Date: Friday 22
Historical Relevance
World War II
1) What was the political situation in your country during the Second World War?
During the Second World War, there were many presidents in Argentina. The two first head                           
of state were Roberto Marcelino Ortiz(from the UCR party) and Ramón Castillo (from de                         
PDN party). The first governed from 1938 to 1942, he resigned because of health                         
problems. His vice­president assumed, he lasted only one year because he was deposed                       
by a group of militars. This was the end of the “infamous decade”, a period that was                               
characterized by continuous electoral fraud, with a government known for its conservatism.                     
This new political period was known as “ Revolución del 43”, were three dictators                         
governed: Arturo Rawson, Pedro Pablo Ramírez and Edelmiro Julián Farrell. This                   
dictatorial government had a big civic support, their main objective was to guarantee                       
Argentina’s neutrality until the end of the Second World War. During this period the figure                           
of general Juan Domingo Perón emerged, creating the peronist movement. He was                     
elected and assumed in 1946, after the last dictatorial period led by Farrell.
2) What role did your country play during the Second World War?
The Republic of Argentina had a long tradition of being in neutral position against                         
world wars. However, Argentina had a policy opposed to the interests of United States and                           
its allies, and with some sympathy for the Axis countries. The allies were the countries                           
against the Axis countries, whose main members were England, France, United States                     
and the Soviet Union. They fought against the expansionism of their rivals. By contrast, the                           
Axis’s members were Germany, Japan and Italy, in addition to the help of other countries.                           
But everything changed when a conflict appeared throughout the maritime commerce to the                       
Axis, as Argentina was unable to trade primarily with Rome and Berlin. That was why                           
Argentina continued trading with the United States and with the Allies, especially with                       
England, who depended on some products coming from Argentina to feed their people.                       
Argentina also stopped being neutral and became part of the Second World War just a                           
few months before the war ended. Here it was clear that Argentina was part of the war only                                 
for economics reasons. So, we can say that Argentina’s role at that moment was marketing                           
their products with Allies countries to get economic benefits..
3) What role did your country play in the aftermath of the Second World War?
After the war, Nazis came to Argentina without any kind of trouble. Argentina was like a                             
hiding place for the nazis because here, no one knew them. This was the case of Adolf                               
Eichmann, Josef Schwammberger, Walter Kutschmann, Klaus Barbie, Joseph Mengele,               
Priebke, Ante Pavelic, Gerhard Bohne and Dinko Sakic.
Nazis who stayed in Argentina as a kind of hiding place, had an important social position.
For example, in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita Ludolf von Alvensleben lived, who was a                         
member of the Nazi. This man was in Argentina with his real name, he was a councilor for                                 
radicalism, president of the only football club in the town and hunting and fishing inspector                           
of the city of Cordoba. People like him were more than two hundred.
Almost all were helped organizationally, with the support of the Catholic Church and the                         
International Red Cross, and the complacency of the Peronist government, which came to                       
create real 'welcoming committees' for these people.
The story and experiences of our family during WWII
Testimony of Luis Antonio Chiozza (Nicolas´s Grandfather):
In the middle of the Second World War, Luis was 13 years old, just                         
like Anne Frank. Here, in Argentina, he was fine, but his                   
grandparents were in Italy, so his family was always very worried                   
about them. Communication was complicated, but in some way,               
they managed to tell Luis and his family what the situation was like                       
over there. Luis, who loved to read and write, wrote a letter to his                         
grandparents everyday after school. In that time he wrote small                 
stories for a local newspaper, it wasn’t a job; he did it for free,                         
because he loved it. And he used to write about his grandparents,                     
and his idea of how they should feel. He never used their real                       
names, but he and his family knew who the characters really were.                     
Eventually the world war two ended, and his grandparents, came to                   
the country and stayed here for a few weeks.
