maverick
Banned
La Larga y Oscura Noche
The long and dark night
The Argentine Civil War of 1955
As it happened with the history of Spain in the 20th century, there was no event in our own history as defining as the cruel and bloody Civil war that ravaged the nation, divided our people and forever shaped our history and identity.
The year was 1955 and a winter of Discontent had settled in the Argentine Nation, from the End of the world to la Quiaca, winds of change and rebellion were blowing and the convulsed political and social climate that dominated the country served as an ominous prologue to what would transform into a storm of iron and blood in the dying days of the winter…
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ministry of the Navy
June 16th of 1955
The distance between the Ministry and the Casa Rosada [1] is of only three blocks, and there is no building or structure whatsoever to separate the two, only an open space, a parking lot, now occupied by military vehicles and hundreds, if not thousands of government loyalists with the intention of taking the rebel ministry and killing everyone inside.
It’s been three hours since the initial bombings began the prelude to the failed revolution.
Three days before 250,000 people had gathered at the National Congress, encouraged by several religious figures, in protest to Peron’s Government. The subsequent engagements between Peron’s supporters and his opponents on the streets had only resulted in a deterioration of an already barely controllable situation. [2]
Admiral Toranzo Calderon, one of the leaders of the rebellion, has a clear sight of the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo from his office at the ministry, as well as a perfect view of the growing crowds of armed civilians and army soldiers in front of his ministry, across the empty parking lot. The Army Machine guns located at the Plaza de Mayo and the Casa de Gobierno have already opened fire against the rebel-held base, but it is the mobs of armed workers and fanatical Teronists what worries the rebel admirals and their men.
At 13:12, nearly three hours after Admiral Gargiulo began the mutiny and ordered the bombing of the Casa Rosada and began the revolution, the General Secretary of the CGT, Hugo Di Pietro, called the workers of Buenos Aires and ordered the defence of the Government. [3]
Thousands of workers had left their works and gathered at the CGT, the Plaza de Mayo and the bases of the Nationalist Alliance, the major paramilitary organization behind Peron’s movement and the only openly distributing weapons to the workers. Along the Avenida Corrientes and using Jeeps and military vehicles to pass along the army rifles and pistols, the Nationalist Alliance gathers its people’s militias and calls for an attack of the Ministry of the Navy, much to the worry of both the rebel officers and the loyalist army officers.
“What are they doing now?” asked Admiral Torranzo Calderon to one of his men, stationed at the rooftop of the ministry and keeping an eye on the events in the street.
“There are barricades being built around the Casa de Gobierno. Civilians are building them; the soldiers are only standing around, preparing their tanks and anti-aircraft artillery”
“I see”
“At the Correo Central there are hundreds gathering sir, I can’t see much”
“I see”
The Admiral did not need to actually see what was going on at the Post office to know what was taking place there. Peron’s most fanatical followers, the Nationalist Alliance, were obviously using the blind spot to gather their own troops and arm them with military equipment. They were only two blocks away, but the corner and the blind spot at Alem and Corrientes were enough to cover their movements.
**********************************************************************
Vecinities the Ministry of the Navy
14:15 hrs
“What is going on?”
“Those idiots are still yelling” announced the officer through the radio. “They still haven’t learnt their lesson”
As he communicated with his fellow officers at the Plaza de Mayo, he took another look at the parking lot used by the Navy as a demarcation line. Between twenty and thirty corpses covered the place, all workers called by the CGT and armed by the Nationalist Alliance, all attacking without cover, protection or any strategy whatsoever other than blind fanaticism.
“Idiots”
“Did you say something, sir?”
“Are the reinforcements ready, corporal?”
