Editing History of Uruguay (section)

== Batlle era, 1903–33 ==
[[File:1904-1.JPG|thumbnail|upright|Poster of President Batlle after victory over Blancos in 1904]]
[[File:Palaciosalvouruguay.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Palacio Salvo]], built in [[Montevideo]] from 1925 to 1928, was once the [[List of tallest buildings in Latin America|tallest building in Latin America]].]]
[[José Batlle y Ordóñez]], President from 1903 to 1907 and again from 1911 to 1915, set the pattern for Uruguay's modern political development and dominated the political scene until his death in 1929. Batlle was opposed to the coparticipation agreement because he considered division of departments among the parties to be undemocratic. The Blancos feared loss of their power if a [[Proportional representation|proportional election]] system was introduced and started their last [[Revolution of 1904|revolution in 1904]] —led by [[Aparicio Saravia]]— which ended with the Colorado victory at the [[Battle of Masoller]].<ref>Wade C. Roof, ed., ''Race and Residence in American Cities'' (Ann Arbor MI: American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1979), 145. {{ISBN|9780877612377}}.</ref>

The Batlle era saw the introduction of various reforms<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.xn--lamaana-7za.uy/opinion/el-inicio-del-uruguay-moderno/|title=El inicio del Uruguay moderno &#124; La Mañana|date=23 July 2020|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.xn--lamaana-7za.uy/opinion/el-uruguay-social/|title=El Uruguay Social &#124; La Mañana|date=15 January 2020|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/sim_bulletin-of-the-pan-american-union_1939-10_73_10|title=Bulletin Of The Pan American Union 1939-10: Vol 73 Iss 10|date=31 October 1939|publisher=Superintendent of Government Documents|accessdate=31 July 2024|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>[https://anaforas.fic.edu.uy/jspui/bitstream/123456789/11243/1/AnalesdelaUniversidad_A42_Entrega136_1935.pdf ANALES DE LA UNIVERSIDAD ENTREGA No 136, EDUARDO ACEVEDO, ANALES HISTÓRICOS DEL URUGUAY TOMO VI, Abarca los gobiernos de Viera, Brum, Serrato y Campisteguy, desde 1915 hasta 1930]</ref><ref>[https://anaforas.fic.edu.uy/jspui/handle/123456789/656 Anales Issue 125 by Universidad de la República (Uruguay), 1929]</ref> such as new rights for working people,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://anaforas.fic.edu.uy/jspui/handle/123456789/66355 |title=Batlle y el Batllismo by Roberto B. Giudici and Efraín González Conzi |access-date=20 November 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120122716/https://anaforas.fic.edu.uy/jspui/handle/123456789/66355 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the encouragement of colonization,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.colonizacion.com.uy/visualizar-contenido/-/asset_publisher/RtdLVJCczp5a/content/antecedentes?inheritRedirect=false|title=Instituto Nacional de Colonización – Antecedentes – Visualizar contenido|website=colonizacion.com.uy|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref> universal male suffrage, the nationalization of foreign-owned companies, the creation of a modern social welfare system. Under Batlle, the electorate was increased from 46,000 to 188,000. Income tax for lower incomes was abolished in 1905, secondary schools were established in every city (1906), the right of divorce was given to women (1907), and the telephone network was nationalized (1915).<ref name="Jermyn"/>

Severance pay for commercial employees was introduced in 1914, and an [[Eight-hour day|eight-hour working day]] in 1915. In 1918, with the passing of a [[Constitution of Uruguay of 1918|new constitution]], Uruguay proclaimed a secular republic, with the [[separation of church and state]].<ref>Juan Rial, "The Social Imaginary: Utopian Political Myths in Uruguay (Change and Permanence during and after the Dictatorship)", in Saúl Sosnowski and Louise B. Popkin, eds., ''Repression, Exile, and Democracy: Uruguayan Culture'' (Durham NC: Duke University Press, 1993), 59-82. {{ISBN|9780822312680}}.</ref> Loans and seeds were provided to poor farmers, and agricultural colonies were established,<ref>[https://www.gub.uy/junta-departamental-montevideo/institucional/informacion-gestion/actas/acta-n-15442011 Acta N° 1544/2011 Sesión Ordinaria 19/05/2011]</ref> while Montevideo also underwent a great deal and social and economic development during these years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opinar.com.uy/el-partido-colorado-y-montevideo-realidades-y-utopias.html|title=El Partido Colorado y Montevideo: Realidades y Utopías. – Semanario Opinar|date=27 February 2023|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref> Hospitals, maternity homes and research institutes, as well as secondary schools, were built in all the capitals of the departments.<ref name="Fernando Filgueira 1995, P.5">A Century of Social Welfare in Uruguay Growth to the Limit of the Batllista Social State Issue 5 By Fernando Filgueira, 1995, P.5</ref> [[Secondary education]] was integrated into the ''Secondary and Preparatory Education Section of the University''. In addition, a secondary night school was established in 1919 "so that adults who had not finished secondary school could continue their formal education".<ref name="Fernando Filgueira 1995, P.6">A Century of Social Welfare in Uruguay Growth to the Limit of the Batllista Social State Issue 5 By Fernando Filgueira, 1995, P.6</ref>

