Juan Perón
Military Leader and President -- Argentina
Profile
Juan Perón was a ruthless dictator in the country of Argentina. He was a military leader that worked his way up in to eventually becoming President of his nation. While leading the country, he did not allow free speech. He closed liberal newspapers. He jailed politicians that were opposed to his beliefs and policies. The general idea here is that he mandated a one-party state. Besides himself, his many wives helped in achieving their goal of total political power. The most influential of the wives was the second one, Eva Duarte (de Perón). The couple was very popular among Argentines, and especially among Peronists. People who followed Juan Perón were called Peronists.
Propaganda Poster
This poster shows Juan Perón along with his wife Eva Perón. They were a power couple during Juan's time of presidency in Argentina. The text at the bottom says, "Forjadores de la nueva Argentina". This directly translates to "shapers of the new Argentina". By saying this they are trying to get people to believe that they will bring change to Argentina and its people. The country was going through tough times and they wanted everyone to think that they were the answer to fix these problems.
Speech
Hello fellow Argentines! I am here with you today to inform you that our great nation is in the right hands and is headed in the right direction. I, along with my wonderful wife Eva, will help us get to our destination. We will need cooperation from every single person in order to achieve our goals. For this matter, there will be a zero tolerance policy for people opposed to my beliefs and also the beliefs of all peronists, for this is what is guiding us to future successes. The shaping of our country starts now. We have already wasted too many years in struggling and poverty. We do not have time to continue with this trend. So here I will leave you, go out and make your country proud. But remember to do it the peronist way.
Essential Question
How did Juan Perón get his people to do what he wanted and what resources did he use to do so?