National Reorganization Process

National Reorganization Process
Conventional long name	National Reorganization Process
Common name	Argentina
Era	Cold War
Government type	Military dictatorship
Year start	1976
Date start	24 March
Year end	1983
Date end	10 December
P1	Argentine Revolution
S1	Argentina
Symbol type	Coat of arms
Capital	Buenos Aires
Common languages	Spanish
Title leader	President
Leader1	Jorge Rafael Videla
Year leader1	1976–1981
Leader2	Roberto Eduardo Viola
Year leader2	1981
Leader3	Leopoldo Galtieri
Year leader3	1981–1982
Leader4	Reynaldo Bignone
Year leader4	1982–1983
Stat year1	1980
Stat area1	2780400
Stat pop1	28173000

National Reorganization Process. This was the name adopted by the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. It was established through a coup d'état that overthrew President Isabel Perón and was characterized by state terrorism, economic liberalization, and intense anti-communist ideology. The regime collapsed following its defeat in the Falklands War and was succeeded by the restored democratic government of Raúl Alfonsín.

Background and causes

The political and economic instability following the death of Juan Perón in 1974 created a crisis for his successor and wife, Isabel Perón. Her administration was plagued by hyperinflation, social unrest, and escalating violence between left-wing groups like the Montoneros and the People's Revolutionary Army and right-wing paramilitary forces such as the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance. The Argentine Armed Forces, viewing themselves as the nation's ultimate guardians against Marxism and inspired by other regional regimes like Augusto Pinochet's Chile and the Brazilian military government, planned the overthrow of the constitutional government. The final catalyst was a massive general strike and the growing power of guerrilla insurgencies, which the military used to justify its intervention to restore "order."

Military junta and governance

Power was vested in a military junta composed of the commanders-in-chief of the Argentine Army, the Argentine Navy, and the Argentine Air Force. The first junta included General Jorge Rafael Videla, Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera, and Brigadier Orlando Ramón Agosti. The junta dissolved the National Congress, imposed martial law, banned political parties and trade unions like the General Confederation of Labour (Argentina), and suspended the Argentine Constitution of 1853. Successive juntas rotated the presidency among military officers, including Roberto Eduardo Viola, Leopoldo Galtieri, and finally Reynaldo Bignone. Governance was centralized, with military officers appointed to all key government positions, provincial governorships, and even university rectorships.

Repression and human rights violations

The regime implemented a systematic campaign of state terrorism known as the Dirty War. It utilized clandestine detention centers such as the Navy Mechanics School, Campo de Mayo, and the Olimpo Garage. Victims were subjected to forced disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial execution by security forces and intelligence agencies like the Battalion 601 and the SIDE. Key figures in the repression included General Ramón Camps and Captain Alfredo Astiz. The victims, estimated at up to 30,000 *desaparecidos*, included political activists, students, trade unionists, journalists like Rodolfo Walsh, and sympathizers of groups like the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.

Economic policies

The junta appointed José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz as Minister of the Economy, who implemented radical neoliberal policies. These included financial liberalization, the removal of tariffs and protectionist measures, the privatization of state-owned enterprises, and the suppression of wage growth to control inflation. Initially, this led to a surge of foreign investment and a temporary economic boom, but it resulted in a massive increase in foreign debt, deindustrialization, and a profound financial crisis culminating in the collapse of major industrial groups and banks like the Banco de Intercambio Regional. The policies dramatically increased poverty and social inequality.

International relations and foreign policy

The regime initially received support from the United States under the administrations of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, though relations cooled due to the Carter administration's human rights focus. It maintained close ties with other right-wing dictatorships in South America through Operation Condor. A major diplomatic crisis occurred with Chile over the Beagle conflict, nearly leading to war in 1978. The regime's most significant foreign policy action was the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, leading to the Falklands War against the United Kingdom. The military defeat, supported by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 502, critically undermined the junta's legitimacy.

Transition to democracy and legacy

The disaster of the Falklands War forced the junta to call for elections. In 1983, Raúl Alfonsín of the Radical Civic Union was elected president. His government established the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons, led by writer Ernesto Sábato, which produced the seminal report Nunca Más. The Trial of the Juntas in 1985 convicted Videla, Massera, and others, though subsequent laws like the Full Stop Law and the Law of Due Obedience later halted prosecutions. These were eventually annulled, leading to renewed trials in the 2000s. The legacy remains a central and divisive issue in Argentine politics, with ongoing efforts for memory, truth, and justice at sites like the ESMA Museum.

Category:History of Argentina Category:Military dictatorships Category:Cold War history by country