Eva Peron Essay Research Paper To Lead

Eva Peron Essay, Research Paper

To Lead A Nation

Eva Duarte began her life in Los Toldos, Province in Buenos Aires. She was born on May 7, 1919 to Juana Ibaguren and Juan Duarte. Her father had spent some time high on the political ladder and acquired some wealth. He met Eva’s mother while working in Los Toldos and Eva was a result of their ongoing affair. Unfortunately, Juan Duarte passed away in a car accident in 1926, when Eva was only seven years old. After her father’s death, Eva’s family was very poor. Her older siblings had to take jobs, but Eva was only still in primary school.

As Eva got older, she saw her two older sisters married and was trying to decide what she wanted to do with her life. She was active in the local theatricals and enjoyed acting. She also would write poetry and perform recitals of her work. She knew her calling was in the public eye and she refused to stay a small town girl. Eva decided to become an actress. She coupled up with a tango singer named Augustin Magaldi and went off with him to the city of Buenos Aires to start her life as an actress.

She arrived in Buenos Aires in the 1930’s, by 1945 she was considered a “star”. She had been heard on countless radio shows as well as appeared in numerous plays. Eva joined acting companies such as the Argentine Comedy Company in 19351. Within this company she debuted in small parts and eventually worked her way up to larger roles. After touring for some time she arrives back in Buenos Aires and joined a company of Armando Discepolo, who was considered to be one of the best directors of those times.1

She finally joined the Radio Belgrano in 1943, where she began a series that she would continue to do until 1945.

At this time in Argentine history the political climate began to grow hot as elections grew nearer. On June 4, 1943 a military coup threw ousted President Ramon Castillo. General Pedro P. Ramirez assumed the Presidency and Colonel Jaun Peron was appointed to chair the National Department of Labor, which became the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare one month later.1

After a large Earthquake in the areas that destroyed 90% of San Juan, Peron put together a relief effort and invited all the popular stars of the time. It was at this function that Eva Duarte and Colonel Juan Peron first met. It was said that they left together and the following day she returned to work at Radio Belgrano in a War Ministry limousine.2

Although Peron was 48, exactly double Eva’s age at the time, they continued their relationship successfully. It was said at the time that Peron was living with his mistress and did not know how to handle the situation with the two women. Eva took care of that. While Peron was gone on business she kicked out the former mistress and moved in all of her belongings. She stayed there from that day on.2

In the beginning of their relationship, Eva and Juan Peron encountered some rough times. On October 9, 1945, Peron was asked to resign from his office. This is a perfect example of Eva’s need for power3. When Eva realized that because Peron was out of power, she also was out of power, and a job, she was very quickly motivated to pull off this idea. She successfully influenced others by making personal appeals to the workers and military4. She asked favors of all of these people based on their personal loyalty to Juan Peron. This is a very effective tactic when asking a person to do something that is not necessary for them to do. Eva used this tactic for the rest of her political career. Every time Peron was beginning fall, Eva looked back to the laborers and made personal appeals for their support.

Peron went on to announce from the balcony of the Casa Rosada that elections were soon. At this, the crowd in the Plaza de Mayo cheered, because he was not only their leader, but also their candidate. Eva Duarte and Juan Peron were married that year and Eva Duarte became Eva Peron, wife of a presidential candidate.

Peron got immediately on the campaign trail and for the first time in history a candidate’s wife accompanied him. At each campaign stop she greeted people and handed out buttons. Peron won the elections of 1946 by a landslide and became the 29th President of Argentina.

Eva’s determination to get what she wanted is evident throughout her entire life. She wanted her husband to have political power and she did everything she could to help him achieve it. She set goals and accomplished them. This quality can be traced throughout her entire political career, which began when Peron asked her to work with him at the Labor Secretariat. Eva was to develop a labor policy for women and Peron was hoping she would be the female leader of this movement.

Each day Eva interviewed hundreds of people who were poor and jobless. These people had requests and favors and contracts. Because women had a low profile in Argentine government, many men in power had a problem with Eva holding the office that she did. It was considered unacceptable for Eva to be doing the type of work that she did. But this did not stop her in the least.

Eva, or Evita as she was later called, was a charismatic leader5. Evita had an evident strong need for power. She worked long hours everyday and into the night to get her work done. She also tried to impress her followers with furs and expensive clothes and jew