Testimony of Veronica Casella (Victoria’s mother):
As my mother wasn't born to the Second World War, she                   
didn’t have a personal experience of the war. However, she                 
told me an anecdote of an acquaintance of hers. What                 
happened was that before the war started, this person was                 
forced to go to Italy with her mother to be cured of a disease                         
that could only be taken care of there. Both of them, went to                       
Italy leaving his father here in Argentina. Unfortunately, when               
they were ready to return to Argentina, his mother died of                   
cancer. Therefore, he had to stay several more days in Italy.                   
But bad luck didn't end, when he was returning home with his father the war started. He                               
went into hiding in Italy until the war ended. His father thought he was dead because there                               
wasn’t news about him. And the letters he sent him, never had answers.But luckily, he                           
survived the war. When he returned to Argentina his father had died two weeks ago. Being                             
only 19, he became an orphan. But all the bad things that happened to him as a young                                 
man, was a learning for his future. Finally he could form a family and live happily.
Testimony of Salomon Kaplan ( Maia´s Grandfather):
My grandfather lived in Ukraine,a state of the Soviet Union. When the war started, he was                             
14 years old. He escaped to another part of the Soviet Union where the Nazis didn't go.                               
after a while, he returned home and found that there wasn't anybody there in his                           
neighborhood. It was like a desert. at that moment, he realised that his family was                           
kidnapped by the Germans.
After that, he started to look for places to stay. Finally, he went to Uruguay by ship. Some                                 
years later, he came to Argentina where he could start a family. Nowadays he doesn't want                             
to talk much about the war because he suffered a lot, he lost his family and it was very hard                                     
for him. Since he was 14 years old, he had lived alone, but fortunately, he found a wife and                                   
they had three children..
Testimony of Miguel Grois(Ignacio’s Grandfather):
Miguel was 18 years old, when the world war two started. He was born in Russia but he                                   
escaped from the communism to Argentina some time before the Second World War                       
started. He and his family in Argentina weren’t affected directly by the war, but as the                             
communication with his family in Russia was awful they didn’t know very much, and the                           
information arrived with lots of mistake. They couldn’t know what would happen, they were                         
a Jewish family and after hearing all the terrible thing that happened to other Jewish family                             
in Europe they were afraid about their family in Argentina and Russia.

Ejemplo3

  • 1.
                                                                                                                            Date: Friday 22 Historical Relevance World War II 1) What was the political situation in your country during the Second World War? During the SecondWorld War, there were many presidents in Argentina. The two first head                            of state were Roberto Marcelino Ortiz(from the UCR party) and Ramón Castillo (from de                          PDN party). The first governed from 1938 to 1942, he resigned because of health                          problems. His vice­president assumed, he lasted only one year because he was deposed                        by a group of militars. This was the end of the “infamous decade”, a period that was                                characterized by continuous electoral fraud, with a government known for its conservatism.                      This new political period was known as “ Revolución del 43”, were three dictators                          governed: Arturo Rawson, Pedro Pablo Ramírez and Edelmiro Julián Farrell. This                    dictatorial government had a big civic support, their main objective was to guarantee                        Argentina’s neutrality until the end of the Second World War. During this period the figure                            of general Juan Domingo Perón emerged, creating the peronist movement. He was                      elected and assumed in 1946, after the last dictatorial period led by Farrell. 2) What role did your country play during the Second World War? The Republic of Argentina had a long tradition of being in neutral position against                          world wars. However, Argentina had a policy opposed to the interests of United States and                           
  • 2.
