The Conquest of the Desert: Argentina's Bloody Foundation

In 1879, General Julio Argentino Roca led a military campaign into Patagonia, crushing indigenous resistance and opening millions of hectares for agriculture and ranching. This episode explores the Conquest of the Desert — the motives behind it, the brutal methods used, and the profound consequences for both the native peoples and Argentina's future. Lucas and Luna discuss Roca's rise, the role of the gauchos as frontier soldiers, the transformation of the pampas into a global breadbasket, and how this land grab set the stage for Argentina's golden age of exports — and its later crises. They also touch on the contested legacy of the campaign, the displacement of the Mapuche and other nations, and the echoes of that violence in modern Argentina.

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