“They are taking a while to get here because of the civilians, sir. Corrientes and Saenz Peña cannot be used, and the other avenues, well…”
“Nevermind” I can see the problem from here. Surrounding the army vehicles and accompanying the soldiers there were thousands of armed workers yelling and chanting, sometimes singing some of the Marcha Peronista, sometimes chatting with the soldiers and discussing “Strategy”
From his position the Captain could see the Ministry, surrounded by the armed sailors and ‘Infantes de Marina’, barricaded and waiting for another “valiant charge”. He took another glimpse at the dead men scattered along the parking, dressed as civilians and armed with rifles and shook his head. [4]
**********************************************************************
Underground facilities, beneath the Ministry of War
14:20 hrs
The air was getting quite rare in the war room. On the table there were piles of documents, reports and scattered papers over a map of the city of Buenos Aires. Around the table, the President of Argentina was surrounded by his trusted Generals and his Minister of War, General Franklin Lucero.
“As you can see, we have been able to blockade any incoming reinforcements from the Navy’s School of Mechanic at Nuñez, and we expect to have enough troops to surround the Ministry of the Navy by 15:00 sir, if the traffic conditions allow it. For the moment, Mr. President, the flow of workers at the main avenues…” continued the minister of war…
“I am aware” interrupted the President while shaking his head and covering his face with his hands.
“Reports of armed civilians, being armed by the Nationalist Alliance and the CGT” [5]
“I am aware!” interrupted the President once more
“This is not what I wanted” muttered Peron to himself, as he imagined the bloodbath and the thousands of dead civilians on the streets of Buenos Aires
“What of the casualties?” inquired Peron loudly as his posture normalized, much to the relief of his men
“Well, once we secure the areas around the rebel held area at Madero and…”
“Civilian casualties, General…”
“Well, Mr. President, Thus far, counting the dead and wounded from the initial bombings at the Plaza de Mayo and the use of machine gun fire against the civilian population, we can estimate casualties of at least 400 dead, perhaps even more, and thousands of wounded, not to mention the civilians still surrounding the Ministry and subject to enemy fire…and we also must consider that there are still enemy planes in the air”
“Shoot them down”
“We already have our own planes in the area, and are engaging the enemy over Newberry and the Rio de la Plata (River of La Plata)…and we’ve got some reports of the rebel Meteors…”
“Keep me informed…what about of the fight on the land?”…as he asked, the tensions in the room became more evident. Several dozen meters underground, in the midst of a possible civil war and under danger of direct enemy fire…
“Well, reports about enemy civilian troops have ceased, probably because of the intervention of armed militias gathered by the CGT…”
The pause was not good, but it was necessary to state the obvious, that the people were armed and fighting in the streets of Buenos Aires. The awkward silence was interrupted by the sound of the radio and the continuation of the reports.
“Sir, there are reports from the affected area. Units of the Fourth Battalion of the Naval Infantry have opened fire around the Correo Central, they might be trying to break the siege on the ministry…” announced the General ominously
“And our reinforcements…”
**********************************************************************
Ministry of the Navy
Between 14:50 hrs and 15:00 hrs
“This better work” muttered Admiral Torrenzo Calderon as his men placed the white rag, the biggest piece of white fabric they could find in the ministry, and hanged it from a window, to the sight of everyone as far as the Casa de Gobierno. The message was clear; the rebels were willing to negotiate.
From his office, the admiral could only see the transformation overtaking the mob with a sensation of insecurity and fear.
In the streets and plazas, a massive wave of euphoria and jubilee swept through the massive crowd that had been witnessing the fighting or had taken active part in it. In typical outfits for workers and common city people, armed with everything from planks of wood, hammers, sticks and clubs to Mauser army rifles distributed by the Nationalist alliance, the crowd cheered the apparent surrender of the rebel base.
What exactly possessed the men heading the mob we will never know, but in an impulsive outburst of triumph and anger, the Peronist militias began a swift march upon the surrounded Ministry. The fifteen seconds that followed were utter chaos and bloodshed. Machine gun fire from the besieged rebels caused numerous casualties amongst the militia ranks.
The rebel volley had left over 40 men, dead and wounded, lying across the parking lot that separated the Ministry of the Navy from the government forces.
