Latin America and the Great War: A preliminary survey of developments in Chile,Peru, Argentina and Brazil

In this paper we present some preliminary ideas on a comparative study of the economic and social effects of World War I on Latin America. We argue that this issue has generally been conceived too narrowly, and that the events of the war years have much to tell us about the nature of capitalist development in the region. We begin by outlining some of the major external factors which influenced the course of economic change in the years before 1914. The initial impact of the war is then considered, particularly with regard to finance, trade and social dislocation. Finally, we briefly examine similar topics during the remaining war years. We conclude by arguing that the war did not provide an opportunity to alter the course of economic growth, but tended to highlight the weaknesses and magnify the contradictions of Latin America's brand of capitalist development.