Perón, Juan (Domingo)

Perón, Juan (Domingo) (b. 8 Oct. 1895, d. 1 July 1974). President of Argentina 1946–55, 1973–4 A colonel in the Argentinian army, he took part in the 1943 military coup which ousted Ramón Castillo (b. 1873, d. 1944) from the presidency. He became Secretary of Labour in the new regime, a position which he used with his politically astute wife Evita Perón to gain popular support among old labouring groups, new urban residents, and recent migrants from the countryside. This coalition ensured his victory in the presidential elections of 1946. He immediately used the postwar economic boom to improve the living standards of the workers and labourers at the expense of large landowners. He nationalized the foreign-controlled railways, the docks, and the largest telephone company, and by 1947 he had paid off Argentina's entire foreign debt. From 1949 the economy performed badly. After his triumphant election victory of 1951, when he was re-elected with 67 per cent of the vote, his popularity waned rapidly. In 1952 his popular wife, Evita, died of cancer. In 1955 he tried to improve his standing through fuelling general hostility against the Roman Catholic Church, which led to mass demonstrations and the burning down of several cathedrals on the one hand, and to Perón's excommunication on the other. Since the Perónist government appeared to be increasingly out of control, the military ordered him to leave the country or risk civil war, so in 1955 he fled to Paraguay and then on to Spain. Following years of political unrest, social strife, and economic instability, Perón was seen as a last chance to save his country from ruin when he was re-elected in 1973 with 62 per cent of the vote. The ensuing economic recovery and social stability were short-lived because of the economic crisis that set in in 1974 following the oil-price shock. After his death he was succeeded by his third wife, Isabelita Perón.