“¡Estúpidos!” yelled Admiral Torranzo Calderon
“Sir” interrupted one of the officers “Admiral Oliveri has informed us that the next attack is underway and that new targets have been selected”
“Let me see” said the Admiral has he read the communiqué that his man had handed him
“New bombings on the Casa de Gobierno, Radio del Estado and upon the Confederación General del Trabajo…Good heaven”
**********************************************************************
Navy’s Communications Station at Costanera Norte
15:00 hrs
“Bombardear Casa de Gobierno, Radio del Estado y la Confederación General del Trabajo”
Captain Carlos Álvarez, in charge of the Communications Station at the Costanera Norte, receives the orders and passes them to his subbordinate, Suboficial Segundo Paulino Godoy.
Enough years in the armed forces will teach you the importance of the chain of command and obeying orders, but it was Claus von Clausewitz who said “No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Far from being a disloyal officer or a mutineer, Paulino Godoy was still far from a robot. Whatever his motivations were that day, whether it was common sense or peronist loyalty, Godoy reads the message, returns it and says:
“I won’t transmit this dispatch, it’s unconceivable”
Captain Alvarez reacts and realizes what is being ordered. Upon a few seconds of hesitation, he contacts his immediate superior, Captain Oscar Hourcades and they deliberate. The CGT, where there are currently 50,000 workers gathered and ready to march upon the besieged ministry of the navy, is far from a military target and therefore cannot include in the list of targets.
“We shall proceed with the main targets, the Casa de Gobierno and the Government’s Radio Station”
*********************************************************************
Casa de Gobierno
Two 12,7 mm Colt Machine guns on the rooftop of the Casa Rosada constituted only half of the available anti-aircraft defense, but in the midst of the panic and the nature of the attacks, it was all that the circumstances could allow.
Armored vehicles along with members of the Granaderos a Caballo and other loyal army units were surrounding the casa de Gobierno, accompanied by armed civilians and rescue personal still assisting the victims of the early bombings at the Plaza de Mayo.
In the first bombings, 22 North American AT-26s, 5 Beechcraft AT-11s and 3 Amphibious Catalinas had taken part of the attack, throwing over 9500 kgs of bombs, many of which were 50 kg fragmentation bombs, which caused terrible damage amongst the civilians at the Plaza de Mayo and the surroundings. The subsequent machine gun fire opened by the planes caused even more casualties, up to 800.
Little did the men at the Casa de Gobierno and the Plaza de Mayo know that the nightmare was far from over for them. Orders had been transmitted just minutes ago and the rebel planes, still flying over the skies of Buenos Aires, were on their way to continue with their task.
This time the rebels had included even deadlier weapons to their arsenal of terror: four Gloster Meteor interceptors, previously under loyalist command and even part of the early engagements against the rebels.
Panic is widespread; the people scream and take cover as the anti-aircraft-artillery opens fire on the enemy warplanes. Beneath and behind the government tanks or at the very Casa Rosada, people try to escape the carnage that ensues. Machine gun fire follows the dropping of over 33 bombs over the Casa de Gobierno. 8 bombs fail to explode, but the rest work with deathly efficiency.
After a few minutes, there is only silence.
**********************************************************************
20:00 hrs
Ministry of the Navy
The surrender of the rebel units had taken place two hours earlier, and the last rebels had either surrendered or escaped to Uruguay by plane, those which had not been shot down in any case. Yet there were still some somber figures remaining in the abandoned and occupied building.
“…Igual que en España ¡Es tremendo! ¡Esto es insoportable para mi, me siento responsable de todo!”
(Just as in Spain, it’s terrible! I cannot bear this, I feel responsible of all of this!) [6]
Admiral Gargiulo’s face had turned completely white and his eyes were wide open. From the windows of the formerly besieged ministry, could see the fire of the churches burnt by the Peronist militias, as well as the smaller fires on the streets and the torches carried by the dispersing mobs. The fire surrounding the cathedral of Buenos Aires is the most heartbreaking image of the day.
The two officers joining Gargiulo are also lamenting the scene, but they must leave as well if they want to leave the building alive. The alleged amnesty offered by the government has a dead line and there are few willing to prove the government’s forgiveness. Even if Peron is willing to forget and forgive, the mob is a different story. Thankfully there was always the army. Surrendering to the army was the safe option offered by the authorities. Everything was better than the mob.
