José María Rosa


José María Rosa, also known as Pepe Rosa, was an Argentine historian, one of the most notable of the Argentine nationalist revisionist historians.

Biography

Rosa was born in Buenos Aires in 1906. He made studies of law, and he later taught history at high schools and universities. In 1938 he established in Santa Fe the Institute of Federalist studies, and made studies of the history of Argentina under a revisionist viewpoint. His view of the past was used to justify critics of contemporary country, and considered that there was an ongoing neglect of national authorities of national interests since the days of the May Revolution. Those viewpoints, as well as the positive image of Juan Manuel de Rosas, were shared by all revisionists, but they were divided by the rise of the peronism. Unlike Julio Irazusta, who became antiperonist, Rosa supported the government of Juan Domingo Perón. His support increased when the Revolución Libertadora made a coup against Perón, and he joined the Peronist resistance.
Since that point, Rosa started working in the history of the Argentine population, which he saw as potentially revolutionary at times, but always oppressed by the higher classes. He saw Peronism as a revolutionary movement, capable of promoting the delayed changes in society. He supported in 1956 the failed attempt of general Valle against Aramburu. Fearing a political reaction, he moved to Uruguay and then to Spain, returning in 1958. He joined the Juan Manuel de Rosas National Institute of historical investigations, being the president at many times. He was designated ambassador in Paraguay during the third government of Perón, resigning after the deat of the president and moving to Greece. He returned during the National Reorganization Process, but his books were banned and taken out of public libraries. He founded a magazine called Línea, which was censored many times. He died on July 2, 1991.
At his request, November 20 was declared National Sovereignty Day in commemoration of the 1845 battle of Vuelta de Obligado. His ideas about the history of Argentina had prominent acceptance, and they are currently accepted as mainstream.

Works