The economic policy of Batllism was based on the [[nationalization]] of companies, under the idea that certain services should be provided by the State, in search of the common good.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Arias |first=Cecilia |date=2018-10-05 |title=Gobiernos reformistas en Uruguay 1947-1958: ¿profundización de la democracia en los inicios de la Guerra Fría? |url=https://journals.openedition.org/nuevomundo/72965?lang=es |journal=Nuevo Mundo Mundos Nuevos. Nouveaux Mondes Mondes Nouveaux – Novo Mundo Mundos Novos – New World New Worlds |language=es |doi=10.4000/nuevomundo.72965 |issn=1626-0252|doi-access=free }}</ref> With a legal limit of the money destined to acquire the companies, among the nationalizations were the supply of electricity—the [[UTE|National Administration of Power Plants and Electrical Transmissions]] was created—the insurers and the mortgage loans—the [[Banco de Seguros del Estado|State Insurance Bank]] and the [[Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay]] were established in 1911 and nationalized in 1912, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arregui |first=Miguel |title=El Banco República y la era de José Batlle y Ordóñez |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/el-banco-republica-y-la-era-de-jose-batlle-y-ordonez-20171227500 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=El Observador}}</ref> Furthermore, to compete with the English-administered railways, the construction of roads parallel to the train tracks began, and tram networks were installed in Montevideo, administered by the State.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-30 |title=El primer tren |url=https://www.carasycaretas.com.uy/el-primer-tren |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=carasycaretas.com.uy |language=es-ES}}</ref>

The [[Constitution of Uruguay of 1918|Constitution of 1918]], as a result of political negotiation, established an Executive Branch made up of the [[President of Uruguay|President of the Republic]] and the [[National Council of Administration]], a collegiate body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uruguay – The Constitution |url=https://countrystudies.us/uruguay/62.htm |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=countrystudies.us}}</ref> The president—whose term lasted four years—appointed the holders of the ministerial portfolios of the [[Ministry of the Interior (Uruguay)|Interior]], [[Ministry of National Defense (Uruguay)|Defense]] and [[Ministry of Foreign Relations (Uruguay)|Foreign Relations]]. The National Council of Administration, on the other hand, appointed those of [[Ministry of Economy and Finance (Uruguay)|Finance]], [[Ministry of Education and Culture (Uruguay)|Instruction]], [[Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (Uruguay)|Labor]], [[Ministry of Public Health (Uruguay)|Health]] and [[Ministry of Transport and Public Works (Uruguay)|Public Works]]. This collegiate body was elected directly, and was renewed every two years by 1/3 of its members.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Creación y evolución histórica |url=https://www.gub.uy/presidencia/institucional/creacion-evolucion-historica |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Uruguay Presidencia |language=es}}</ref>[[File:Estadio Centenario 1930.jpg|thumbnail|right|[[Estadio Centenario]], the main stadium of the 1930 FIFA World Cup]]Around 1900, infant mortality rates (IMR) in Uruguay were among the world's lowest, indicating a very healthy population. By 1910, however, the IMR leveled off, while it continued to drop in other countries. The leading causes of death—diarrheal and respiratory diseases—did not decline, indicating a growing public health problem.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The infant mortality conundrum in Uruguay during the first half of the twentieth century: an analysis according to causes of death |first=Anne-Emanuelle |last=Birn |journal=Continuity & Change |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2010 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=435–461|doi=10.1017/S0268416010000263 |s2cid=145495121 }}</ref>

Further social and economic reforms were carried out in the years following Batlle's passing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://parlamento.gub.uy/documentosyleyes/leyes|title=Leyes|website=parlamento.gub.uy|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/search?query=Bulletin+of+the+Pan+American+Union|title=Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine|via=Internet Archive|accessdate=31 July 2024}}</ref> In 1930, Uruguay hosted and won the first [[1930 FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]].<ref>Eduardo Galeano, trans. Mark Fried, ''Soccer in Sun and Shadow'' (NY: Open Road Media, 2014). {{ISBN|9781497639041}}.</ref> By the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, the country managed to consolidate its democracy and welfare state, as well as reach high educational and cultural levels, which is why it began to be known as "The Switzerland of the Americas".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-10-23 |title=Uruguay country profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20041847 |access-date=2024-01-30 |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>