“I’ll join you later” lays the admiral
“Goodbye sir! Saluted the two officers as they led on the three major leaders of the revolution alone with his thoughts…
The fire, the destroyed vehicles, the scenes of devastation in front of the ministry and across the city, all of the images disappear as a shadowy figures crosses the door of the office.
“Buenas Noches, Almirante” greeted Major Vicente, of the Motorized Regiment ‘Buenos Aires’
“Good evening, Major”
“I have been instructed to detain you”
“I expected that much. I was hoping you wouldn’t turn me to the mob. Anything but that; there’s little future with an angry mob as judge and jury”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about the future if I were you Admiral”
As he approached the Admiral’ desk, he left a small object covered with a small white handkerchief. It was a pistol, as Gargiulo had suspected.
“Tell me, Major, have you made this same offer to Calderon and Oliveri? [7]
“I am about to, yes”
“It’s better than nothing”
“It’s better than them” said the Major, referring to the crowd.
Outside, in the city, things were relatively calm, at least after this storm. But everyone involved knew that the end was far from near and that the calm of today is but the eye of the hurricane.
Inside the ministry of the Navy, a Sound of Thunder and silence
[8]
Notes:1. Casa Rosada and Casa de Gobierno; Argentinean version of the White House
2. The 250,000 people gathered because the Government was aiming at banning the religious processions of Corpus Christi, which they saw as a gathering of the opposition;
3. CGT: Confederación General del Trabajo; Worker’s General Confederacy; the Worker’s Unions
4. Pretty much IOTL, but with more civilians;
5. This is the POD; IOTL there were armed civilians on both sides and Peron was reluctant to arm his followers; ITTL, there are even more and thousands of casualties
6. Actual quote, actually, all of this prologue is OTL, except for some minor tweaking...
7. Admiral Samuel Toranzo Calderon, the main rebel leader, Admiral Oliveri is minister of the Navy and only joins due to loyalty to his men; as IOTL, Gargiulo is the only one to commit suicide
8. Sound of Thunder, I do use that a lot, don’t I?
The long and dark night
The Argentine Civil War of 1955
As it happened with the history of Spain in the 20th century, there was no event in our own history as defining as the cruel and bloody Civil war that ravaged the nation, divided our people and forever shaped our history and identity.
The year was 1955 and a winter of Discontent had settled in the Argentine Nation, from the End of the world to la Quiaca, winds of change and rebellion were blowing and the convulsed political and social climate that dominated the country served as an ominous prologue to what would transform into a storm of iron and blood in the dying days of the winter…
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ministry of the Navy
June 16th of 1955
The distance between the Ministry and the Casa Rosada [1] is of only three blocks, and there is no building or structure whatsoever to separate the two, only an open space, a parking lot, now occupied by military vehicles and hundreds, if not thousands of government loyalists with the intention of taking the rebel ministry and killing everyone inside.
It’s been three hours since the initial bombings began the prelude to the failed revolution.
Three days before 250,000 people had gathered at the National Congress, encouraged by several religious figures, in protest to Peron’s Government. The subsequent engagements between Peron’s supporters and his opponents on the streets had only resulted in a deterioration of an already barely controllable situation. [2]
Admiral Toranzo Calderon, one of the leaders of the rebellion, has a clear sight of the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo from his office at the ministry, as well as a perfect view of the growing crowds of armed civilians and army soldiers in front of his ministry, across the empty parking lot. The Army Machine guns located at the Plaza de Mayo and the Casa de Gobierno have already opened fire against the rebel-held base, but it is the mobs of armed workers and fanatical Teronists what worries the rebel admirals and their men.
At 13:12, nearly three hours after Admiral Gargiulo began the mutiny and ordered the bombing of the Casa Rosada and began the revolution, the General Secretary of the CGT, Hugo Di Pietro, called the workers of Buenos Aires and ordered the defence of the Government. [3]
Thousands of workers had left their works and gathered at the CGT, the Plaza de Mayo and the bases of the Nationalist Alliance, the major paramilitary organization behind Peron’s movement and the only openly distributing weapons to the workers. Along the Avenida Corrientes and using Jeeps and military vehicles to pass along the army rifles and pistols, the Nationalist Alliance gathers its people’s militias and calls for an attack of the Ministry of the Navy, much to the worry of both the rebel officers and the loyalist army officers.
