Roberto de Laferrère
Encyclopedia
Roberto de Laferrère was an Argentinean
writer and political activist. He was one of the leading figures in the nationalist movement active amongst a group of leading intellectuals in the 1930s
descent although on his mother's side his ancestors included Encarnación Ezcurra
, the wife of Juan Manuel de Rosas
.
He was a strong critic of democracy, denouncing the trust it placed in ignorant masses. He was one of the main developers of the belief within Argentine nationalist thought that liberalism
was merely a prelude to communism
, arguing that "democracy hands us over unarmed to these forces of extreme socialism
and anarchy
". He wrote widely for La Fronda, a conservative nationalist journal. Like many of the nationalist leaders de Laferrère was an academic and in 1938 he joined the likes of the Irazusta brothers, Carlos Ibarguren
, Manuel Gálvez
and Ernesto Palacio
in establishing the Instituto Juan Manuel de Rosas. The Instituto soon became a centre for the publication of highly conservative scholarship in which historical revisionism
about Argentina's past loomed large.
he established the Liga Republicana youth movement around 1927, the aim of which was to undermine the government. The group was united by the members hatred of Hipólito Yrigoyen
although significant elements within the Liga were inspired by the fascism
of Benito Mussolini
as well as the ideas of Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella. De Laferrère was insistent that the Liga should not become a political party and he clashed with Irazusta over the issue when the latter suggested presenting a list for the 1930 election
. De Laferrère and Juan Carulla
's idea, that the Liga should support the Independent Socialists, was endorsed and Irazusta resigned from the movement.
Following the establishment of the Argentine Civic Legion
in 1931 Laferrère began to wane in his support for José Félix Uriburu
and eventually withdrew his Liga Republicana from the movement, citing the "lumpen" nature of what was approaching a mass movement, as well as it ties to mainstream conservatism. As a consequence of de Laferrère's split other nationalist intellectuals followed suit.
in his thought and this increased during the Second World War. He argued in 1941 that Argentina should adopt a neutral position and should instead concetrate on strenthening its own army in order to ensure it could defend itself rather than spending on supporting the American war effort. His views influenced Enrique Ruiz Guiñazú
, who had been appointed as Foreign Minister. However, despite his own anti-Semitism
, de Laferrère was not a supporter of Nazism
and rather endorsed an isolationist policy for Argentina. Suspicious of all overseas powers, with the exception of France which he declared his support for in 1939, he argued in early 1941 that "today are worst enemies are the British
and Jews
. Tomorrow they could be the Yanks
or the Germans
".
His anti-British sentiment
was a common feature of nationalist rhetoric in Argentina, deriving in part from the issue's surrounding the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute as well what the nationalists portrayed as a history of mistreatment at the hands of Britain through a series of loans with very high interest rates after independence, British involvement in the independence of Uruguay
and the settling of her borders at the expense of Argentina and a form of commercial imperialism that de Laferrère felt had caused the Argentine Civil Wars.
Unlike some of his fellow nationalists de Laferrère was not an enthusiastic supporter of Juan Perón
and he scoffed at what he saw as Perón's cowardice when he was ousted from the Presidency in 1955.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
writer and political activist. He was one of the leading figures in the nationalist movement active amongst a group of leading intellectuals in the 1930s
Nationalism
De Laferrère came from one of Argentina's leading patrician families. He was of partial FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
descent although on his mother's side his ancestors included Encarnación Ezcurra
Encarnación Ezcurra
Encarnación Ezcurra was an Argentine politician, wife of Juan Manuel de Rosas.She was the daughter of Juan Ignacio Ezcurra and Teodora de Arguibel. She married Rosas on March 16, 1813. She became her husband's most faithful follower, helping him in many difficult circumstances...
, the wife of Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
.
He was a strong critic of democracy, denouncing the trust it placed in ignorant masses. He was one of the main developers of the belief within Argentine nationalist thought that liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
was merely a prelude to communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, arguing that "democracy hands us over unarmed to these forces of extreme socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
". He wrote widely for La Fronda, a conservative nationalist journal. Like many of the nationalist leaders de Laferrère was an academic and in 1938 he joined the likes of the Irazusta brothers, Carlos Ibarguren
Carlos Ibarguren
Carlos Ibarguren Uriburu was an Argentine academic, historian and politician. As a writer he was noted as one of the foremost academics of the history of Argentina as well as a leading expert on constitutional law...