    its allies, andwith some sympathy for the Axis countries. The allies were the countries                            against the Axis countries, whose main members were England, France, United States                      and the Soviet Union. They fought against the expansionism of their rivals. By contrast, the                            Axis’s members were Germany, Japan and Italy, in addition to the help of other countries.                            But everything changed when a conflict appeared throughout the maritime commerce to the                        Axis, as Argentina was unable to trade primarily with Rome and Berlin. That was why                            Argentina continued trading with the United States and with the Allies, especially with                        England, who depended on some products coming from Argentina to feed their people.                        Argentina also stopped being neutral and became part of the Second World War just a                            few months before the war ended. Here it was clear that Argentina was part of the war only                                  for economics reasons. So, we can say that Argentina’s role at that moment was marketing                            their products with Allies countries to get economic benefits.. 3) What role did your country play in the aftermath of the Second World War? After the war, Nazis came to Argentina without any kind of trouble. Argentina was like a                              hiding place for the nazis because here, no one knew them. This was the case of Adolf                                Eichmann, Josef Schwammberger, Walter Kutschmann, Klaus Barbie, Joseph Mengele,                Priebke, Ante Pavelic, Gerhard Bohne and Dinko Sakic. Nazis who stayed in Argentina as a kind of hiding place, had an important social position. For example, in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita Ludolf von Alvensleben lived, who was a                          member of the Nazi. This man was in Argentina with his real name, he was a councilor for                                  radicalism, president of the only football club in the town and hunting and fishing inspector                            of the city of Cordoba. People like him were more than two hundred. Almost all were helped organizationally, with the support of the Catholic Church and the                          International Red Cross, and the complacency of the Peronist government, which came to                        create real 'welcoming committees' for these people.
  • 3.
    The story and experiences of our family during WWII Testimony of Luis Antonio Chiozza (Nicolas´s Grandfather): In the middleof the Second World War, Luis was 13 years old, just                          like Anne Frank. Here, in Argentina, he was fine, but his                    grandparents were in Italy, so his family was always very worried                    about them. Communication was complicated, but in some way,                they managed to tell Luis and his family what the situation was like                        over there. Luis, who loved to read and write, wrote a letter to his                          grandparents everyday after school. In that time he wrote small                  stories for a local newspaper, it wasn’t a job; he did it for free,                          because he loved it. And he used to write about his grandparents,                      and his idea of how they should feel. He never used their real                        names, but he and his family knew who the characters really were.                      Eventually the world war two ended, and his grandparents, came to                    the country and stayed here for a few weeks. Testimony of Veronica Casella (Victoria’s mother): As my mother wasn't born to the Second World War, she                    didn’t have a personal experience of the war. However, she                  told me an anecdote of an acquaintance of hers. What                  happened was that before the war started, this person was                  forced to go to Italy with her mother to be cured of a disease                          that could only be taken care of there. Both of them, went to                        Italy leaving his father here in Argentina. Unfortunately, when                they were ready to return to Argentina, his mother died of                    cancer. Therefore, he had to stay several more days in Italy.                    But bad luck didn't end, when he was returning home with his father the war started. He                                went into hiding in Italy until the war ended. His father thought he was dead because there                                wasn’t news about him. And the letters he sent him, never had answers.But luckily, he                            survived the war. When he returned to Argentina his father had died two weeks ago. Being                              only 19, he became an orphan. But all the bad things that happened to him as a young                                  man, was a learning for his future. Finally he could form a family and live happily.
  • 4.
    Testimony of Salomon Kaplan ( Maia´s Grandfather): My grandfather livedin Ukraine,a state of the Soviet Union. When the war started, he was                              14 years old. He escaped to another part of the Soviet Union where the Nazis didn't go.                                after a while, he returned home and found that there wasn't anybody there in his                            neighborhood. It was like a desert. at that moment, he realised that his family was                            kidnapped by the Germans. After that, he started to look for places to stay. Finally, he went to Uruguay by ship. Some                                  years later, he came to Argentina where he could start a family. Nowadays he doesn't want                              to talk much about the war because he suffered a lot, he lost his family and it was very hard                                      for him. Since he was 14 years old, he had lived alone, but fortunately, he found a wife and                                    they had three children.. Testimony of Miguel Grois(Ignacio’s Grandfather): Miguel was 18 years old, when the world war two started. He was born in Russia but he                                    escaped from the communism to Argentina some time before the Second World War                        started. He and his family in Argentina weren’t affected directly by the war, but as the                              communication with his family in Russia was awful they didn’t know very much, and the                            information arrived with lots of mistake. They couldn’t know what would happen, they were                          a Jewish family and after hearing all the terrible thing that happened to other Jewish family                              in Europe they were afraid about their family in Argentina and Russia.