“What are they doing now?” asked Admiral Torranzo Calderon to one of his men, stationed at the rooftop of the ministry and keeping an eye on the events in the street.
“There are barricades being built around the Casa de Gobierno. Civilians are building them; the soldiers are only standing around, preparing their tanks and anti-aircraft artillery”
“I see”
“At the Correo Central there are hundreds gathering sir, I can’t see much”
“I see”
The Admiral did not need to actually see what was going on at the Post office to know what was taking place there. Peron’s most fanatical followers, the Nationalist Alliance, were obviously using the blind spot to gather their own troops and arm them with military equipment. They were only two blocks away, but the corner and the blind spot at Alem and Corrientes were enough to cover their movements.
**********************************************************************
Vecinities the Ministry of the Navy
14:15 hrs
“What is going on?”
“Those idiots are still yelling” announced the officer through the radio. “They still haven’t learnt their lesson”
As he communicated with his fellow officers at the Plaza de Mayo, he took another look at the parking lot used by the Navy as a demarcation line. Between twenty and thirty corpses covered the place, all workers called by the CGT and armed by the Nationalist Alliance, all attacking without cover, protection or any strategy whatsoever other than blind fanaticism.
“Idiots”
“Did you say something, sir?”
“Are the reinforcements ready, corporal?”
“They are taking a while to get here because of the civilians, sir. Corrientes and Saenz Peña cannot be used, and the other avenues, well…”
“Nevermind” I can see the problem from here. Surrounding the army vehicles and accompanying the soldiers there were thousands of armed workers yelling and chanting, sometimes singing some of the Marcha Peronista, sometimes chatting with the soldiers and discussing “Strategy”
From his position the Captain could see the Ministry, surrounded by the armed sailors and ‘Infantes de Marina’, barricaded and waiting for another “valiant charge”. He took another glimpse at the dead men scattered along the parking, dressed as civilians and armed with rifles and shook his head. [4]
**********************************************************************
Underground facilities, beneath the Ministry of War
14:20 hrs
The air was getting quite rare in the war room. On the table there were piles of documents, reports and scattered papers over a map of the city of Buenos Aires. Around the table, the President of Argentina was surrounded by his trusted Generals and his Minister of War, General Franklin Lucero.
“As you can see, we have been able to blockade any incoming reinforcements from the Navy’s School of Mechanic at Nuñez, and we expect to have enough troops to surround the Ministry of the Navy by 15:00 sir, if the traffic conditions allow it. For the moment, Mr. President, the flow of workers at the main avenues…” continued the minister of war…
“I am aware” interrupted the President while shaking his head and covering his face with his hands.
“Reports of armed civilians, being armed by the Nationalist Alliance and the CGT” [5]
“I am aware!” interrupted the President once more
“This is not what I wanted” muttered Peron to himself, as he imagined the bloodbath and the thousands of dead civilians on the streets of Buenos Aires
“What of the casualties?” inquired Peron loudly as his posture normalized, much to the relief of his men
“Well, once we secure the areas around the rebel held area at Madero and…”
“Civilian casualties, General…”
“Well, Mr. President, Thus far, counting the dead and wounded from the initial bombings at the Plaza de Mayo and the use of machine gun fire against the civilian population, we can estimate casualties of at least 400 dead, perhaps even more, and thousands of wounded, not to mention the civilians still surrounding the Ministry and subject to enemy fire…and we also must consider that there are still enemy planes in the air”
“Shoot them down”
“We already have our own planes in the area, and are engaging the enemy over Newberry and the Rio de la Plata (River of La Plata)…and we’ve got some reports of the rebel Meteors…”
“Keep me informed…what about of the fight on the land?”…as he asked, the tensions in the room became more evident. Several dozen meters underground, in the midst of a possible civil war and under danger of direct enemy fire…
“Well, reports about enemy civilian troops have ceased, probably because of the intervention of armed militias gathered by the CGT…”
The pause was not good, but it was necessary to state the obvious, that the people were armed and fighting in the streets of Buenos Aires. The awkward silence was interrupted by the sound of the radio and the continuation of the reports.
