Argentina: History and Culture office of international programs
Buenos Aires, Argentina The history of Argentina is one of
contrast and paradox. It began as an inhospitable region on the
fringes of the Spanish Empire, turned into one of the wealthiest
and most cosmopolitan countries in the world by the late 19th
century, and became the scenario of the largest populist
movement in Latin America under the sway of Juan D. Perón and
Evita Perón. In spite of its economic decline for most of the
20th century, Argentina retained a privileged place as a
cultural and artistic center. This introductory course is aimed
at offering a comprehensive overview of the historical and
cultural trajectory of the country. Topics will include the
crisis of the Spanish colonial rule; the rise of rural
caudillos; the nation-state building process and the country’s
consolidation as one of the major breadbaskets of the world in
the late 19th century; the birth of Buenos Aires as a great
cosmopolitan city; the emergence of Peronism; th