German Argentine - Historical Ties With Argentina and Germany

Historical Ties With Argentina and Germany

Argentina and Germany had close ties to each other since the immigration of Germans to Argentina. A flourishing trade developed between Germany and Argentina as early as the German Unification, Germany had a privileged position in the Argentine economy. Later on, Argentina maintained a strong economic relationship with both Germany and Great Britain and supported them with supplies during World War I.

The military connection between Argentina and Prussia has often been emphasized, and there can be no doubt that sympathy for Germany among the general staff in Buenos Aires contributed to establishing Argentina's policy of neutrality during the two world wars. From the point of view of Argentine strategists at the end of the nineteenth century, it was a clever move to fall in line with the strongest European war machine. Great Britain and North America became aware of the threat that Argentina's German-speakers, which were a quarter million strong, acted as the Reich's agent. There was indeed widespread support for Nazi Germany among the Argentines, not least under the aspect of counterbalancing Anglo-US influence in the region.

After World War II, under Juan Perón's government, Argentina participated in establishing and facilitating secret escape routes out of Germany to South America to SS Officials (referred as ODESSA network ). Former Nazi officials emigrated to Argentina in order to prevent prosecution, some of them lived in Argentina under their real names while others clandestinely obtained new identities. Some of the most known Nazis that emigrated to Argentina are: Adolf Eichmann, Josef Mengele, Aribert Heim, Erich Priebke, Eduard Roschmann and "Bubi" Ludolf von Alvensleben.