During the Second World War, Argentina initially maintained a policy of neutrality rooted in historical, economic, and diplomatic traditions. This position sought to preserve national sovereignty, avoid direct involvement in a European conflict, and protect strategic commercial interests.
However, in April 1940, Argentine Foreign Minister José María Cantilo proposed a policy of “non-belligerency,” an intermediate solution in which Argentina would abandon strict neutrality, politically acknowledge that it was not indifferent to the European war, and move closer to the Allied side without formally declaring war. The idea failed because it clashed with the inter-American legal and diplomatic framework, the caution of the United States — which was still neutral at the time — the fear among several Latin American countries of being drawn into the conflict, and internal divisions within Argentina.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, marked a turning point in both the war and continental politics. The entry of the United States into the conflict intensified diplomatic pressure on Latin American countries to break relations with the Axis powers.
In this context, the Rio de Janeiro Conference was held in 1942. There, most American countries agreed to sever diplomatic relations with the Axis. Most countries in the Americas gradually abandoned their initial neutrality and eventually entered the war against the Axis, especially after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Several Latin American countries first broke diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. Brazil declared war on Nazi Germany in 1942; Bolivia and Colombia in 1943; and most of the rest of South America in 1945. Chile was the only South American country that never formally declared war on Nazi Germany. Argentina maintained its neutrality until 1944 and declared war in 1945. This decision generated strong regional isolation and growing diplomatic conflict with the United States. In this context, the country maintained close commercial ties with the Allies, especially with Great Britain.
In 1943, the government of Ramón Castillo was overthrown in a coup d’état led by a sector of the Armed Forces headed by the GOU (United Officers Group). Its members defended the continuation of neutrality. However, the new government faced international pressure and increasing diplomatic isolation. Changes in the global context eventually pushed Argentina toward a shift in foreign policy.
In January 1944, Argentina broke diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. In March 1945, it formally declared war on Germany and Japan; Italy had surrendered before that decision. The declaration of war brought an end to a prolonged period of neutrality and allowed the country’s full incorporation into the postwar international system. Nevertheless, the debate over the meaning, costs, and consequences of that neutrality continues to occupy a central place in Argentine historiography and political memory.
