lower prices and/or unsold goods along with the possibility of unemployment. T ...
, the Juntas destroyed entire loads of
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
, used as fuel for locomotives, despite popular hunger. Thirty million pesos per year were spent to destroy
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
products. Furthermore, Pinedo launched a national project of road construction, the national network reaching 30,000 kilometers in 1938 (although many remained without pavement). This competed with the railway system, in the hands of mostly British companies, and furthered the penetration of US firms selling motor vehicles in the Argentine market. US
foreign direct investment A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an ownership stake in a company, made by a foreign investor, company, or government from another country. More specifically, it describes a controlling ownership an asset in one country by an entity based i ...
(FDI) grew during this time, with companies such as the textile firms Sudamtex, Ducilo and Anderson Clayton establishing themselves in Argentina, as well as the tire companies Firestone and Goodyear, the electronics firm
Philco Philco (an acronym for Philadelphia Battery Company) is an American electronics industry, electronics manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia. Philco was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961, the company was purchase ...
and the chemistry firm
Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical technologies corporation headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its common stock is a c ...
. Notable exceptions to these conservative policies were the policies of Luciano Molinas, governor of the
Santa Fe Province The Invincible Province of Santa Fe (, , lit. "Holy Faith") is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco Province, Chaco (divided by the 2 ...
(1932–1936) and one of the leader of the
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
, and of
Amadeo Sabattini Amadeo Tomás Sabattini (May 29, 1892 – February 29, 1960) was an Argentine politician. He served as Governor of Córdoba from May 17, 1936, to May 17, 1940. Sabattini was born in Buenos Aires to immigrant parents: His mother was Uruguayan, ...
, Governor of Córdoba (1936–1940). The first act of governor Molinas, assuming office on February 20, 1932, was to re-establish the progressive Constitution of the Santa Fe Province established by the Constituent Assembly of 1921, which had been abrogated by the radical governor
Enrique Mosca Enrique Mosca (July 15, 1880 – July 22, 1950) was an Argentine lawyer and politician prominent in the centrist Radical Civic Union (UCR). Life and times Enrique Mosca was born in Santa Fe, Argentina, Santa Fe, in 1880. He enrolled at the Societ ...
.Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 289 He also ensured independence of the judicial system, tax equality,
secular education Secular education is a system of public education in countries with a secular government or separation of church and state, separation between religion and Sovereign state, state. History Secular educational systems were a modern development inte ...
,
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
and right of foreigners' to vote for the election of communal authorities. Molinas' administration also created the Provincial Department of Labour, which ensured the observance of article 28 of the provincial Constitution, concerning the
8 hours day The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses of working time. The modern movement originated in ...
,
minimum wages A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
and regulation of
child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...
and female labour. Molinas also reduced his salary from 2,500 to 1,800 pesos, suspended payment of the external debt of the province, which permitted Santa Fe's budget to become positive. Henceforth, he subsidized public works under the impulsion of the minister Alberto Casella, leading to increased local employment. He also implemented moderate land reforms, harshly opposed by the conservative and Alvearist radicals, as well as the '' Sociedad Rural''.Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 290 Finally, he created the Experimental Institute of Agricultural Investigation, a predecessor of the
National Agricultural Technology Institute The National Agricultural Technology Institute (), commonly known as INTA, is an Argentine federal organisation responsible for agriculture. INTA is an extension agency in charge of the generation, adaptation and diffusion of technologies, knowle ...
(INTA). However, fearing electoral defeats for the '' Concordancia'' both in Santa Fe and in the Electoral College, Justo ordered military intervention in the Santa Fe Province on October 3, 1935, sending the Colonel Perlinger and the minister Joaquín F. Rodríguez to take control of the local government. Armed resistance against the federal intervention occurred, but in order to avoid a bloodbath, Molinas and De la Torre rejected the resistance. Rodríguez soon abrogated again the 1921 Constitution and progressively dismantled Molinas' achievements. Justo had already ordered intervention in the Provinces of San Juan and Tucumán in 1934, and ordered similar military interventions in Catamarca, Santa Fe and
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
in 1935 (the latter enabling the fraudulent election of
Manuel Fresco Manuel Antonio Justo Pastor Pascual Fresco (June 3, 1888 in Navarro, Buenos Aires – November 17, 1971 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine doctor and Politician, national deputy and governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1936 and 1940 for the ...
as governor ). Despite this federal intervention, Marcelo Alvear's Radical party (UCR) decided in 1935 to abandon its abstentionist policy protesting the fraud. Opposed to Alvear's turnaround, in 1935, young Yrigoyenistas from a nationalist background founded FORJA (''Fuerza Orientadora Radical de la Juventud Argentina'', Radical Orienting Force of Argentine Youth), which had as leaders
Arturo Jauretche Arturo Martín Jauretche ( Lincoln, Buenos Aires, November 13, 1901 – Buenos Aires, May 25, 1974) was an Argentine writer, politician, and philosopher. Early years Jauretche spent his childhood and adolescence in the city of Lincoln befor ...
,
Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz (February 14, 1898 – May 30, 1959) was an Argentine writer, philosopher, journalist, essayist and poet, friend of Arturo Jauretche and Homero Manzi, and loosely associated with the political group ''Fuerza de Orient ...
and Gabriel del Mazo. FORJA's motto was: "We are a colonial Argentina, we want to be a free Argentina."Spanish: ''Somos una Argentina colonial, queremos ser una Argentina libre.'' Quoted by Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 296 Among other things, FORJA denounced the silence of the government on many problems such as the creation of the Central Bank, "economic sacrifices imposed in benefices of foreign capitalism", "
petroleum politics Petroleum politics have been an increasingly important aspect of diplomacy since the rise of the petroleum industry in the Middle East in the early 20th century. As competition continues for a vital resource, the strategic calculations of major ...
", "arbitrary military interventions", "restrictions to freedom of opinion", "incorporation to the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
", "suppression of relations with Russia", "parliamentary investigations", "the Senate crime", etc.Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 296


