Table of Contents
Rise to Power & Legitimacy ...................................................................................................... 1
Ideology .................................................................................................................................. 2
Social Policies .......................................................................................................................... 3
Political policies ....................................................................................................................... 5
Treatment of Opposition .......................................................................................................... 6
0
, Rise to Power & Legitimacy
Peron became President = 1946-55 (democratically elected 3 times)
Vargas became President= only speaking about the 2nd time = 1951-54 (democratically elected with
48.7% of vote, but behind-the-scenes actions) (not including 1st time from 1934-45 quasi-totalitarian
Estado Novo Constitution)
Thesis- Peron more legitimate because much more popular in rise to power than Vargas (2nd term)
Anger at corruption of past leaders
Peron: hated towards Castillo’s military gov + long-term colonial rule
-1930s “Infamous Decade” with electoral fraud/gov corruption/persecution of political opponents
-Long-term anger at “royal fifth” colonial rule- high taxes
Vargas: extreme Dutra’s domestic policies
-joined Gaúcho’s Brazilian “caudillos”- resented corrupt elitist power (hated “café con leite” politics)
-Dutra’s extreme policies eg- restricted social security benefits, abandoned Vargas’ Estado Novo
corporatist state-run institutions + began free-enterprise policies, strongly conservative + outlawed
Brazil’s Communist Party
-by 1950; Brazil wanted to return to known Brazilian style of leadership under Vargas
Individual background
Peron: had personal and political background that electorate favoured
-son of working-class immigrant father- Puiggrós “proleriat sought in Peron the political leadership it
could not itself provide”
-joined army in 1926 (respect)
-wife Evita was popular among women for suffrage (founded Female Peronist Party) + philanthropy
descamisados (“shirtless ones”) – “Spiritual Leader of the Nation”
-Labour Minister + Secretary of Labour- 1945 passed Decree 33.302 law (workers benefits, annual
bonus)
Vargas: had relevant political background (less personal ties)
-Had been Brazilian lawyer, and was district attorney (relatively high-class background)
-Involved in politics- member of the Chamber of Deputies, then served as Minister of Finance under
president Washington Luís- still called “The Father of the Poor”
Political Policies Campaigns
Peron: wanted to return to political stability
-Return to Argentine traditional values (eg Catholicism state religion)- conservative salvation against
Communist threat
-Promised to assist workers (Radical Civic Union)- reduce inequality “unduly rich, unduly poor”- 1945
1 million marched to Plaza del Mayo “Loyalty Day” demanding jail release
Vargas: wanted to bring political progress
-pledged to bring modernisation/progress- easily won 1950 elections
Behind-the-scenes actions to gain power
Peron: direct action of taking down current leader
-Jill Hedges believes Peron played large part in engineering military dictator Castillo’s fall in 1943
Vargas: focused on reducing opposition
-neutralised military groups that threatened his power (eg officers disbanded + jailed leftist leaders)
- used “clientist” approach to gain popularity (chose loyal politicians)
-claimed that his rivals wanted to keep Brazil chained to producing coffee/cattle under old power
structure of agrarian élites (“Paulistas”) + the Church
1
Rise to Power & Legitimacy ...................................................................................................... 1
Ideology .................................................................................................................................. 2
Social Policies .......................................................................................................................... 3
Political policies ....................................................................................................................... 5
Treatment of Opposition .......................................................................................................... 6
0
, Rise to Power & Legitimacy
Peron became President = 1946-55 (democratically elected 3 times)
Vargas became President= only speaking about the 2nd time = 1951-54 (democratically elected with
48.7% of vote, but behind-the-scenes actions) (not including 1st time from 1934-45 quasi-totalitarian
Estado Novo Constitution)
Thesis- Peron more legitimate because much more popular in rise to power than Vargas (2nd term)
Anger at corruption of past leaders
Peron: hated towards Castillo’s military gov + long-term colonial rule
-1930s “Infamous Decade” with electoral fraud/gov corruption/persecution of political opponents
-Long-term anger at “royal fifth” colonial rule- high taxes
Vargas: extreme Dutra’s domestic policies
-joined Gaúcho’s Brazilian “caudillos”- resented corrupt elitist power (hated “café con leite” politics)
-Dutra’s extreme policies eg- restricted social security benefits, abandoned Vargas’ Estado Novo
corporatist state-run institutions + began free-enterprise policies, strongly conservative + outlawed
Brazil’s Communist Party
-by 1950; Brazil wanted to return to known Brazilian style of leadership under Vargas
Individual background
Peron: had personal and political background that electorate favoured
-son of working-class immigrant father- Puiggrós “proleriat sought in Peron the political leadership it
could not itself provide”
-joined army in 1926 (respect)
-wife Evita was popular among women for suffrage (founded Female Peronist Party) + philanthropy
descamisados (“shirtless ones”) – “Spiritual Leader of the Nation”
-Labour Minister + Secretary of Labour- 1945 passed Decree 33.302 law (workers benefits, annual
bonus)
Vargas: had relevant political background (less personal ties)
-Had been Brazilian lawyer, and was district attorney (relatively high-class background)
-Involved in politics- member of the Chamber of Deputies, then served as Minister of Finance under
president Washington Luís- still called “The Father of the Poor”
Political Policies Campaigns
Peron: wanted to return to political stability
-Return to Argentine traditional values (eg Catholicism state religion)- conservative salvation against
Communist threat
-Promised to assist workers (Radical Civic Union)- reduce inequality “unduly rich, unduly poor”- 1945
1 million marched to Plaza del Mayo “Loyalty Day” demanding jail release
Vargas: wanted to bring political progress
-pledged to bring modernisation/progress- easily won 1950 elections
Behind-the-scenes actions to gain power
Peron: direct action of taking down current leader
-Jill Hedges believes Peron played large part in engineering military dictator Castillo’s fall in 1943
Vargas: focused on reducing opposition
-neutralised military groups that threatened his power (eg officers disbanded + jailed leftist leaders)
- used “clientist” approach to gain popularity (chose loyal politicians)
-claimed that his rivals wanted to keep Brazil chained to producing coffee/cattle under old power
structure of agrarian élites (“Paulistas”) + the Church
1
