Argentina during World War II The history of Argentina during World War II is a complex period of time beginning in 1939 , following the outbreak of war in Europe , and ending in 1945 with the surrender of Japan . German influence in Argentina was strong , mainly due to the presence of a large number of German immigrants , and Argentina ' s traditional rivalry with Great Britain furthered the belief that the Argentine government was sympathetic to the German cause . Because of the close ties between Germany and Argentina , the latter stayed neutral for most of World War II , despite internal disputes and pressure from the United States to join the Allies . However , Argentina eventually gave in to the Allies ' pressure , broke relations with the Axis powers on January 26 , 1944 , and declared war on March 27 , 1945 . History . The first years . Roberto María Ortiz was the president of Argentina at the beginning of the war , in 1939 . The country was in a period of political conservatism and economic crisis known as the " Infamous Decade " . The " Concordancia " was accused of electoral fraud and corruption . The Radical Civic Union was divided between FORJA , a line supporting the deposed radical president Hipólito Yrigoyen , and the official leadership of Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear , close to the " Concordancia " . The Socialist Party and the Progressist Democracy were conservative as well . The Communist Party was initially close to the trade unions but gave priority to advancing the interests of the Soviet Union . The Argentine army was highly Germanophile ; this influence had grown since 1904 and predated both world wars . It did not involve a rejection of democracy but rather an admiration of German military history . This admiration , combined with an intense Argentine nationalism , influenced the main stance of the army towards the war : to stay neutral . The arguments in favor ranged from Argentine military tradition ( Argentina was neutral during World War I and the War of the Pacific ) , to the perception of the war as a conflict between foreign countries with no Argentine interests at stake , to Anglophobia , to rejection of foreign attempts to force Argentina into joining the war . Only a handful of military leaders actually supported Adolf Hitler . The war resulted in a small boost to the Argentine economy , as trade with Britain was reduced . Thus began a process of import substitution industrialization , which had some antecedents during the Great Depression . This industrialization began a process of internal migration as well , with people living in the countryside or in small villages moving to urban centers . Growing divisions . Reactions and stances towards the war became more complex as the conflict advanced . The main political parties , newspapers and intellectuals supported the Allies , but Vice - President Ramón Castillo maintained neutrality . Ortiz , who was ill of diabetes , was unable to serve as president , but he did not resign The position of Argentina vis ~ å - vis the war generated disputes between them , with Castillo prevailing . The FORJA supported neutrality and considered the position a chance to get rid of what it saw as British meddling with the Argentine economy . Some Trotskyists promoted the fight against Nazism as an early step of an international class struggle . The army and some nationalists supported industrialization and promoted neutrality as a way to oppose Britain . Finally , the newspaper " El Pampero " , financed by the German embassy , supported Hitler . As for the reasons of Castillo in staying neutral , there are several interpretations . One interpretation focuses on the Argentine tradition of neutrality . Others see Castillo as a nationalist , not being influenced by the power structure in Buenos Aires ( since he was from Catamarca ) , so , with the support of the army , he could simply defy the pressure to join the Allies . A similar perspective considers instead that Castillo simply had no power to go against the wishes of the army , and if he declared war he would be deposed in a military coup . A third interpretation considers that only the United States wanted Argentina to declare war , whereas Britain was benefited by Argentine neutrality because the country was able to supply the British with livestock . This interpretation , however , fails to acknowledge the constant requests to declare war from Anglophile factions . Most likely , it was a combination of the desires of the British diplomacy and the Argentine army , which prevailed over the pro - war factions . Socialist deputy Enrique Dickmann created a commission in the National Congress to investigate a rumored German attempt to seize Patagonia and then conquer the rest of the country . The conservative deputy Videla Dorna claimed that the real risk was a similar Communist invasion , and FORJA believed that a German invasion was only a potential risk , whereas British dominance of the Argentine economy was a reality . A diplomatic mission by the British Lord Willingdon arranged commercial treaties whereby Argentina sent thousands of cattle to Britain at no charge , decorated with the Argentine colours and with the phrase " good luck " written on them . Alvear , " El Pampero " and FORJA criticised this arrangement , and Arturo Jauretche said that that there were Argentine provinces suffering from malnutrition . The situation changed dramatically after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent United States declaration of war upon Japan . The United States wanted every Latin American country to join the Allies , in order to generate a continent - wide resistance . Argentine resistance to do so motivated an embargo and blockade against Argentina . Castillo did , however , declare a state of emergency in Argentina after the attack on Pearl Harbor . Military plots . Castillo ' s term was due to end in 1944 . Initially , it was arranged that Agustín Pedro Justo would run for the presidency a second time , but after his unexpected death in 1943 Castillo had to seek another candidate to propose . As a result , he supported Robustiano Patrón Costas . The army was not willing to support the electoral fraud that would be necessary to secure Costas ' victory , nor to continue conservative policies . They also feared that Costas might attempt to break the neutrality kept to then . A group of generals thus created a secret organization , the