Juan Domingo Peron and Peronism (1946-1949)

Peronism, also known as Justicialism, was a populist movement in Argentina. Peronism is characterized as a government that prioritizes the needs of the country ahead of the needs of the individual person. It tries to carry out the will of its people and defend their interests. It states that there is only one class of men, who are the workers, and they are all equal. There is no discrimination among workers because all men work for the welfare of the nation. The only distinction is between those that work hard and those that do not. The people all have equal rights to opportunities such as jobs, education, food, and housing. There are many benefits for the people under Peronism, but it also very strict. For example, everyone must pull their own weight, producing as much as they consume.

The creator of Peronism, Juan Domingo Peron, was a populist dictator that was part of the original group of officers that seized power in 1944 from the previous president. He won the Argentine Presidential election in 1946 with the support of his highly popular wife Evita.

He held the support of the military because of his promises of modernization and fortification of national security. Peron’s Populist project, Peronism, was guided by his fascist and corporatist policies learned from Mussolini’s Italy. His support of national industrialization appealed to educated youths who anticipated managerial and political jobs that would follow the expansion of the state.
Under Peron’s rule Argentina’s growth reached its high point. During his presidency, the economy grew at an annual rate of nearly 6% from 1945 to 1949. Industrial production rose by 25%, and employment rates increased 13% over the same time period. During Peron’s rule, many great things happened, but following Evita’s death a recession occurred. This recession exposed Peron’s government’s inability to maintain manufacturing growth while upholding working-class interests. The failure of his nationalist economic measures was followed by a coup and he was overthrown.