History[]
The Latin Bloc was first proposed by Italy's Duce Benito Mussolini proposing in 1927 as an alliance between Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, that would be an alliance based upon common Latin civilization and culture.
During the war, the proposal was discussed between Mussolini, Spain's Caudillo Francisco Franco, and France's head of state Philippe Petain. The alliance was designed to balance the power between them and Germany in the Axis by combining together.
Franco took a major role in promoting the proposal, meeting with Petain in Montpellier, France in 1940 and with Mussolini in Bordighera, Italy in 1941 to discuss it. Franco also received the support of Germany when he met with Hitler in Hendaye, France in October 1940. In December 1942 Franco and Antonio Salazar of Portugal announced the formation of an Iberian Bloc, the first stage in the formation of the Latin Bloc.
Italy joined the following year, bringing with it several nations under its control which shared elements of Latin culture, such as Roman Catholic Croatia and Romance-speaking Macedonia. Romania followed Italy into the alliance. France joined when allowed by Germany, while several pro-Axis Latin American nations joined the Bloc in the late 1940s.
All member states share a similar ideology, ostensibly based upon their nations' common religious (Catholic), linguistic (Romance), political (authoritarian), social (hierarchical) and racial (European) heritage.
The importance of a natural governing elite, and in particular the racial character of that elite is emphasised in all member states. In each state or empire, a European elite rules over various non-European populations: Slavs, Berbers, Mestizos, Hindustanis, Arabs, Amerindians, Malays, Mulattos and African and Melanesian Blacks.
Members of the Latin Bloc[]
- Spain: founder member, 1943, under the Nationalist regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco y Bahamonde
- Portugal: founder member, 1943, under the New State regime of Prime Minister Antonio de Oliveira Salazar de Correa
- Italy: founder member, 1943, under the Fascist regime of Duce Benito Mussolini
- Albania: founder member, 1943, under Italian occupation
- Croatia: founder member, 1943, under Italian occupation
- Montenegro: founder member, 1943, under Italian occupation
- Macedonia: founder member, 1943, under Italian occupation
- Romania: joined 1944 under the Iron Guard regime of Ion Antonescu
- France: joined 1945, under the Nationalist regime of Philippe Petain
- Lebanon: joined 1945, under Franco-Italian condominion
- Brazil: joined 1945 under the New State regime of President Getulio Dornelles Vargas
- Argentina: joined 1945 under the military regime of General Pedro Pablo Ramirez
- Chile: joined 1945 under the National Socialist regime of General Carlos Ibañez del Campo
- Paraguay: joined 1948 under the Colorado regime of General Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda
- Uruguay: joined 1948 under the Colorado regime of President Pedro Alberto Demicheli Lizaso
- Switzerland: joined 1950, under Italian protection
- Bolivia: joined 1970 under the military regime of General Hugo Banzer Suarez