Transcript File - A.P. European History Mrs. Safran 2015-2016

Latin America
Revolutions, Dictators, and
Independence
Introduction
• Latin America is an usual proposition
- shares many characteristics with the Third
World nations of Asia and Africa
- dependent upon trade with North America and
Europe
• Political and economic problems in Latin
America could directly affect the quality of life in
the North American nations
• Latin American nations have nearly all suffered
as a result of global economic problems
• The struggle for independence has been difficult because
of the financial dependence and limited resources
• During the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, Latin
American nations have been exploited by other nations.
They have been forced to depend upon the sale of
natural resources at the expense of developing new
industries
• In the 20th century political opposition, in the form of
unions, tried to change the traditional position of the
worker, often with little success
• Shifting between boom-or-bust economies the nations
have been unable/unwilling to reform or make necessary
changes
Mexico
• Modern Mexico has been determined by the
consequences of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) one
of several revolutions at the start of the century (see
Russia and China)
• In 1876, the dictator Porfirio Díaz gained control of the
country
• Once in power he made concessions to European nations
which greatly benefited the wealthy elites
• Gradually foreign nations gained more control of the
country through ownership of business and the financial
dependency of the government
• As opposition increased so did the repressive measures
of the government
• In 1910 Díaz agreed to face political opposition but had
Francisco Madero, the opponent, arrested
• When Madero was released after Díaz had won the
election, he called for a national revolt
• In the north the rebels were led by Pancho Villa, in the
south they were led by Emiliano Zapata
• Gradually Díaz lost control, but the coalition led by
Madero could not agree and Díaz and Zapata started to
disagree
• In 1913 a military coup, aided by the United States,
removed Madero from power to prevent further
revolution and possible problems
• The new leader was general Victoriano Huerta who with
the aid of the wealthy, the army, and foreign business,
tried to maintain a dictatorial state
• In 1914 Huerta was forced from office by Zapata and
Villa
• While Zapata and Huerta controlled their own regions
they could not control the whole country. The new
leader was Alvaro Obregón
• The Civil War ended in 1920 and Obregón was elected
president, but the country had been devastated by a
decade of fighting
• In the Constitution of 1917 the people were promised
land reform, limited foreign ownership, guaranteed the
rights of the workers, and educational reform
• Despite the fact that reforms have been promised
succeeding presidents have been unable to fulfill that
promise.
• Although not specifically Marxist in nature, many of the
characteristics of the Revolution did exhibit Marxist
tendencies
• One of the main problems in Mexico has been the failed
integration of native Indians. The new policy is to teach
the Indians about their culture and how important that
is to Mexican history
• Political movements representing the Indians are still
heard and protests often develop in the south
• In 1994 armed groups of Zapatistas – Indians from the
Chiapas state – captured towns and demanded to
negotiate with the government
• They demanded more rights, better housing and health
care, education, and land for the Indians
• While negotiating the government also tried to suppress
the rebellion
• Politically, after the Revolution a new representative
party evolved – Party of the Institutionalized Revolution
(PRI)
• For decades the PRI controlled all politics, even though
in theory Mexico was a multiparty democracy
• The PRI were often ruthless and resorted to illegal
practices to remove opposition and retain control
• In the 1990s the PRI placed their hopes on the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but it is still
not clear how success that has been
Argentina
• The Radical Party, which held a majority, collapsed
after the economic crisis in 1929
• As the dependence upon foreign investment increased,
so did the amount of industry which in turn led to more
power to the unions
• In 1943 the military staged a coup to reassert
authoritarian control and limit the unions
• Col. Juan D. Perón emerged as the leader by giving in
the the demands and improving the conditions of the
workers
• He was aided by his wife Eva Duarte (Evita)
• Evita became the spokesperson for her husband and
publicly advocated welfare for the lower classes. The
Peróns were very good at using the media to spread
propaganda
• During the Second World War the Argentine
government was openly supportive of the Axis powers
• Perón was pro-fascist and after the war the American
government tried to discredit him
• He retained power by voicing nationalism and
nationalizing foreign industry
• After some initial economic success following the war,
problems returned at the end of the 1940s
• As the economy worsened the government
became more repressive, even attacking the
Catholic Church
• Worried about the situation, Perón was forced
into exile by the military in 1955
• During the 1960s and 1970s both civilian and
military governments failed to help the country
• Perón was reelected president in 1973 but died
the following year
• In 1976 the military installed a new government
which set about eliminating all opposition thousands disappeared
• To divert attention away from the domestic
problems the government tried to retake the
Malvinas (Falkland) Islands
• The islands off the coast of Argentina had been
controlled by the English for hundreds of years
• In 1982 Argentinian soldier landed on the islands
and claimed possession
• The British responded by sending a massive force
to the South Atlantic and in a few weeks they
retook the islands.
• The Argentine military was completely disgraced
• In 1983 Raul Alfonsin, the leader of the Radical
Party was elected leader
• Alfonsin tried to restore democratic principles to
the country
• In 1989 Carlos Menem was elected the leader in a
peaceful and fair election
• Six years later Menem was reelected and has
since worked hard to restore Argentina status as
a global power and to reduce the inflation
Brazil
• The rule of Getulio Vergas was ended by the military in
1945
• For the next two decades various governments tried to
solve Brazil’s economic problems with little success
• In 1964 the military took over the government again
• By 1968 the military government was having some
success. An economic miracle took place as Brazil
shifted in a new direction
• However, much of the economic growth came at the
expense of the rain forests and the benefits of economic
success seemed to help only a small number of people
• The average Brazilian never benefited
• Another problem was rapid economic success caused
hyperinflation - for a while at 100% a year
• Unable to offer a viable alternative the military turned
over the government in 1985
• In the 1990 elections Fernando Collor de Mello was
elected president, but he was forced to resign two years
later
• In 1994 the new elections resulted in an overwhelming
victory for Fernando Cardosa
Chile
• In 1970 Salvador Allende was elected president of
Chile. His goal was to establish a Marxist
government.
