Brazilian Revolution of 1930

Revolution of 1930
Getúlio Vargas (center) and his followers pictured by Claro Jansson during their short stay in Itararé, São Paulo) en route to Rio de Janeiro after a successful military campaign.
Date October 3, 1930–October 24, 1930 Location Military confrontations mainly in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco and Paraíba. Result Revolutionary victory: First Brazilian Republic overthrown President Washington Luís deposed; President–elect Júlio Prestes exiled Getulio Vargas assumes presidency; Vargas Era beginning
Belligerents
Liberal Alliance and tenentistas. Brazilian Army 3rd Military Region 4th Military Region (majority) 5th Military Region (majority) 7th Military Region (majority) other military organizations by country...  Rio Grande do Sul  Paraná  Paraíba  Minas Gerais Police Forces	First Brazilian Republic Brazilian Army 1st Military Region 2nd Military Region 6th Military Region (majority)  São Paulo Public Force
Commanders and leaders
Getúlio Vargas Osvaldo Aranha Juarez Távora Gen. Augusto Tasso Fragoso Admiral Isaías de Noronha Cel. Góis Monteiro Mrj. Plínio Tourinho	Washington Luís Júlio Prestes
Strength
~50,000 approximately	unknown

The Revolution of 1930 (Portuguese: Revolução de 1930), also known as the 1930 Revolution, was an armed insurrection which ended the First Brazilian Republic. Initiated by political elites in the states of Minas Gerais, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Sul, it was fueled by dissent in the military and by economic turmoil caused by a collapse in the price of coffee. The revolution ousted then President Washington Luís on October 24, 1930, prevented the inauguration of President–elect Júlio Prestes, and installed Getúlio Vargas as the new president.^[1]

Prior to 1929, Brazilian politics was controlled by an alliance between the two largest state economies; known as "coffee with milk politics", coffee growers in São Paulo combined with the dairy industry centred in Minas Gerais to create an oligarchy,^[2][3] with the Presidency alternating between the two states. This practice was broken when the leaders of São Paulo and President Luís nominated their fellow Paulista Júlio Prestes as candidate for the presidential elections in 1930. In response, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraíba formed a 'Liberal Alliance' backing opposition candidate, Getúlio Vargas.

When Prestes won the March 1930 Presidential election, the Alliance denounced his victory as fraudulent, while Vargas's running mate, João Pessoa, was assassinated in July. The revolution began on October 3, 1930, and quickly spread throughout the country; by October 10, both Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais had announced their support. Luís was deposed on October 24, and the Brazilian Military Junta of 1930 took over; Vargas assumed leadership of the junta on November 3, 1930, marking the end of the First Republic ^[3] and beginning of the Vargas Era.^[4]

The 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution led to a new Brazilian Constitution in 1934. However, in 1937, following an attempted fascist revolt, the constitution was annulled and Vargas became a dictator in the name of law and order. His reign occupies two periods of Brazilian history, the Second Brazilian Republic and the Third Brazilian Republic, known as the Estado Novo.

Causes of the Revolution[]

Coffee overproduction in Brazil[]

By 1900, Brazil was producing 75% of the world's coffee supply.^[5] However, the price of coffee had dropped since then, and in 1906, the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, the largest coffee–producing states, signed an agreement to limit exports and production in order to manipulate the price of coffee.^[5] Although the attempt to raise the price of coffee failed, it prevented it from declining more.^[6]

Brazil had seen high inflation following World War I, but its economy saw great improvements in the 1920s. Although still dependent on coffee exports, the world prices for Brazil's coffee had more than doubled by 1925, with slight decline afterward.^[7][8] The economy saw turmoil with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and coffee prices declined sharply as the economy failed.^[9] The mobilization of industrial workers throughout this time period was another leading cause of the revolution.^[10]

Osvaldo Aranha, who became the first Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs following the revolution, described the state of the country shortly after the revolution:^[11]

The country was without money, without exchange, actually and legally in a moratorium with pressing promises to be met abroad, due or to become due in a few days; a floating debt, federal, state, and local, which had never been calculated; coffee in three crisies–prices, overproduction, and large stocks in warehouses; Brazilian economy, industry, and labor in ruin; and an unemployment crisis.

— Osvaldo Aranha

"Coffee with milk" tradition[]

The political life of the First Republic (1889–1930) was dominated by an alliance between the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais.^[12] An oligarchic practice known as coffee with milk politics, it combined coffee producers in São Paulo with the dairy industry that dominated Minas Gerais. Taking advantage of their economic power and influence, it allowed the two states to alternate the Presidency between each other.^[12][13]

Júlio Prestes, the 1930 Presidential Paulista Republican Party candidate, supported by Washington Luís and São Paulo.

