Columbia
COLOMBIA, Republic of Colombia, Republica de Colombia.
Population: 8 702 000 (in 1938), 10 545 000 (in 1947).
Borders with Panama, Ecuador, Peru (since 1942), Brazil, and Venezuela. It has also access to the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Area: 1 138 338 squared kilometers.
Capital: Bogota
Overview: In 1938 under pressure from the Conservative Party and the United States, the government of Colombia was taken over by the political Right led by President E. Santos. This move intensified the country's internal conflicts and struggles, while simultaneously it consolidated the position of U.S. monopolies operating in Colombia. During WWII Colombia sided with the Anti-Axis Coalition; in December of 1941 it severed diplomatic ties with Germany, Italy, and Japan, and on 27/11/1943 it declared war on Germany. In 1941 Colombia received from the U.S. a grant of 12 million U.S. dollars; the following year it began to be supplied with equipment as part of the Lend-Lease loans. In 1943 an agreement was concluded with the United States that required Colombia to supply its entire production of caoutchouc to U.S.A. over a period of the next five years. After becoming Colombia's new President in 1942, A. Lopez tried to curb the position of U.S. monopolies and to improve the social conditions of the working masses. A general strike in July of 1944, combined with popular manifestations of the masses under the leadership of the Communist Party of Colombia, frustrated a reactionary attempt undertaken by the Conservative Party (and backed by the U.S.) to overthrow the ruling government. In July of the following year Colombia entered a 16-year period of Liberal Party and Conservative Party coalition government. Colombia is one of the co-founding members of U.N.
Armed Forces: In 1939 the average numerical strength of the army stood at 16 000 troops. It was made up of six mixed brigades (each mixed brigade had three battalions), one cavalry group of three squadrons, one artillery group of three batteries, one engineer battalion, and two services. The army's air force component consisted of one service and one training squadron of 15 aircraft. The police numbered 5 053 officers (by 1944 it increased to 5 500). Colombia nominally had a compulsory military service but it was never fully enforced. Active service lasted for a period of one year. According to a statute dating back to 28/08/1934, the army was supposed to consist of five mixed brigades and several detachments of frontier guards. In 1939 the navy had a total of approximately 1 850 personnel (including naval infantry); it possessed two modern destroyers (both purchased in Portugal), four river gunboats, one seagoing gunboat, three coastguard patrol vessels, and several customs service motor launches. The naval infantry (marines) was made up of a few companies. In the 1930's the air force was only in initial stages of development; in 1935 the very first flight was created but it was only during WWII that shipments of aircraft from the U.S. allowed for a more significant development of the air force, eventually transforming it into a separate branch of the armed forces. Three air force groups were formed in 1943. Despite the declaration of war on the Axis, the Colombian armed forces never participated in the war effort.
Main article: Colombia during World War II
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Colombia broke diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. Colombia provided the Allies with petroleum products. In 1943, the German submarine U-505 destroyed a Colombian schooner, which caused Colombia to declare a "status of belligerency" against Germany on 26 November 1943.[citation needed]
The German ambassador left the country, and measures of control were implemented, including the internment of German citizens in designated areas.[citation needed]Photographs and reconnaissance airplanes belonging to the Colombian-German company Scadta, which used to take aerial shots of Colombian and German cities, were also handed to the United States.
Population: 8 702 000 (in 1938), 10 545 000 (in 1947).
Borders with Panama, Ecuador, Peru (since 1942), Brazil, and Venezuela. It has also access to the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Area: 1 138 338 squared kilometers.
Capital: Bogota
Overview: In 1938 under pressure from the Conservative Party and the United States, the government of Colombia was taken over by the political Right led by President E. Santos. This move intensified the country's internal conflicts and struggles, while simultaneously it consolidated the position of U.S. monopolies operating in Colombia. During WWII Colombia sided with the Anti-Axis Coalition; in December of 1941 it severed diplomatic ties with Germany, Italy, and Japan, and on 27/11/1943 it declared war on Germany. In 1941 Colombia received from the U.S. a grant of 12 million U.S. dollars; the following year it began to be supplied with equipment as part of the Lend-Lease loans. In 1943 an agreement was concluded with the United States that required Colombia to supply its entire production of caoutchouc to U.S.A. over a period of the next five years. After becoming Colombia's new President in 1942, A. Lopez tried to curb the position of U.S. monopolies and to improve the social conditions of the working masses. A general strike in July of 1944, combined with popular manifestations of the masses under the leadership of the Communist Party of Colombia, frustrated a reactionary attempt undertaken by the Conservative Party (and backed by the U.S.) to overthrow the ruling government. In July of the following year Colombia entered a 16-year period of Liberal Party and Conservative Party coalition government. Colombia is one of the co-founding members of U.N.
Armed Forces: In 1939 the average numerical strength of the army stood at 16 000 troops. It was made up of six mixed brigades (each mixed brigade had three battalions), one cavalry group of three squadrons, one artillery group of three batteries, one engineer battalion, and two services. The army's air force component consisted of one service and one training squadron of 15 aircraft. The police numbered 5 053 officers (by 1944 it increased to 5 500). Colombia nominally had a compulsory military service but it was never fully enforced. Active service lasted for a period of one year. According to a statute dating back to 28/08/1934, the army was supposed to consist of five mixed brigades and several detachments of frontier guards. In 1939 the navy had a total of approximately 1 850 personnel (including naval infantry); it possessed two modern destroyers (both purchased in Portugal), four river gunboats, one seagoing gunboat, three coastguard patrol vessels, and several customs service motor launches. The naval infantry (marines) was made up of a few companies. In the 1930's the air force was only in initial stages of development; in 1935 the very first flight was created but it was only during WWII that shipments of aircraft from the U.S. allowed for a more significant development of the air force, eventually transforming it into a separate branch of the armed forces. Three air force groups were formed in 1943. Despite the declaration of war on the Axis, the Colombian armed forces never participated in the war effort.
Main article: Colombia during World War II
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Colombia broke diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. Colombia provided the Allies with petroleum products. In 1943, the German submarine U-505 destroyed a Colombian schooner, which caused Colombia to declare a "status of belligerency" against Germany on 26 November 1943.[citation needed]
The German ambassador left the country, and measures of control were implemented, including the internment of German citizens in designated areas.[citation needed]Photographs and reconnaissance airplanes belonging to the Colombian-German company Scadta, which used to take aerial shots of Colombian and German cities, were also handed to the United States.