• Unfortunately the economy was controlled by
foreign companies who invested in the mineral
rights
• Allende was the head of a coalition government,
with increasing economic problems and rising
anti-foreign sentiment
• Allende nationalized many foreign companies
and increased the wages of the workers
• The nationalization of American companies
without compensation infuriated President Nion
who cut off financial aid to Chile
• The upper classes started to rebel and with the
aid of the CIA tried to force Allende out of office
• Allende responded by using the military to
suppress trouble
• In 1972 General Augusto Pinochet staged a coup
and took control
• Later that year Allende and thousands of his
supporters were killed
• Pinochet remained in power and set up a
dictatorship
• He outlawed opposition, returned nationalized
industries, and gave land back to the original
wealthy landowners
• Continually violating human rights Pinochet
retained power until 1989
Nicaragua
• At the turn of the 20th century the economy and
politics of Nicaragua were dominated by the United
States
• American troops were stationed there until 1933 when
they pulled out and left the National Guard to look
after American interests
• Anastasio Somoza seized control of the country in
1937
• In 1956 his son, Luis took over and then another son,
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
• The rich supporters of the Samoza family became
richer at the expense of the majority of people who
lived in poverty
• They were able to maintain control because of US
support
• Not until the 1970s did successful opposition appear
• The anti-American Sandinista National Liberation
Front - a Marxist guerrilla group gained control of
much of the island
• The threat of a possible Communist group aligned to
the USSR worried the United States
• Presidents Reagan and Bush both supported the Contra
rebels against the Sandinista government
• Their support seemingly against the wishes of Congress
eventually led to the Contra Hearings
• In 1990 there were free elections and Violeta Chamrro
was elected the new leader, but the Sandinista still
remained very powerful
El Salvador
• El Salvador has had a long history of political
instability and dictatorships
• During the 1970s popular protests about the
need for land reform increased
• In 1979 the army ousted the dictator and
started the widespread distribution of land
• In 1980 a civil war broke out between the left
wing who wanted more reforms and the right
wing who wanted to stop the reforms
• The American government supported the
government. The Soviet government supported
the rebels
• In the 1984 elections a moderate, José Napoleón
Duarte was elected president
• Faced with opposition from the left and right
Duarte was unable to carry out the necessary
reforms
• To enforce the power of the right, death squads
killed thousands of left wing rebels or
sympathizers
• In 1990 the new president Alfredo Cristiani, with
the help of the United Nations organized peace
talks
• The talks did result in a truce but the country is
still far from stable and the army still has a great
deal of power
Panama
• Panama gained independence from Colombia in 1903,
with the help of the United States
• As part of the deal the US was allowed to build the
canal and control a strip of land 5 miles on each side of
the canal
• After the second World War Panamanians began to
demand control of the canal
• In 1968 the nationalist leader General Omar Torrijos
became the leader of the country and started a
movement for Panamanian control of the canal
• The United States and Panama signed an agreement in
1978 that promised to hand over control of the Panama
Canal to the Panamanians in 1999
• Torrijos died in 1981 and was replaced by General
Manuel Noriega
• By the end of the 1980s the relationship between the two
countries had soured
• Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was believed to be
helping drug smugglers enter the United States
• President Reagan urged Noriega to resign – he refused
• The U.S. cut off financial aid in an attempt to oust the
dictator
• When an American soldier was killed, President Bush
sent troops to restore order
• Noriega was captured and put on trial and sentenced to
40 years in prison
Cuba
• Fulgencio Batista, with heavy financial backing
from the United States had ruled Cuba since
1934
• The main opposition to Batista came from Fidel
Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara
• After little success Castro resorted to guerilla
tactics
• The Bistista government responded with
aggression and brutality. They were so violent
that even their own supporters lost interest
• Batista was forced to leave the island in 1958 and
the next year Castro seized power
• Initially Castro and the United States had an
amicable relationship, but soon that changed
• In 1959 Castro passed land reform that
nationalized all estates over 1,000 acres
• Then in 1960 the Soviet Union agreed to
purchase Cuban sugar and provide $100 million
in credit
• President Eisenhower allowed the CIA to train
Cuban exiles in the hope that one day they would
retake their island
• As American antagonism increased so did Soviet
support
• The US stopped buying sugar and the Castro
nationalized American companies
• The US declared a trade embargo which drove
the Cubans closer to the Soviets
• In December 1960, Castro declared himself a
Marxist
• January 1963 the US broke diplomatic ties with
Cuba
• President Kennedy supported an attempted coup
by Cuban exiles
• The landing at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 was a
complete disaster
• The Soviets placed nuclear weapons on the island
and this only served to increase tension
• The Cuban missile crisis was the closest the
world had come to war since the end of the
Second World War.
• Eventually the Soviet Union backed down but
only after certain promises for the United States
• After the missile crisis Castro realized that the
Soviets would not be reliable allies. If Cuba was
to be involved in a social revolution in Latin
America then Cuba would have to take the lead
• Castro saw Bolivia, Haiti, Colombia, and a few
other countries as ready for revolution
• He believed that once a revolution took place the
people would eagerly join the movement
• Guevara was caught and killed by the Bolivian
authorities. Castro’s plan had failed
• In Cuba the social revolution had some successes:
increased healthcare, education, and medical
services
• Women were given greater freedoms and rights,
but never really achieved equality
• Castro was still forced to depend upon Soviet
subsidies
• When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989 Cuba
lost that financial support