“Sir, there are reports from the affected area. Units of the Fourth Battalion of the Naval Infantry have opened fire around the Correo Central, they might be trying to break the siege on the ministry…” announced the General ominously
“And our reinforcements…”
**********************************************************************
Ministry of the Navy
Between 14:50 hrs and 15:00 hrs
“This better work” muttered Admiral Torrenzo Calderon as his men placed the white rag, the biggest piece of white fabric they could find in the ministry, and hanged it from a window, to the sight of everyone as far as the Casa de Gobierno. The message was clear; the rebels were willing to negotiate.
From his office, the admiral could only see the transformation overtaking the mob with a sensation of insecurity and fear.
In the streets and plazas, a massive wave of euphoria and jubilee swept through the massive crowd that had been witnessing the fighting or had taken active part in it. In typical outfits for workers and common city people, armed with everything from planks of wood, hammers, sticks and clubs to Mauser army rifles distributed by the Nationalist alliance, the crowd cheered the apparent surrender of the rebel base.
What exactly possessed the men heading the mob we will never know, but in an impulsive outburst of triumph and anger, the Peronist militias began a swift march upon the surrounded Ministry. The fifteen seconds that followed were utter chaos and bloodshed. Machine gun fire from the besieged rebels caused numerous casualties amongst the militia ranks.
The rebel volley had left over 40 men, dead and wounded, lying across the parking lot that separated the Ministry of the Navy from the government forces.
“¡Estúpidos!” yelled Admiral Torranzo Calderon
“Sir” interrupted one of the officers “Admiral Oliveri has informed us that the next attack is underway and that new targets have been selected”
“Let me see” said the Admiral has he read the communiqué that his man had handed him
“New bombings on the Casa de Gobierno, Radio del Estado and upon the Confederación General del Trabajo…Good heaven”
**********************************************************************
Navy’s Communications Station at Costanera Norte
15:00 hrs
“Bombardear Casa de Gobierno, Radio del Estado y la Confederación General del Trabajo”
Captain Carlos Álvarez, in charge of the Communications Station at the Costanera Norte, receives the orders and passes them to his subbordinate, Suboficial Segundo Paulino Godoy.
Enough years in the armed forces will teach you the importance of the chain of command and obeying orders, but it was Claus von Clausewitz who said “No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Far from being a disloyal officer or a mutineer, Paulino Godoy was still far from a robot. Whatever his motivations were that day, whether it was common sense or peronist loyalty, Godoy reads the message, returns it and says:
“I won’t transmit this dispatch, it’s unconceivable”
Captain Alvarez reacts and realizes what is being ordered. Upon a few seconds of hesitation, he contacts his immediate superior, Captain Oscar Hourcades and they deliberate. The CGT, where there are currently 50,000 workers gathered and ready to march upon the besieged ministry of the navy, is far from a military target and therefore cannot include in the list of targets.
“We shall proceed with the main targets, the Casa de Gobierno and the Government’s Radio Station”
*********************************************************************
Casa de Gobierno
Two 12,7 mm Colt Machine guns on the rooftop of the Casa Rosada constituted only half of the available anti-aircraft defense, but in the midst of the panic and the nature of the attacks, it was all that the circumstances could allow.
Armored vehicles along with members of the Granaderos a Caballo and other loyal army units were surrounding the casa de Gobierno, accompanied by armed civilians and rescue personal still assisting the victims of the early bombings at the Plaza de Mayo.
In the first bombings, 22 North American AT-26s, 5 Beechcraft AT-11s and 3 Amphibious Catalinas had taken part of the attack, throwing over 9500 kgs of bombs, many of which were 50 kg fragmentation bombs, which caused terrible damage amongst the civilians at the Plaza de Mayo and the surroundings. The subsequent machine gun fire opened by the planes caused even more casualties, up to 800.
