Argentina under Peron

Under the new president, the Central Bank and all fossil fuels were nationalized, the railways were modernized, and the world's longest gas pipeline and largest airport were built. In 1951, Perón even claimed that Argentina would achieve nuclear fusion before anyone else. Research, on the recommendation of Kurt Tank, a former Wehrmacht aircraft designer, was led by Austrian engineer Ronald Richter. The Austrian soon claimed success but provided no evidence. Soon, an investigation commissioned by Perón revealed that the research was a fraudulent scheme. Social programs occupied a central place in Juan Domingo's policies. Hospitals, kindergartens, and schools were built on a massive scale. Argentines gained the right to free healthcare. Since Perón's time, education has remained free in the country up to postgraduate level. Salaries have increased by 30%. In 1949, Perón officially proclaimed his "Third Way" doctrine, which aimed to maintain neutrality in the Cold War. He sought to please everyone while maintaining his independence: under his rule, an Argentine embassy was established in Moscow. In the 1950s, Argentina introduced preferential treatment for American goods. In 1952, Evita Perón, the nation's spiritual leader and a key component of the Peronist success, died of uterine cancer. Natural resources ceased to generate the revenue they once did, and the government had nothing to offer in exchange to support the economy. In 1955, Perón's Justice Party was overthrown in a military coup. Some workers continued to support the president until news arrived of his flight from the country. The Peronist Party was banned.