Rare Photos of Dumarsais Estimé’s Presidency (1946-1950). Images: Courtesy of CIDIHCA.
Following the United States Marine Occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) the Haitian military, Gendarmerie d’Haïti (later known simply as Garde d’Haïti), received major transformations, from what, by the turn of the last century, was a decentralized and often unorganized coalition, to a modern military force. While the army was key in protecting the regimes of Sténio Vincent (1930-1941) and Élie Lescot (1941-1946), it was through the election of 1946, that which brought moderate noiriste Dumarsais Estimé in power that it was able to test its strength as arbiter of Haitian politics.
Ironically, the same men who installed Estimé in power later disposed of him due to disputes and Estimé’s attempt to stretch his presidency. He was replaced by Paul Eugène Magloire, one of the key military figures behind the 1946 junta. (Sources: X, X and X)
(via dynamicafrica)