United Officers ' Group ( GOU ) , in order to oust Castillo from power . Juan Perón was part of this group , but did not support an early coup , asking instead to overthrow the governmen once the plotters had developed a plan to make necessary reforms . The coup was to have been made close to the elections , if the electoral fraud had been confirmed , but it was instead carried off earlier , upon rumors of the possible sacking of the minister of war , Pedro Pablo Ramírez . It is unknown whether Costas would have maintained neutrality or not . As he was proposed by Castillo , who stayed neutral , Costas may have been neutral as well . Some weak declarations of support to Britain and his ties with pro - allied factions may suggest instead that he would have declared war if he had become president . The military coup that deposed Castillo took place on June 4 , 1943 . It is considered the end of the " Infamous Decade " and the starting point of the " Revolution of ' 43 " . Arturo Rawson took power as " de facto " president . The nature of the coup was confusing during its first days : German embassy officials thought it was a pro - Allied coup and burned their documentation , while the United States embassy thought it was a pro - Nazi coup . Rawson met a delegate from the British embassy on June 5 and promised that in three days he would break relations with the Axis powers and declare war . This turn of events enraged the GOU , as did Rawson ' s choices for his cabinet . A new coup took place , replacing Rawson with Pedro Pablo Ramírez . Thus Rawson ruled for just three days , the shortest period for a non - interim president in Argentine history . The Revolution of ' 43 . The new government proceeded with both progressive and reactionary policies . It set maximum prices for popular products , reduced rents , annulled the privileges of the Chadopyff factory and made hospitals free , but it also intervened in unions , closed the Communist newspaper " La Hora " , and imposed religious education at schools . Juan Perón and Edelmiro Julián Farrell , from the ministry of war , fostered better relations with the unions . The Communist Party managed local politics in line with the diplomatic alignments of the Soviet Union . As a result , it supported neutrality and opposed the British influence in Argentina during the early stages of the war , in line with the Treaty of Non - Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union . The launching of the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the consequent Soviet entry in the war changed that attitude . The Communists became pro - war and did not support further labour strikes against British factories located in Argentina . This switch reduced workers ' support for the Communist Party , and they began to support Perón and the new government instead . As a result , the Communist Party opposed the government , rejecting it as pro - Nazi . Perón countered the Communist complaints , saying that " The excuses they seek are very well known . They say that we are ' nazis ' , I declare we are as far from Nazism as from any other foreign ideology . We are only Argentines and want , above all , the common good for Argentines . We do not want any more [ electoral ] fraud , nor more lies . We do not want that those who do not work live from those who do " . The government had diplomatic discussions with the United States , and Argentina requested planes , fuel , ship , and military hardware . Storni argued that , although Argentina did not join the war , it was closer to the Allies , sending them food , and that up to then the Axis powers had not taken action against the country to justify a declaration of war . Secretary of State Cordell Hull replied that Argentina was the only Latin American country not to have broken relations with the Axis , that Argentine food was sold at lucrative return , and that United States military hardware was intended for countries already at war , some of which were facing more severe fuel shortages than was Argentina . Storni , the Argentine chancellor , resigned after this rejection . The United States took further measures to increase pressure on Argentina . All Argentine companies suspected of having ties with the Axis powers were blacklisted , and the supply of newsprint was limited to pro - allied newspapers . There were also boycotts . American exports of electronic appliances , chemical substances and oil production infrastructure were halted . The properties of forty - four Argentine companies were seized , and scheduled loans were halted . Hull wanted to weaken the Argentine government , or force its resignation . Torn between diplomatic and economic pressure as opposed to an open declaration of war against Argentina , he opted for the former way , to avoid disrupting the supply of food to Britain . Nevertheless , he also saw the situation as a chance for the United States to have a greater influence over Argentina than Britain . The United States also threatened to accuse Argentina of being involved with the coup of Gualberto Villarroel in Bolivia , and a plot to receive weapons from Germany , after the allied refusal , to face the possible threat of either the United States itself or Brazil acting on their behalf . However , it would be unlikely that Germany would provide such weapons , given their fragile situation as of 1944 . Ramírez called a new meeting of the GOU , and it was agreed to break diplomatic relations with the Axis powers ( albeit without yet a declaration of war ) on January 26 , 1944 . The break in relations generated unrest within the military , and Ramírez considered removing the influential Farrell and Perón from the government . However , their faction discovered Ramírez ' s plan . They broke up the GOU , to avoid letting the military loyal to Ramírez know they were aware of his plot , and then initiated a coup against him . Edelmiro Julián Farrell became then the new president of Argentina , on February 24 . The United States denied recognition to Farrell , as he would keep the neutralist policy . Farrell confirmed it on March 2 , and the United States broke relations with Argentina two days later . Winston Churchill complained about the harsh policy of the United States against Argentina , pointing out that Argentine supplies were vital to the British , and that by removing their diplomatic presence from the country they would even force Argentina to seek German protection . British diplomacy sought to guarantee the supply of Argentine food by signing a treaty covering it , while US diplomatic policy sought to prevent such a treaty . Hull ordered the confiscation of Argentine goods , cessation of foreign trade with her , avoidance of any of US ships landing at Argentine ports , and he denounced Argentina as the " nazi headquarters in the occidental hemisphere " . By this time , the United States considered the option of supporting Brazil in an attack against Argentina , rather than attacking Argentina themselves . The Brazilian ambassador in Washington pointed out that Buenos Aires could be completely destroyed by the Brazilian air force . This would have allowed Argentina to be dominated without the open intervention of the United States , who would support Brazil by providing ships and bombs . End of the war . The liberation of Paris in August 1944 , which would lead to the complete liberation of France , gave new hopes to the pro - allies factions in Argentina , who saw it as an omen of the possible fall of the Argentine government , and calls for new elections . The demonstrations in support of Paris soon turned into demonstrations against the government , leading to incidents with the police . It was rumored that some Argentine politicians in Uruguay would create a government in exile , but the project never worked . Franklin D . Roosevelt supported Hull ' s claims about Argentina , saying similar things against the country . He also cited Churchill when he stated that history would judge all nations for their role in the war , both belligerents and neutrals . By early 1945 , World War II was nearing its end . The Soviets had liberated Warsaw , they were closing on the German border . Berlin itself was under attack ; allied victory was inevitable . Perón , the strong man of the Argentine government , foresaw that the Allies would dominate international politics for decades , and although Argentina had successfully resisted the pressure to force her to join the war , remaining neutral until the war ' s end would force the country into isolationism at best or , worse , face military attack . Negotiations were eased by the departure of Hull as Secretary of State , replaced by Edward Stettinius , Jr . . The demands to Argentina were : the calling of elections , declaration of war to the Axis powers , eradication of any Nazi presence in the country , and complete cooperation with international organizations . Perón agreed : German organizations were curtailed , pro - nazi manifestations were banned , and German goods were seized . The Argentine merchant navy was instructed to ignore the German blockade . Those measures eased relations with the United States . When the Allies advanced into Frankfurt , Argentina finally formalized the negotiations . On March 27 , with the decree 6945 , Argentina declared war on Japan , and on Germany as an ally of Japan . FORJA distanced itself from the government because of this , but Arturo Jauretche would understand the reasons year later . Jauretche reasoned that the United States opposed Argentina because of its perceived nazism by refusing to declare war , while neutrality was based instead in the Argentine interests ; interests that were no longer at stake with a declaration of war at a point when the country would not actually join the conflict . Jauretche admitted that Perón ' s pragmatism was better for the country than his own idealistic perspective of keeping a neutral stance to the end of the war . A few days later , on April 10 , Britain , France , the United States and the other Latin American countries restored diplomatic relations with Argentina . Still , the diplomatic hostility against Argentina from the United States resurfaced after the unexpected death of Franklin D . Roosevelt , who was succeeded by Harry S . Truman . The ambassador Spruille Braden would organize opposition to the government of Farrell and Perón . The final Nazi defeat in the European Theatre of World War II took place a month later , greeted with demonstrations of joy in Buenos Aires . Similar demonstrations took place in August , after the surrender of Japan , bringing World War II to its final end . Farrell lifted the state of emergency , declared by Castillo after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor . Argentines in World War II . During World War II , 4 , 000 Argentines served with all three British armed services , even though Argentina was officially a neutral country during the war . Over 600 Argentine volunteers served with both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force , mostly in No . 164 ( Argentine ) squadron , whose shield bore the sun from the Flag of Argentina and the motto , " " Determined We Fly ( Firmes Volamos ) " " . One of the most famous expatriates was Maureen Dunlop , born in Quilmes , who left her Australian / English parents to join the Air Transport Auxiliary ( ATA ) . She recorded over 800hrs service , ferrying Spitfires , Mosquitos P - 51 Mustangs , Typhoons , and bomber types including the Wellington and Lancaster to the frontline RAF stations . After being photographed exiting her Fairey Barracuda , she featured on the cover of " Picture Post " on September 16 , 1942 , she became a wartime pin - up . Dunlop returned to Argentina post the war , and continued work as a commercial pilot who also flew for and trained pilots of the Argentine Air Force . She later raised pure - blood Arab horse ' s with her husband on their stud farm , " Milla Lauquen Stud " . Many members of the Anglo - Argentine community also volunteered in non - combat roles , or worked to raise money and supplies for British troops . In April 2005 , a special remembrance service was held at the RAF church of St Clement Danes in London . Nazi presence . Before the war Argentina hosted a strong , very - well - organized pro - Nazi element that was controlled by the German ambassador . In 1945 - 46 the government quietly allowed entry of Nazi leaders fleeing Europe after Germany ' s collapse . Indeed a conspiracy theory grew up after the war that greatly exaggerated the Nazi numbers and amount of gold they brought , and concluded that a so - called " Odessa organization " was in operation to send war criminals to safety . A world - famous development came in May , 1960 , when Holocaust administrator Adolf Eichmann was captured in Argentina by the Israeli Mossad and brought to trial , and execution , in Israel .