Editing Alfredo Stroessner (section)

==Early life==
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda was born in [[Encarnación, Paraguay|Encarnación]] on 3 November 1912.<ref name=apolo>{{cite news|title=Stronistas hacen apología de la dictadura y recuerdan a su líder|date=2022-11-03|newspaper=[[ABC Color]]|lang=es|url=https://www.abc.com.py/nacionales/2022/11/03/stronistas-hacen-apologia-de-la-dictadura-y-recuerdan-a-su-lider/?outputType=amp|accessdate=2024-06-30}}</ref><ref name=p12>{{cite news|last=Scardamaglia|first=Virginia|title=Murió el dictador Alfredo Stroessner|date=2006-08-17|newspaper=[[Página 12]]|lang=es|url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elmundo/4-71534-2006-08-17.html?mobile=1|accessdate=2024-06-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hoy en la historia. Nace Alfredo Stroessner|date=2022-11-03|newspaper=[[Hoy (Dominican newspaper)|Hoy]]|lang=es|url=https://hoy.com.do/hoy-en-la-historia-nace-alfredo-stroessner/|accessdate=2024-06-30}}</ref><ref name=invisible>{{cite news|last=Amorós|first=Mario|title=Alfredo Stroessner, el tirano de un país invisible|date=2021-09-18|newspaper=[[La Vanguardia]]|lang=es|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/historiayvida/historia-contemporanea/20210918/7723648/alfredo-stroessner-tirano-pais-invisible.html|accessdate=2024-09-19}}</ref> His father, a [[German Paraguayans|German Paraguayan]], was an accountant from [[Hof, Bavaria]], Germany,<ref name=WDR>{{cite news|title=Tod von Paraguays Ex-Diktator Alfredo Stroessner|date=2006-08-16|newspaper=[[Westdeutscher Rundfunk|WDR]]|lang=de|url=https://www1.wdr.de/stichtag/stichtag5890.html|accessdate=2024-09-03}}</ref> who immigrated to Paraguay in the last five years of the 1890s.<ref name=invisible/> His mother was of [[Guaraní people|Guaraní]]<ref name=WDR/> and Spanish [[Criollo people|criollo]] descent.<ref name=invisible/>

He joined the [[Armed Forces of Paraguay|Paraguayan army]] at the age of 16.<ref name=WDR/><ref name=Mundo>{{cite news|last=Smink|first=Veronica|title=Cómo el régimen de Alfredo Stroessner convirtió a Paraguay en uno de los países más desiguales del mundo|newspaper=[[BBC Mundo]]|lang=es|url= https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-47098176|accessdate=2024-07-01}}</ref> After attending military school in [[Asunción]], Stroessner fought in the [[Chaco War]] between Paraguay and [[Bolivia]], and had been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant by the war's end.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=2006-08-17 |title=Alfredo Stroessner; Paraguayan Dictator |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/08/17/alfredo-stroessner/c812251d-536a-488c-b0cc-504b9dc6a49c/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204105456/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/08/17/alfredo-stroessner/c812251d-536a-488c-b0cc-504b9dc6a49c/ |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Schemo |first=Diana Jean |date=2006-08-17 |title=Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguayan Ex-Dictator, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/17/learning/newssummaries/17stroessner_LN.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204094119/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/17/learning/newssummaries/17stroessner_LN.html |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> During the [[Paraguayan Civil War (1947)|1947 Paraguayan Civil War]], Stroessner supported the [[Colorado Party (Paraguay)|Colorado Party]], and played an important role in their victory. In 1951, he became commander-in-chief of the army.<ref name=Mundo/>