The workers' movement

At the time of the 1930 coup, three
trade unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
existed in Argentina: the '' Confederación Obrera Argentina'' (COA, founded in 1926 and linked to the
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
), the '' Unión Sindical Argentina'' (USA,
anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...
) and the FORA V (dissolved by Uriburu). On September 20, 1930, the COA and the USA merged in the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), although the two rival tendencies remained. Meanwhile, the syndicalist current of the CGT was discredited, because of its supporting alliance with the government in order to achieve social advances, while the socialist current proposed open opposition, tied to political support to the Socialist party. The syndicalist current was in particular affected by its agreements with the pro-
fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
governor of Buenos Aires The Governor of Buenos Aires Province () is a citizen of the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina, holding the office of governor for the corresponding period. The governor is elected alongside a vice-governor. Currently the governor of Buenos Ai ...
,
Manuel Fresco Manuel Antonio Justo Pastor Pascual Fresco (June 3, 1888 in Navarro, Buenos Aires – November 17, 1971 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine doctor and Politician, national deputy and governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1936 and 1940 for the ...
(1936–1940).
Felipe Pigna Felipe Pigna (born 29 May 1959) is an Argentine historian and writer. He is among the best-selling authors from Argentina. Biography Pigna teaches at the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, directing the ''Ver la Historia'' proj ...
, ''Los Mitos de la Historia Argentina, 3'', ed. Planeta, 2006, p. 286
The latter, who had been elected during one of the "most burlesque" and "fraudulent" elections of the Infamous Decade (according to the words of the US ambassador,Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 297) commissioned the architect Francisco Salamone various buildings, which combined
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
, functionalism,
Futurism Futurism ( ) was an Art movement, artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the ...
and
Fascist architecture Fascist architecture encompasses various stylistic trends in architecture developed by architects of fascist states, primarily in the early 20th century. Fascist architectural styles gained popularity in the late 1920s with the ri ...
s.Alberto Belluci
Monumental Deco in the Pampas: The Urban Art of Francisco Salamone
, ''
The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'', Vol. 18, Argentine Theme Issue (1992), pp. 91–121.
Although the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and the subsequent
rural exodus Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the Human migration, migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In Industriali ...
had brought many politically inexperienced workers to
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, the spontaneous
import substitution industrialization Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a protectionist trade and economics, economic policy that advocates replacing foreign imports with domestic production. It is based on the premise that a country should attempt to reduce its foreign ...
enabled, starting in 1935, coupled to the strengthening of trade unions, wages' increase. Henceforth, a 48-hour
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
was launched in January 1936 by workers' in construction, during which 3 workers and 3 policemen were killed.


