HIS 106 Chapter 27

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HIS 106Chapter 27

• Latin America From Independence to
  1940s

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Latin America

• Wanted independence for the same reasons as the
  U.S. did
• U.S. shares European heritage with Latin America
• Despite similarities, economic and political
  development of Latin America is different from
  that of Europe or the United States
• Latin America has been less stable and less
  prosperous than Europe and North America

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• Perhaps neocolonialism can account for that they
  were economically dependent on others even though
  they were independent politically
• Brazil, however, was different it prospered
  right after independence
• Brazil had a monarchy for 67 years after
  independence and retained slavery until 1888
• When the other republics broke from Spain, they
  lost their major trading partner

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• The wars for independence had been fought in
  South America, so the damage was right in their
  backyards
• Flooded mines
• Disruption of agriculture
• Scattered labor force
• Not everyone backed the new governments run by
  Creole elite. Many Latin American governments
  looked to Britain for protection

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• Another problem for new governments was that the
  elites opposed social reform
• All newly independent nations grated equal
  rights, except for Brazil
• However
• Peasants were still subservient to landowners
• Voting depended on how much property a person
  owned disenfranchising many
• Racial prejudice remained

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• There were no social revolutions to change the
  status quo (rule by the elites), except for
  Mexico, until the 1950s
• Land was dominated by the hacienda system
• Work was harsh
• Peasants lived on the haciendas
• They could leave if they paid off their debts to
  the landowner debt peonage virtually never
  happened

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• Transportation was difficult at best, so many
  stayed where they were born
• No education for the peasants or Indians, so they
  couldnt improve their lives
• During second half of 19th century, some moved to
  the cities creating an urban poor and social
  discontent
• The elites in control put down any uprisings

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Economy

• Relied on exporting raw materials and importing
  manufactured goods
• In the 19th century, they dealt primarily with
  Britain
• In the 20th century, they dealt with the U.S.
• To get more land for raw material use,
  governments confiscated both Church and Indian
  lands because they werent using it efficiently

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• The military who were often the best educated
  elites adopted a French philosophy of August
  Comte called Positivism
• Advocated technological progress
• Technocrats and authoritarians could best achieve
  modernization of economy
• They also accepted European theories of
  scientific racism that basically said that
  whites are good and non white are bad or less
  good. Whites, therefore, should be at the top.

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• The theory stated that if an area was
  economically backward, the non-whites and the
  mixed bloods are to blame -- not the
  governments of white elites
• The military believed this, and they were very
  influential in government

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Mexico

• Government was very conservative from time of
  independence until 1910
• No social overhauls during that time
• Agustin de Iturbide
• Was the first ruler from 1820 1823
• Governed as emperor
• Died in 1824
• For the rest of the century, Mexico had strong
  dictators with ties to the military - Caudillos

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Iturbide
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• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
• one of the strongest caudillos
• The general who fought the United States over
  Texas
• Exiled in in 1855 as a result of La Reforma, a
  movement against Santa Annas dictatorship
• They wanted
• Economic progress
• Civilian rule
• Political stability
• Anti-Church

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• La Reforma led to civil war
• Benito Juarez
• Came to power in 1861
• Faced
• Backward agriculture as a result of the hacienda
  system
• Mines in poor condition
• Primitive transportation
• Few domestic industries
• Debts to foreigners

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• Clerics and conservatives asked Austrian Archduke
  Maximilian, backed by France, to become Emperor
  of Mexico
• 1867 Juarez captured and executed Maximilian
  picture p. 609
• Liberals like Juarez held power until 1876 he
  never really had popular support because of how
  they treated the Catholic Church

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Maximilian
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• Porfirio Diaz
• Ruled from 1876 1911
• Dictator
• Stayed in power by giving everyone just a little
  of what they wanted
• Made peace with the Church
• Suppressed his opponents
• Allowed foreigners to invest, especially the U.S.

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• By 1900, U.S. owned 2 billion in Mexican
  property. We owned most of the railroads, 60 of
  oil wells, and most of the mines.
• Diaz retained the hacienda system
• 95 of Mexicans had no land
• Wages went down
• Porfirio Diaz was overthrown by Francisco Madero

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• This ushered in 10 years of revolution where 1 in
  every 8 Mexicans was killed and 2 presidents were
  assassinated.
• Francisco Madero
• Ruled from 1911- 1913
• Idealist
• Wanted democracy
• Was assassinated by his own general, Victoriano
  Huerta

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• Victoriano Huerta
• Overthrown with the help of U.S.
• Woodrow Wilson didnt like having an assassin as
  president of Mexico
• Ruled from 1913-1914

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• Venustiano Carranza
• Ruled from 1914 -1920
• Set up a constitution but didnt enforce it
• Called for land redistribution
• Announced Mexico is for Mexicans
• Still allowed U.S. to invest in Mexico
• Challenged by Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.
  Zapata led an agrarian reform movement and had
  the support of peasants. He was assassinated in
  1919

