Consolidation of the Argentine Revolution

The **consolidation of the Argentine Revolution** is a term used by historians to discuss the ongoing and historic process that South American anarchists and its movement have had in the land of Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. This includes all societal changes that have happened under the control of anarchism, everything from the nationalization of industry to policy making in the country.

## **Industry**

Since the end of the civil war, a good portion of Argentinian industry, especially in the north and along the coast was damaged alongside major cities. Trade unions, among them being the FORA and CORA attempted to rebuild across the country. Private assets were forked over from capitalists that were stuck within the FToSA, giving them more funds for rebuilding. As trade union control quickly took over most of the country, different unions were tasked with the repair of certain industries and factories across different places. Alongside the control of unions also came the nationalization of the economy and state industry. Trade unions became the biggest government-like entity across the country.

With the unionization and socialization of the country, problems arose when in it became clear money was scarce, to the point where many workers would not be paid their given salary, especially as various unions increased the minimum wage for their employees. In some unions, money was straight up abolished and instead workers were given family checkbooks, rations and more. But the major trade unions which held control of most of the country were not able to come to a consensus about what option should be taken, and so the “money debate” was indefinitely put on hold.

## **Agriculture**

Food was still an ongoing problem, as the FToSA was embargoed by almost every nation in South America, leaving it without necessary supplies. Quickly, fears of starvation began to set in in large cities, as food had to be rationed again and again, bringing down the amount of food that each person could eat frequently. In an emergency Congress called in August of 1926, various agricultural and urban communes and unions came together to discuss how to end the growing hunger of the people. Taking after their German comrades, many unions voted and decided that an initiative will be taken out to partially “deindustrialize” parts of Argentina in order to cultivate more farmland and to grow agricultural output. When this was agreed upon, hundreds of urban unions voted on whether they would take the lead and move to rural farmlands. In total about 50,000 workers migrated from urban cities to farmlands and rural communes from October to January, where they were taught how to farm effectively and thanks to this agricultural output increased, but it was still not enough to fully prevent the fear of chronic hunger.

Urban unions also realized part of the problem was due to damaged transportation. If railways were restored food could be distributed at a much faster pace. In March of 1927 anarchists in Buenos Aires contacted Berlin asking them for needed supplies and food. Thankfully Germany obliged and a month later German aid arrived in Buenos Aires to the relief of the population. Agricultural production was still below what it needed to be, however and pressure for further de-industrialization by unions to their workers occurred, only with about 10,000 more industrial workers becoming farmers. At the same time the first railway lines were finally getting finished by around summer of 1927 connected more Argentinian lands and communities with one and another. With this in mind, and with the further arrival of German aid and new distribution of food, hunger seemed to be wearing off until the winter of that year, when food had to be rationed further due to the harsh season. Over 40,000 people died during the winter alone, but by spring and summer agriculture once again grew for the year and by fall the laws of rationing were loosened. Gradually, food wouldn’t be an issue for the general population but rationing would still stay in effect indefinitely.

After this tumultuous time period, anarchism would finally be cemented as legitimate within most of Argentine society. With most factories and major industry under the collectivized control of the working class, the FToSA saw less industrial development than their capitalist counterparts, but the FToSA remained a stable regime since the late 1920s. Cities saw a revival of life and culture beginning in the 1930s, and some were even expanded as some of the farmers turned back to industrial work.

As it stands today, Anarchist agriculture remains the backbone of the FTSA’s food supply, but recent imports from various socialist nations like the German Union and the Peoples’ Union of America have eased the dependency on the agricultural industry.

## **Military**

The military of the FTSA is the lifeblood of the revolution, as cities as large as Buenos Aires vs. small towns like Puerto Madryn are protected by militia units in case of a counter-revolution, though those fears have died down since the beginning of the decade. Since the communization and unionization of the workforce, the militias were able to get a ready supply of weapons as since the Revolution the militias were depleted in resources.

Similarly to the army, the navy of the FTSA is quite small, only used to protect international waters, with many ships outdated and still in use from the time of the revolution and since the mutinies of the then Argentine navy to the anarchists.

## **Politics**

The political structure in the FTSA can, at best be described as non-existent on any level other than local. While some organizations exist that are specifically syndicalist, or communist while other groups that aren’t specifically socialist are mostly underground for fear of being repressed if they emerge and make themselves public. While most reactionaries fled to Brazil after the revolution, they still stay in wait for the right time to strike at the anarchists. Despite the common belief that an anarchist society could never function, and that they could organize a counter-revolution against the radicals, the militias snuffed out any anti-Anarchists capable of disturbing the new peace. By the 1930s as public support for the Anarchist cause grew once again it made it near impossible in the close future to successfully overthrow the anarchists.

## **City vs. Rural life**

### **Cities**

City life in the FTSA doesn’t differ all that much from, say syndicalist authority in various nations. While the people work themselves and the working class is still unionized, one major difference is the reliance on public transportation. Especially used in the wake of the Argentine Famine of the 1920s, public transportation has soared in its use since the late 20s, being used not only by the general population but also for the move of supplies and food from one commune/region to another. An elaborate system was established across the nation that makes it much easier to distribute food to various places in need, mostly urban areas. Industry, while being repaired has seen little shift in the past decade with some cities starting to industrialize, but without strict government laws to enforce otherwise, industrial development has stagnated.

### **Rural life**

Like life in the cities, living in rural regions is comparable to that of any other libertarian socialist nation. Alongside improved public transportation, rural towns have seen an uptake in their living standards, especially indigenous towns, which were intentionally left to decay under the Argentine regime, but after the civil war the indigenous people took back their communities, and with extra aid from various communes the indigenous people they were able to improve themselves and bring their community out of years of oppression from Buenos Aires. Indigenous people are very influential in rural life, compares with the mostly white dominated urban cities, relations between the native people (mostly in places like Patagonia) and the white settlers are still tense.