Edelmiro Julián Farrell


Edelmiro Julián Farrell Plaul was an Argentine general. He was the de facto president of Argentina between 1944 and 1946.
Farrell had a great influence on later Argentine history by introducing his subordinate Juan Perón into government and paving the way for Perón's subsequent political career.

Early life

He was born in 1887 in Villa de los Industriales. He was the tenth son of Juan C. Farrell and Catalina Plaul and the grandson of Matthew Farrell of County Longford where the family seat of the Farrell clan heralds from in Ireland as Lords of Annaly, and Mónica Ibáñez.

Military career

Farrell graduated from Argentine military school in 1907 as an infantry sub-lieutenant. He served in an Italian alpine regiment in Fascist Italy between 1924 and 1926. He then returned to Argentina.
After the 1943 coup, Farrell was promoted to Brigadier General and became vice-president during the military government of General Pedro Pablo Ramírez, who had deposed President Arturo Rawson. He was simultaneously Minister of War. Farrell appointed Juan Perón as his secretary.

President

Ramírez named Farrell as president on February 25, 1944. Farrell appointed Perón as vice-president. After popular demonstrations in favour of Perón in 1945 made Perón the most influential and important man in the government, Farrell announced presidential elections for 1946, and Perón was elected. On June 4, 1946, Farrell was succeeded as president by Perón. Farrell had been his commander while Perón was a colonel.
Despite having been brought to power through a coup d'état, Peronist historiography never calls him a dictator.

Family

He married on July 10, 1921, to Conrada Victoria Torni, a teacher. They had three children: Nelly Victoria, Jorge Edelmiro, and Susana Mabel.

Death

A widower, he died in 1980.

In popular culture

Farrell, in the movie Evita, is portrayed by British actor Denis Lill.