Argentine Revolution facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 1966 Argentine coup d'état
Part of the Cold War
Generals Juan Carlos Onganía, Roberto Marcelo Levingston and Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, the three successive dictators of the "Revolución Argentina".
Date 28 June 1966 Location Buenos Aires, Argentina Result Overthrow of the government of Arturo Umberto Illia. Suspension of the liberal democracy and establishment of military dictatorship.
Belligerents
Argentine Armed Forces	Government of Argentina
Commanders and leaders
Pascual Pistarini Adolfo Álvarez Benigno Varela	Arturo Umberto Illia

The Argentine Revolution (Spanish: Revolución Argentina) was the name given by its leaders to a coup d'état in Argentina. This happened in June 1966 when the military took over the government. It started a period of military dictatorship that lasted until 1973.

Argentina's Military Rule: The Revolución Argentina

In June 1966, the military took control of Argentina. General Juan Carlos Onganía became the new de facto (unofficial) president. He had support from some powerful labor union leaders.

This new military government wanted to create a completely new political and social system. Unlike earlier military takeovers that were temporary, the Revolución Argentina aimed to stay in power for a long time. It was against both liberal democracy (where people vote for their leaders) and Communism. The military wanted to have a main role in how the country was run, both politically and economically.

Onganía's Time in Power (1966–1970)

When Onganía became president, he made many changes to the country's economy. His Minister of Economy, Adalbert Krieger Vasena, froze wages (meaning salaries couldn't go up) and made the Argentine currency worth less. These changes made the economy weaker, especially for farmers. They also made it easier for foreign companies to invest in Argentina.

The government also stopped workers from negotiating their pay and conditions together. They made it harder for people to strike (stop working to protest). Many laws that protected workers were changed, like those about retirement age.

Workers' groups in Argentina were divided. Some wanted to work with the military government, while others strongly opposed it. Juan Perón, a former president living in exile, was careful in his opposition. He didn't fully support or openly fight the military.

Changes in Education and Culture

Onganía's government also changed how universities worked. Before, universities had a lot of freedom. But Onganía ended this freedom.

In July 1966, an event known as La Noche de los bastones Largos ("The Night of the Long Truncheons") happened. Police invaded the University of Buenos Aires, beating and arresting students and professors. This led many professors to leave the country.

Onganía also tried to control people's behavior. He banned things he considered "immoral," like miniskirts and long hair for young men. He also stopped new artistic movements. These rules made many middle-class people, especially those in universities, unhappy.

Growing Protests

As Onganía's rule continued, more and more people protested. In 1969, a major protest called the Cordobazo happened in the city of Córdoba. Workers and students protested against the government's policies. Similar protests also took place in other cities.

Some groups started to use armed actions against the government. These were the first urban guerrilla groups in Argentina. The People's Revolutionary Army (ERP) was formed and began fighting the dictatorship.

Levingston's Time in Power (1970–1971)

Because of the growing protests, General Onganía was forced to resign by other military leaders. General Roberto M. Levingston took his place. However, Levingston did not call for free elections. Instead, he wanted to continue the military rule.

Many political parties came together and demanded free and fair elections, including the Justicialist Party (Peronists). Under this pressure, Levingston was removed from power by General Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, another powerful military leader.

Lanusse's Time in Power (1971–1973)

Alejandro Lanusse became the last military president of this period in March 1971. He was also unpopular. His government started building roads and bridges, but it didn't do much to help with social and economic problems.

Lanusse tried to prepare for elections, but he still didn't want Juan Perón to run for president. He made a rule that presidential candidates had to live in Argentina for many years, which Perón couldn't do because he was in exile.

During this time, several armed groups became active, like the Montoneros and the ERP. They fought against the military government.

In August 1972, some revolutionary members tried to escape from prison. This led to the Trelew massacre, where 16 of them were killed. This event caused more protests across the country.

Finally, Lanusse allowed the Justicialist Party to participate in elections. Since Perón couldn't run, he chose his personal secretary, Héctor José Cámpora, as the candidate. Their slogan was "Cámpora in Government, Perón in power," meaning Cámpora would be president, but Perón would still be the real leader.

Images for kids

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  The Night of the Long Batons, an Onganía police action against University of Buenos Aires students and faculty came to be known.

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  Images of the Cordobazo, May–June 1969

See also

• History of Argentina