The 1919 Semana Trágica: Argentina's Class War Erupts

In January 1919, Buenos Aires became the stage for one of the most violent labor clashes in Argentine history: the Semana Trágica. This episode follows the brutal crackdown on striking workers at the Vasena metalworks, the anarchist-led general strike, and the shadowy role of the Argentine Patriotic League. We explore how President Hipólito Yrigoyen, elected just three years earlier on a platform of reform, found himself presiding over a state that killed hundreds of its own citizens. Drawing on contemporary accounts, we walk through the seven days of street fighting, the burning of Jewish neighborhoods, and the lasting trauma that shaped labor relations for decades. We also ask: was this the moment Argentina's promise of social mobility died? And how did a single factory dispute escalate into a nationwide class war? This is the story of a week that Argentina has never fully reckoned with.

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