In this book Argentine historian Hugo del Campo examines the process by which a majority within the Argentine labor movement became committed to the cause of Peronism. He begins with background chapters designed to explain the continuity within the historical development of the movement and ends with the destruction of the Partido Laborista after the elections of 1946. The bulk of the work, however, concentrates on the events of the late 1930s, and even more on the 1943-46 period. It highlights Perón’s rise to power, as well as the changing relations between the ambitious colonel, his opposition, the working class, and union leaders.
This is a carefully researched and clearly written book. It brings together into a coherent history the basic events of the period, an obviously crucial one for the Argentine labor movement and the working class as a whole.
On balance, the work provides few surprises and offers no shockingly new interpretations of the material. It is an intelligent summary of the arguments put forth on most of the key issues of this chapter in Argentine history. The book also contains a wealth of details on actors and organizations that played minor, albeit important, roles in the drama. In several places del Campo hesitates to take a strong stand on matters under debate, but indicates a preference for one side or another. For example, he agrees with the current wisdom favoring the thesis that support for Perón came from “old” workers rather than new ones. Perhaps the hook’s most valuable contribution lies in its solid presentation of the historical factors that shaped the labor movement in such a way so as to make its adhesion to Peronism a natural outcome under the circumstances. In this light, the syndicalist influence from the 1920s and the politics of bargaining with the state (during the first Yrigoyen presidency) paved the way for later understandings between the unions and Perón in the early 1940s. Indeed, seen in this context, the alliance with Perón hardly represented a new direction for labor, or at least not for a significant portion of it.
If there is any criticism of the book it perhaps flows directly from one of its strengths. The presentation is measured and lacks the polemics that so often mar writing about Peronism. While this enhances the value of the study, I often wished the author had put more of himself into the work. There is, for example, no concluding chapter which could have summarized and brought together all the rich and varied material in the preceding chapters. Here the author might have shared some more of his insights into the period. Despite this minor flaw, however, the book is clearly an excellent contribution to Argentine working-class and labor history.