, Manuel Gálvez
Manuel Gálvez
Manuel Gálvez was an Argentine novelist, poet, essayist, historian and biographer....
and Ernesto Palacio
Ernesto Palacio (writer)
Ernesto Palacio was an Argentine historian and part of a generation of right-wing nationalist intellectuals active from the 1920s.-Early years:...
in establishing the Instituto Juan Manuel de Rosas. The Instituto soon became a centre for the publication of highly conservative scholarship in which historical revisionism
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
about Argentina's past loomed large.
Liga Republicana
Along with Rodolfo IrazustaRodolfo Irazusta
Rodolfo Irazusta was an Argentine writer and politician who was one of the leading lights of the nationalist movement of the 1920s and 1930s. He collaborated closely with his younger brother Julio Irazusta throughout his career....
he established the Liga Republicana youth movement around 1927, the aim of which was to undermine the government. The group was united by the members hatred of Hipólito Yrigoyen
Hipólito Yrigoyen
Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Irigoyen Alem was twice President of Argentina . His activism became the prime impetus behind the obtainment of universal suffrage in Argentina in 1912...
although significant elements within the Liga were inspired by the fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
as well as the ideas of Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella. De Laferrère was insistent that the Liga should not become a political party and he clashed with Irazusta over the issue when the latter suggested presenting a list for the 1930 election
Argentine legislative election, 1930
The Argentine legislative elections of 1930 were held on 2 March. Voters chose their legislators, and with a turnout of 75.1%, it produced the following results:-Argentine Chamber of Deputies:Notes: a) included in "others" b) seats left vacant....
. De Laferrère and Juan Carulla
Juan Carulla
Juan Emiliano Carulla was an Argentine physician and nationalist politician.In his early years Carulla was a supporter of anarchism but this was to change after a trip to Europe during the First World War...
's idea, that the Liga should support the Independent Socialists, was endorsed and Irazusta resigned from the movement.
Following the establishment of the Argentine Civic Legion
Argentine Civic Legion
The Argentine Civic Legion was a Argentine nationalist and fascist militia. It was recognized as a political entity on 20 May 1931 and received juridical personality on 11 January 1932. In 1937, the Legion was succeeded and replaced by the Alliance of Nationalist Youth...
in 1931 Laferrère began to wane in his support for José Félix Uriburu
José Félix Uriburu
General José Félix Benito Uriburu y Uriburu was the first de facto President of Argentina, achieved through a military coup, from September 6, 1930 to February 20, 1932.-Biography:...
and eventually withdrew his Liga Republicana from the movement, citing the "lumpen" nature of what was approaching a mass movement, as well as it ties to mainstream conservatism. As a consequence of de Laferrère's split other nationalist intellectuals followed suit.
Later years
Like many of his nationalist colleagues de Laferrère had a strong strain of anti-AmericanismAnti-Americanism
The term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
in his thought and this increased during the Second World War. He argued in 1941 that Argentina should adopt a neutral position and should instead concetrate on strenthening its own army in order to ensure it could defend itself rather than spending on supporting the American war effort. His views influenced Enrique Ruiz Guiñazú
Enrique Ruiz Guiñazú
Enrique Ruiz Guiñazú was an Argentinean politician who is best remembered for his spell as Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship in the 1940s.-Rise to prominence:...
, who had been appointed as Foreign Minister. However, despite his own anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, de Laferrère was not a supporter of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and rather endorsed an isolationist policy for Argentina. Suspicious of all overseas powers, with the exception of France which he declared his support for in 1939, he argued in early 1941 that "today are worst enemies are the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. Tomorrow they could be the Yanks
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
".
His anti-British sentiment
Anti-British sentiment
Anti-British sentiment is prejudice, fear or hatred against the British Government, the culture or the people of the United Kingdom, or its Overseas territories.-Argentina:...
was a common feature of nationalist rhetoric in Argentina, deriving in part from the issue's surrounding the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute as well what the nationalists portrayed as a history of mistreatment at the hands of Britain through a series of loans with very high interest rates after independence, British involvement in the independence of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and the settling of her borders at the expense of Argentina and a form of commercial imperialism that de Laferrère felt had caused the Argentine Civil Wars.
Unlike some of his fellow nationalists de Laferrère was not an enthusiastic supporter of Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
and he scoffed at what he saw as Perón's cowardice when he was ousted from the Presidency in 1955.