Paulista Washington Luís won the 1926 Brazilian presidential election with 98% of the vote, and his administration was an unusual period of prosperity, domestic peace, and tranquility.^[12][14] In accordance with the 'coffee with milk tradition', the candidate for the 1930 election should have been Antônio Carlos Ribeiro, then Governor of Minas Gerais.^[12] However, Ribeiro's backing for mandatory religious instruction in state public schools, coupled with the close relationship between Luis and Júlio Prestes, then Governor of São Paulo, led the Paulista Republican Party to support Prestes instead.^[12]

This created an anti-Prestes opposition, mainly in Minas Gerais, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Sul.^[15][16] The three states formed a "Liberal alliance" backing Getúlio Vargas, Governor of Rio Grande do Sul as President of Brazil.^[17][18] João Pessoa, a politician from Paraíba, was selected as his running mate.^[16] In 1929, Ribeiro made a speech in which he stated:^[18]

Allow the revolution by vote, before the people do so through violence

— Antônio Carlos Ribeiro

Tenentism[]

Dissent in the Brazilian military led to an ideology of tenentism. The movement consisted of young officers (tenentes, meaning lieutenants) opposed to the oligarchic federal system of coffee and milk politics.^[14][19] In 1922, the first of several military revolts by members of tenentism took place at Fort Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, costing the lives of 16 young officers a part the movement.^[19] The tenentes would later back Vargas's nomination for the presidency and assist in the revolution.^[20]

1930 general election[]

The presidential elections were held on March 1, 1930, and gave victory to Prestes, who received 1,091,709 votes against 742,794 given to Getúlio Vargas. Notoriously, Vargas had almost 100% of the votes in Rio Grande do Sul, 287,321 to Prestes's 789.^[21]

The Liberal Alliances refused to accept the validity of the elections, claiming that Prestes' victory was due to fraud. In reality, both sides had manipulated the electorate.^[22][23] This led to a conspiracy, based in Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais.^[21] However, a setback to the conspiracy occurred as Siqueira Campos, a revolutionary, died in a plane crash.^[24]

On July 26, 1930, João Pessoa, Vargas's running mate in the 1930 election, was assassinated by João Dantas in Recife for political and personal reasons.^[25] This became the flashpoint for armed mobilization, and anarchy had ensured in the capital of Paraíba as a result of the murder.^[25] The capital of Paraíba was also renamed in commemoration for Pessoa. Pessoa's murder contributed to creating a favorable climate for revolution and promoted social change, as the government was deemed responsible for his murder.^[17]

Revolution[]

The 1930 revolution was planned to have begun on August 26, 1930, but they delayed the date to allow the Brigada Militar of Rio Grande do Sul to participate in the movement. Vargas, now in charge of picking a date, decided to instead begin at 5:30 p.m. on October 3 in Rio Grande do Sul.^[21][26]

Army troops being deployed in southern Brazil.

South of Brazil[]

Vargas lured General Gil de Almeida, who was in charge of the Brazilian third military region, into a false sense of security at Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.^[21] Then, at 10:00 p.m. on October 3, the revolutionaries had claimed the city of Porto Alegre and had defeated Almeida and his gaucho troops with a cost of 20 people dead.^[21][27]

Aranha and Flores da Cunha led an attack on the military headquarters in the state alongside 50 men, capturing the headquarters and its commander.^[21] João Alberto led a movement with members of the Brigada that successfully captured an arms store on the Menino Deus hill.^[21] On October 8, the Ministry of War continued to report the military forces in Rio Grande do Sul we're still loyal to the government. In reality, however, the revolutionaries controlled the entire state by October 10.^[21] At São Borja, a small resistance was formed, but the besieged regiment fled across the River Uruguay to Argentina.^[28]

The revolution proceeded relatively smoothly in the state of Santa Catarina. At the coastal capital of the state, Florianópolis, however, Admiral Heraclito Belford refused Aranha's request to come into the capital and fired on revolutionaries approaching the town, despite the revolution having control of most of the state.^[28] Belford, with five destroyers, a scout vessel and a cruiser, delayed movement into the capital and remained until October 24, when electricity was cut off.^[28]

Getúlio Vargas in a moment of relaxation.

On October 5, in the state of Paraná, General Plinio Tourinho advised Vargas that it would be safe for him to establish his headquarters in what was now the frontlines of the revolution.^[28] In the Southeast of the country, the new state President of Minas Gerais, Olegario Maciel, delivered a revolutionary proclamation to all of the state's local administrators, with the state police arresting and rounding up Federal officers.^[28] The well–supplied 12th infantry regiment, however, defended themselves in the state capital until October 8.^[28]

Northeast of Brazil[]

In the Northeast of the country, the revolution was slow to gain movement, mainly due to a quarrel between Aranha and tenente^[29] Captain Juarez Tavora. Tavora insisted the revolution to begin at dawn on October 4 instead of October 3, when it began in the south.^[28] What resulted was federal officers in the northeast be warned about the revolution before the revolutionaries were prepared to fight.^[30] In the state of Pernambuco, the pro–federal state President and former Vice–President of the country, Estácio Coimbra, and revolutionaries quickly formed hostilities. With the strategic leadership of Carlos Lima Cavalcanti, civilians began wrecking the telephone station.^[30] A former Pernambuco police officier attacked a munitions dump at Soledade, Paraíba, a state of the liberal alliance which had joined the cause, alongside 16 men, and weapons were handed out to the public.^[30]

Soldiers in combat during the revolution.

