Argentina’s Failed General Strike of 1921: A Critical Moment in the Radicals’ Relations with Unions

Abstract

I N the years immediately after 1917, labor activism in Argentina expanded exponentially. This should not be surprising; almost everywhere in the Western world in the wake of World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution, strike rates increased greatly. The old barriers appeared to fall. The war itself brought changes to the European nations that at first seemed profound. The Russian Revolution sent a message to workers around the world that revolution was possible, and turmoil temporarily gripped much of Europe.' That a distant upheaval should have a profound impact on Argentina is also not surprising. While Argentina remained neutral and was spared total war, the conflict changed the nation. The torrent of immigration largely ceased, and even reversed between 1914 and 1918, producing a different labor market than that which had existed previously. Immigrants had lived for some time in Argentina and had adjusted to their new world, and no constant inflow of surplus labor existed. Only in 1920-21 did immigration significantly increase, and not until iz922 did it reach anything like prewar levels.2 The initial war years brought severe economic depression, prompted by shifting demands for exports and difficulties in importing