Juan Perón

Juan Domingo Perón (UK: , US: , Spanish: [ˈxwan doˈmiŋɡo peˈɾon] ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and politician who was the 29th and 40th president of Argentina, serving from 1946 to his overthrow in 1955, and from 1973 until his death in 1974. He was the only Argentine president elected three times and holds the highest percentage of votes in clean elections. Perón was one of the most important, and controversial, Argentine politicians of the 20th century; his influence extends to today. Perón's ideas, policies and movement are known as Peronism, which continues to be a force in Argentine politics.

In 1911, Perón entered military college, and rose through the ranks. In 1930, Perón supported the coup against President Hipólito Yrigoyen, a decision he regretted. Between 1939 and 1941, Perón served as a military attaché in Mussolini’s Italy. During this travel, Perón developed many of his ideas. Perón participated in the 1943 revolution and became Minister of Labor, then Minister of War and Vice President. He became known for adopting labor right reforms. Political disputes forced him to resign in October 1945 and he was arrested. On 17 October, workers gathered in the Plaza de Mayo to demand his release. Perón's surge in popularity helped him win the 1946 election.

Perón's administration was influential for initiating industrialization, expanding social rights, and making university tuition-free. Alongside his wife, Eva Duarte (Evita), the government granted women the right to vote, built half a million houses, and provided charity, especially to children, and became immensely popular among the working class. It also employed controversial tactics: dissidents were fired from their jobs, arrested or exiled, and the press was controlled. Several high-profile Nazi war criminals found refuge in Argentina. Perón was re-elected by a landslide in 1951, though his second term (1952–55) was troubled. Eva died soon after his inauguration. Religious tolerance and charity given by Eva's foundation (historically provided by the church) damaged his standing with the Catholic Church. After an attempt to sanction a divorce law and deporting two priests, he was mistakenly thought to have been excommunicated, and pro-Church elements of the armed forces bombed Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, in June 1955. 300 civilians were killed in this coup attempt, which prompted reprisals against churches by Perón supporters; a coup deposed him.