Little did the men at the Casa de Gobierno and the Plaza de Mayo know that the nightmare was far from over for them. Orders had been transmitted just minutes ago and the rebel planes, still flying over the skies of Buenos Aires, were on their way to continue with their task.
This time the rebels had included even deadlier weapons to their arsenal of terror: four Gloster Meteor interceptors, previously under loyalist command and even part of the early engagements against the rebels.
Panic is widespread; the people scream and take cover as the anti-aircraft-artillery opens fire on the enemy warplanes. Beneath and behind the government tanks or at the very Casa Rosada, people try to escape the carnage that ensues. Machine gun fire follows the dropping of over 33 bombs over the Casa de Gobierno. 8 bombs fail to explode, but the rest work with deathly efficiency.
After a few minutes, there is only silence.
**********************************************************************
20:00 hrs
Ministry of the Navy
The surrender of the rebel units had taken place two hours earlier, and the last rebels had either surrendered or escaped to Uruguay by plane, those which had not been shot down in any case. Yet there were still some somber figures remaining in the abandoned and occupied building.
“…Igual que en España ¡Es tremendo! ¡Esto es insoportable para mi, me siento responsable de todo!”
(Just as in Spain, it’s terrible! I cannot bear this, I feel responsible of all of this!) [6]
Admiral Gargiulo’s face had turned completely white and his eyes were wide open. From the windows of the formerly besieged ministry, could see the fire of the churches burnt by the Peronist militias, as well as the smaller fires on the streets and the torches carried by the dispersing mobs. The fire surrounding the cathedral of Buenos Aires is the most heartbreaking image of the day.
The two officers joining Gargiulo are also lamenting the scene, but they must leave as well if they want to leave the building alive. The alleged amnesty offered by the government has a dead line and there are few willing to prove the government’s forgiveness. Even if Peron is willing to forget and forgive, the mob is a different story. Thankfully there was always the army. Surrendering to the army was the safe option offered by the authorities. Everything was better than the mob.
“I’ll join you later” lays the admiral
“Goodbye sir! Saluted the two officers as they led on the three major leaders of the revolution alone with his thoughts…
The fire, the destroyed vehicles, the scenes of devastation in front of the ministry and across the city, all of the images disappear as a shadowy figures crosses the door of the office.
“Buenas Noches, Almirante” greeted Major Vicente, of the Motorized Regiment ‘Buenos Aires’
“Good evening, Major”
“I have been instructed to detain you”
“I expected that much. I was hoping you wouldn’t turn me to the mob. Anything but that; there’s little future with an angry mob as judge and jury”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about the future if I were you Admiral”
As he approached the Admiral’ desk, he left a small object covered with a small white handkerchief. It was a pistol, as Gargiulo had suspected.
“Tell me, Major, have you made this same offer to Calderon and Oliveri? [7]
“I am about to, yes”
“It’s better than nothing”
“It’s better than them” said the Major, referring to the crowd.
Outside, in the city, things were relatively calm, at least after this storm. But everyone involved knew that the end was far from near and that the calm of today is but the eye of the hurricane.
Inside the ministry of the Navy, a Sound of Thunder and silence
[8]
Notes:1. Casa Rosada and Casa de Gobierno; Argentinean version of the White House
2. The 250,000 people gathered because the Government was aiming at banning the religious processions of Corpus Christi, which they saw as a gathering of the opposition;
3. CGT: Confederación General del Trabajo; Worker’s General Confederacy; the Worker’s Unions
4. Pretty much IOTL, but with more civilians;
5. This is the POD; IOTL there were armed civilians on both sides and Peron was reluctant to arm his followers; ITTL, there are even more and thousands of casualties
6. Actual quote, actually, all of this prologue is OTL, except for some minor tweaking...
7. Admiral Samuel Toranzo Calderon, the main rebel leader, Admiral Oliveri is minister of the Navy and only joins due to loyalty to his men; as IOTL, Gargiulo is the only one to commit suicide
8. Sound of Thunder, I do use that a lot, don’t I?
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