Bolivian National Revolution
- Date
- 1952
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- Latin America (Bolivia)
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
The Bolivian National Revolution erupted on 9 April 1952 when the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), backed by armed miners and workers, defeated the army and brought Victor Paz Estenssoro to the presidency. It became one of Latin America's most far-reaching social upheavals of the century.
The new government moved quickly: on 21 July 1952 it enacted universal adult suffrage, extending the vote to illiterate and indigenous Bolivians and expanding the electorate roughly fivefold, and on 31 October 1952 it nationalised the three largest private tin companies that had long dominated the economy. A sweeping agrarian reform the following year dismantled the semi-feudal hacienda system and redistributed land to indigenous peasants. Though the MNR's rule grew troubled and was overturned by a 1964 coup, the revolution permanently altered Bolivian society by breaking the power of the tin barons and landed elite and incorporating the indigenous majority into national political life. It stands alongside Mexico and Cuba as one of the region's defining twentieth-century revolutions.
One piece of history in your inbox, weekly
New empires, events and features as they land — one good email a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Empires active in 1952
- Soviet Union1922 CE – 1991 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE – 1962 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
- Solomonic dynasty1270 CE – 1974 CE
Related politics & governance events
- Founding of the People's Republic of China1 October 1949
- Establishment of Apartheid in South Africa1948
- Independence and Partition of British India14–15 August 1947
- Construction of the Berlin Wall13 August 1961
- Iranian RevolutionJanuary–February 1979
- Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika1985–1991 (from 11 March 1985)
Further reading
The wider story
The Americas: A Hemispheric History
Brisk single-volume history of the whole hemisphere since European contact.
Get it on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, Human Saga earns from qualifying purchases.