Ortiz and Castillo administration (1938–1943)

Roberto Marcelino Ortiz Jaime Gerardo Roberto Marcelino María Ortiz (24 September 1886 – 15 July 1942) was President of Argentina from 1938 until his resignation in 1942. He became president in 1938 following the 1937 presidential election, described ...
and
Ramón S. Castillo Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramón (footballer, born 1950), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1983), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1988), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Br ...
's candidacies, respectively as president and vice-president, for the 1938 elections were launched at the British Chamber of Commerce, and supported by its president William Mc Callum. Ortiz, a former Alvearista, was fraudulently elected, and assumed his new office in February 1938. However, without much success, he attempted to clean up the country's corruption, ordering federal intervention in the
Province of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
, governed by Manuel Fresco, and cancelling the fraudulent elections which had been won by the conservative
Alberto Barceló Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic '' Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Albert ...
. Federico Pinedo, still Minister of Economy, presented on 18 November 1940 an "Economic Reactivation Plan", which was to implement some
protectionist Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
measures and building of social lodging in order to face the crisis. He also proposed the nationalization of the British railways, having agreed upon advantageous terms for their owners with them beforehand. However, the conservatives voted against his plan, which led him to resign.Felipe Pigna, 2006, pp. 298–299 During World War II, Argentina maintained the same neutrality it had adopted during the
first World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, which was advantageous for Great Britain. Although the USA attempted to push the country into the war, during the January 1942 Rio de Janeiro Conference, Argentina resisted, with support from the British.Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 302 A few months later, in June 1942, Ortiz resigned because of his sickness, and died a month later. He was replaced by his vice-president Castillo, who began to work to launch the candidacy of Robustiano Patrón Costas, vice-president of the Senate and sugar entrepreneur, who had supported him in 1938. Meanwhile, the Democratic Union political coalition (which included the
Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union (, UCR) is a major political party in Argentina. It has reached the national government on ten occasions, making it one of the most historically important parties in the country. Ideologically, the party has stood for r ...
, the
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
, as well as the
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
and the Communist Party) had been formed in 1942. Their electoral platform, aimed against endemic corruption, announced the needs to guarantee "freedom of thought and assembly" and "labor union rights", as well as vouching for "active solidarity with the people struggling against the Nazi-Fascist aggression".


June 1943 coup

On 4 June 1943, the nationalist faction of the army, gathered around the ''
Grupo de Oficiales Unidos The United Officers' Group () or GOU was a nationalist secret society within the Argentine Army which staged a coup d'état in 1943 to overthrow President Ramón Castillo, thus ending the Infamous Decade and forming a military junta which lasted ...
'' (GOU, formed in March 1943) opposed both to corruption and to the Conservative government, overthrew Castillo in a coup. Composed under the initiative of the colonel Miguel A. Montes and Urbano de la Vega, the GOU included as main members the colonel
Juan Domingo Perón ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philip ...
and Enrique P. González. Sympathisers of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and
Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
,Felipe Pigna, 2006, p. 304 the GOU established General Pedro Ramírez as chief of state, despite a short attempt by General Arturo Rawson to claim the office.


Presidents of the Infamous Decade

*
José Félix Uriburu José Félix Benito Uriburu (20 July 186829 April 1932) was an Argentine military officer and politician, he was the President of the Provisional Government of Argentina, ousting the successor to President Hipólito Yrigoyen by means of a ...
(1930–1932) *
Agustín Pedro Justo Agustín Pedro Justo Rolón (26 February 1876 – 11 January 1943) was the president of Argentina from 1932 to 1938, during the Infamous Decade. Justo took part in the coup of 1930, becoming president two years later thanks to widespread electo ...
(1932–1938) *
Roberto Marcelino Ortiz Jaime Gerardo Roberto Marcelino María Ortiz (24 September 1886 – 15 July 1942) was President of Argentina from 1938 until his resignation in 1942. He became president in 1938 following the 1937 presidential election, described ...
(1938–1940) *
Ramón S. Castillo Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramón (footballer, born 1950), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1983), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1988), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Br ...
(1940–1943)


References


Bibliography

* Nállim, Jorge. "Between the Local and the Transnational: New Historiographical Approaches on Argentine Political History, 1930 to 1943." ''Estudios Interdisciplinarios de América Latina y el Caribe'' 25.1 (2014): 103–120
online
*
Felipe Pigna Felipe Pigna (born 29 May 1959) is an Argentine historian and writer. He is among the best-selling authors from Argentina. Biography Pigna teaches at the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, directing the ''Ver la Historia'' proj ...
, ''Los Mitos de la Historia Argentina, 3'', ed. Planeta, 2006 (reed. 2007) * Gisela Cramer, "Argentine Riddle. The Pinedo Plan of 1940 and the Political Economy of the Early War Years", Journal of Latin American Studies, 30 (octubre 1998), pp. 519–550 * Gisela Cramer, "Pre-peronist Argentina and the Origins of IAPI", en: Iberoamericana Vol. 2, No. 5 (2002), pp. 55–78. * Juan José LLach, "El Plan Pinedo de 1940, su significado histórico y los orígenes de la economía política del peronismo", Desarrollo Económico (enero-marzo 1984)


External links


Década Infame at Todo-Argentina
(Spanish)

(Spanish) {{Argentina topics Great Depression 20th century in Argentina 1930 in Argentina Electoral fraud