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• Carranza was assassinated in 1920
• In the 1920s, Obregon and Plutarco Calles took
  power.
• They tried to modernize a bit
• They redistributed some land
• Calles organized the PRI, the Institutional
  Revolution Party
• The PRI remained in power for the rest of the
  20th century

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• Lazaro Cardenas
• Became president in 1934
• Tried to fulfill the promises made in 1917 by
  Carranza
• Had support of the peasants
• Redistributed 44 million acres of land and broke
  the hacienda system
• Took strong stand against the U.S. by seizing
  control of its oil industry and other properties,
  offering to reimburse Americans for their losses

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• Americans felt the offer was too low, and didnt
  readily accept it
• FDR finally did because he remembered how Germany
  wanted to get Mexico to attack UgtS., so that U.S.
  wouldnt enter World War I. Things were heating
  up again in Europe
• This kept Mexico and South America on Allied side
  in World War II

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• Manuel Avila Camacho
• Elected in 1940
• Worked on economic development
• Government was democratic taking on its social
  responsibilities

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Camacho
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Argentina

• There were 3 distinct eras between the time of
  independence and World War II
• 1. 1810-mid-century
• Rebellion against Spain
• Internal struggles to see which region would be
  dominant

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• 2. 1853 1916
• Economic expansion
• European immigration that transformed their
  society
• 3. 1916 1943
• - a failed democratic state
• - an economy they did not control

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1810 Mid-Century

• Internal struggles after throwing off Spain
• Buenos Aires came out on top and dominated trade
  as a port city
• Commercial treaty of 1823 named Britain as main
  trading partner
• Juan Manuel de Rosas became dictator of Buenos
  Aires
• Negotiated the Pact of the Littoral that put
  Buenos Aires in charge of trade and foreign
  relations

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de Rosas
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• Rosas
• Expanded trade
• Suppressed Indians
• Encouraged nationalism
• Other provinces resented Rosas
• 1852 Rosas was overthrown

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1853 - 1916

• 1853, Argentine Republic established and Buenos
  Aires remained dominant
• Had agricultural economy, mainly animal products
• Internal transportation was poor
• Country was sparsely populated
• 1876, technology entered in the form of a
  refrigerated ship to transport beef
• Wheat growing expanded to the pampas

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• British constructed and managed a railroad
• Wheat and beef production increased making
  Argentina one of the richest nations in Latin
  America
• By 1900, Argentina was much more urbanized and
  industrialized
• Professionals and the middle class wanted more
  say in government and an end to corruption

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• This led to the formation of the Radical Party in
  1890
• This brings in the 3rd era 1916 1943
• The leader of the Radical Party was Hipolito
  Irigoyen
• He was elected president in 1916
• He promised to improve the lives of peasants and
  the middle class
• His government became corrupt and power returned
  to the landed elites

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Hipolito Irigoyen
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• 1930, a military coup returned power to
  conservatives
• Argentina was still dependent on Britain for its
  export market ---- this was the time of the Great
  Depression and Argentina was also affected
• Nacionalismo arose among many of the educated in
  the 1930s

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• Nacionalismo
• Similar to European Fascism
• Saw British and American dominance of their
  economy as imperialism
• Rejected liberalism
• Hated communism
• Were anti-Semitic
• Supported the Catholic Church
• Advocated social reforms for workers and the poor
• Supported caudillos

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• 1943, military took power
• Hostile to Britain
• Admired fascism
• Wanted to address social problems wanted to
  industrialize to get out from under foreign
  influence
• Colonel Juan Peron took part in the coup and was
  put in charge of trade unions. He gained their
  support and was more popular than the president

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Juan and Eva Peron
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• Juan Peron
• Was authoritarian
• Was anti-communist
• Was socially progressive
• Seized power in 1946 saying he had working class
  support and help from his actress wife, Eva
• Was a caudillo with popular backing
• Eva Peron died in 1952
• Juan Peron was ousted in 1955
• Argentina was still unstable

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Brazil

• Portuguese Colony
• Independence in 1820s
• Established a monarchy
• Pedro I gave constitution but abdicated in 1831
• Pedro II his 15 year old son took power in 1831
  1889. He was a constitutional monarch who brought
  stability
• Monarchy overthrown in 1889

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• Army overthrew the monarchy because it freed the
  slaves
• Established a republic dominated by coffee
  plantation owners
• Brazilian Republic 1891-1930
• Coffee was king
• Military coup in 1930 brought in Getulio Vargas

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• Getulio Vargas
• Was in power 1930-1945
• Gave concessions to the workers
• Built industry
• Became a dictator
• 1945 another military coup took Vargas out of
  power. They then brought in democracy with
  foreign-financed industry.

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• 1950 Vargas was elected president
• He ws elderly and not as sharp
• When a staffer became involved in the
  assassination of a reporter, Vargas had to resign
• Vargas committed suicide in 1954
• Brazil remained an unstable democracy
• 1957 a capital city was built inland, Brasilia

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• Poverty and illiteracy remained problems
• In early 1960s Joao Goulert took power
• Was a leftist
• Wanted land reform
• Questioned military influence in government
• 1964, military over threw Goulert
• No more democracy