Julio Argentino Roca

From Freepedia

Julio A. Roca

Image:Jaroca.jpg
Terms of Office:	October 12 1880— October 12 1886 and October 12 1898— October 12 1904
Predecessors:	Nicolás Avellaneda and José E. Uriburu
Successors:	Miguel Juárez Celman and Manuel Quintana
Vice-presidents:	Francisco Madero and Roberto Quirno Costa
Date of Birth:	July 17 1843
Place of Birth:	San Miguel de Tucumán
Date of Death:	October 19 1914
Place of Death:	Buenos Aires
Profession:	Military
Political Party:	National Autonomist Party

Alejo Julio Argentino Roca Paz (July 17, 1843 -October 19, 1914) was an army general who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1880 to 12 October 1886 and again from 12 October 1898 to 12 October 1904.

Julio Roca was born in the northwestern city of San Miguel de Tucumán in 1843 into a prominent local family. He graduated from the National College in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos. While still an adolescent, went to fight as a junior officer in the struggle between Buenos Aires and the interior provinces, first on the side of the provinces and later on behalf of the capital. He fought in the War of the Triple Alliance with Paraguay between 1864 and 1870. He rose to the rank of colonel serving in the war to surpress the revolt of López Jordán in Entre Ríos.

Roca was promoted to general and then minister of war under Nicolas Avellaneda. As minister, he led the campaign in 1879 that concluded the wars to conquer indigenous Araucano of the southern pampas.

During the six years of his first administration as president of Argentina, Roca settled the question of central rule by making Buenos Aires the national capital. He presided over an era of rapid economic development fueled by large scale European immigration, railway construction, and agricultural exports. However, Financial speculation and government corruption marred his administration.

Roca returned to the presidency in 1898 following the scandals of the Juárez Celman administration. He stabilized the currency and settle a boundary dispute with Chile in 1902. Luis Drago, Roca’s foreign minister, articulated the Drago Doctrine of 1902 asserting that foreign powers could not collect public debts from sovereign American states by armed force or occupation of territory.

Roca retired from the presidency in 1904 and died in Buenos Aires on October 19, 1914.

See also

• History of Argentina

Books

• General Julio A. Roca and his campaigns in the Pampa, 1878-1879, by Robert Carter Burns (1960).
• Carlos Pellegrini and the Crisis of the Argentine Elites, 1880-1916, by Douglas W. Richmond (1989).

Preceded by: Nicolás Avellaneda	President of Argentina 1880–1886	Succeeded by: Miguel Juárez Celman
Preceded by: José Evaristo Uriburu	President of Argentina 1898–1904	Succeeded by: Manuel Quintana