Special Sub-Topic: The Peronist Regime Click Here To Play: The Peronist Regime

On June 4th 1943 a military coup overthrew the conservative President Castillo. Colonel Peron played an important part in that regime (1943-1946). Which was the highest post he reached in that administration?

Vice-President. He was also simultaneously Secretary of Labour and Minister of War.

When the military regime decided to call for elections, it actively helped its own candidate, Perón. The main opposition parties formed a "front". What was it called?

Unión Democrática (Democratic Union). The liberal Unión Cívica Radical (Radical Civic Union) led the front, but conservatives, socialists and others were also active in it.

As a part of his campaign, Perón confronted the Amercian Ambassador in Argentina, creating a motto ("_________ or Perón") to make people believe that he represented the real Argentinean interests against the opposition, that theoretically represented the foreign influence. Who was that amabassador?

Spruille Braden. Terence Todman and James Cheek were American ambassadors in Argentina in the 1990´s. John Mandeville was the British Consul in Buenos Aires in the 1840´s.

The political body that Peron had for his first election was the Labour Party, a small force created just for Peron´s purposes. The party had been founded a few months before by a trade union leader. Who was he?

Cipriano Reyes. Peronist marching lyrics include "You are the first worker". This refers to Member Nº 1 of the party who was Peron himself. Bramuglia was Peron´s first Foreign Minister. Juan Duarte was Peron´s brother-in-law. Mercante was a close friend form the times of the 1943 coup.

Fearing an uncontrollable Peron (he was simultaneously Vice-President, Minister of War, and most dangerous of all, Secretary of Labour, with a pro-worker bias never seen before), most of his former military allies imprisioned him at the beginning of October 1945. Nevertheless, a massive crowd in the Plaza de Mayo demanded his release. The date of the demonstration became a kind of 'sacred' day for the Peronists. What was it?

October 17 th 1945. The crowd was directed to the Plaza de Mayo by Peron´s second wife (Eva Duarte), Peron's close friend (and the future Governor of Buenos Aires) Domingo Mercante, and the many trade union leaders that Peron had empowered during his term in the Secretary of Labour.

As in other Fascist regimes, weapons and military affairs were a priority for Peron. So he devoted much money to that. As a result, Argentina was one of the first nations to develop ... what?

A jet fighter. In the years following World War II, Peron approached different German scientists and offered them a chance to rebuild their professional lives. One of these scientists, Kurt Tank, accepted and quickly collected a large team recruited from his own design bureau, and he established himself in Córdoba in 1947. His work resulted in the FMA (Fábrica Militar de Aviones or Aircraft Military Factory) I.A. 27 Pulqui and I.A. 33 Pulqui II. Pulqui means 'arrow' in Mapuche Indian language. The planes were never produced on large scale.

In 1949, the pro-worker government of Peron established a new Constitution. The new law allowed the inmediate re-election of the President (a point that the more liberal Constitution of 1853 and its reforms of 1860, 1866 and 1898 prohibited). Neverhteless an important workers' right was not recognized. Which?

Strike. The right to strike was granted by the Constitution passed during the military government that overthrew Perón in 1955. The Constitutional Assembly was formed from all the political parties, except of course Peron´s followers.

After the death of his partner, Eva Duarte, Peron´s regime lost much of the flexibility that she had brought to the government. Thus in 1954 Peron foolishly antagonized a body of prime importance in Argentina. Which was it?

The Roman Catholic Church. The formal excuse was the Church´s support to the creation of the Christan Democratic Party. But the real reason was Church´s growing criticism of Peron´s increasingly intolerant and anti-liberal government.

In 1954 there was an attempt to overthrow Peron. Though it failed to kill Peron, it was bloody. Who carried it out?

The Naval Aviation. Naval aircraft bombed the Pink House (Government Palace) in an attempt to kill Peron. Some of the bombs missed their target and killed many civilians in the Plaza de Mayo. The rebel planes escaped to the neighbouring Uruguay. The government reacted by burning many Catholic churches and buildings belonging to opposition parties.

One of the most notorious UCR party leaders was imprisioned twice during Peron´s first government. Who was he?

Ricardo Balbín. In his speech during Peron's funeral in 1974, Balbin stated that "an old adversary says goodbye to a dear friend". Future President Alfonsín was a young leader whose political career was just beginning in his city of Chascomus. Future President Fernando De La Rua was just 8 years old in 1945. Arturo Illia was also a future President (1965-1965, overtrhown by a military coup). He died in 1981.