Tavora and his men entered and captured the capital of Pernambuco, Recife, which was already being controlled by Cavalcanti.^[30] The capture of Recife resulted in 38 deaths and 120 wounded, and Tavora continued throughout the Northeast, where state governments continued to collapse to the revolutionaries.^[30][31]

Counter–revolution[]

The state of Bahia was now being invaded by Juraci Magalhães, which is where a counter–revolution attempt occurred. Former President of Maranhão and Senator Magalhães de Almeida volunteered to recover his state from revolutionaries and restore it to Luís.^[30] Luís allowed Almeida to recover his state if he would also support the pro–federal loyalists in the state of Pará.^[30] Magalhães, now aboard a ship dually–armed with cannon, planned to bombard the capital of Maranhão from the sea, but haulted his expedition as the governing junta in the state planned to execute pro–federal prisoners if the Senator were to take any action.^[30] The counter–revolution ended, and Magalhães was arrested.^[30]

The 1930 provisional government. From left to right: Admiral Isaías de Noronha, General Augusto Tasso Fragoso, and General João de Deus Mena Barreto.

End of the First Brazilian Republic[]

Towards the end of the revolution, gauchos were drafted from Rio Grande do Sul north to São Paulo. Planes and munitions were brought in from neighboring countries Uruguay and Argentina, 12 aeroplanes were purchased from the United States of America,^[32] and tanks were under construction in Porto Alegre.^[33] This preparation was for a major battle that many anticipated would occur in Itararé (on the border with Paraná) on October 25, where the federal troops were stationed to halt the advance of the revolutionary forces.^[32] These revolutionary forces were led by Colonel Góis Monteiro. Lieutenant Colonel Pedro Góes Monteiro, in charge of Vargas's army, also moved onto Rio de Janeiro from Rio Grande do Sul.^[31]

There was speculation it could've been the largest battle in Latin American history, though the battle did not occur in Itararé since military leaders Tasso Fragoso, Mena Barreto, and Isaiah de Noronha had already ousted President Luís (who had went into exile in Fort Copcabana) on October 24, ending the First Republic.^{[3][11][31][32]}

Provisional government[]

Vargas (center; in uniform), next to his wife Darci Vargas (second right), in the Catete Palace, after his arrival in Rio de Janeiro, 31 October 1930.

Following the ousting and resignation of Luís on October 24, a three-man military junta consisting of General Tasso Fragoso, General Mena Barreto, and Admiral Isaiah de Noronha took power of the national government.^[3][11][31] The junta consisted of the military commanders who ousted Luís from office. Their power lasted until November 3, 1930,^[3][11] when the junta handed power and the presidential palace to Vargas, who would dissolve the National Congress and appoint federal officials to take the place of all state governors except for Minas Gerais.^[11][34]

Aftermath[]

Revolts[]

After Vargas had assumed control as interim president,^[35] three subsequent revolts broke out in Brazil throughout his reign. The first of which was the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution, led by São Paulo. The revolution led to a new constitution on July 16, 1934,^[36] which resulted in Vargas being elected by delegates in the 1934 Brazilian presidential election.^[35]

A communist revolution broke out in 1935, although it, similar to the 1932 revolution, was effectively suppressed.^[2][35] However, a fascist revolution in 1938 led to a political crisis; Vargas, in the name of law and order, repealed the Constitution, abolished political parties, canceled the 1938 presidential elections, and pronounced a new Constitution–the 1937 Estado Novo Constitution.^[35] Vargas's powers were expanded exponentially–he abolished the legislative assembly and replaced most state governors with men he approved of, leading to a lack of any check on his powers and beginning the Third Brazilian Republic, or better known as the Estado Novo, where Vargas essentially became a dictator with unlimited powers from 1937 to 1945.^[35]

See also[]

• Revolutions of Brazil
• History of Brazil

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Bourne, Richard (1974). Getulio Vargas of Brazil, 1883-1954: Sphinx of the Pampas. London: C. Knight.
• Eakin, Marshall C. (1997). Brazil: the once and future country. New York: St. Martin's Press.
• Hill, Lawrence F. (1947). Brazil. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
• Levine, Robert M.; Crocitti, John J. (1999). The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press.
• Levine, Robert M. (1998). Father of the poor? Vargas and his era. New York, New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Levine, Robert M. (1970). The Vargas regime: The critical years, 1934-1938. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Meade, Teresa A. (2010). A Brief History of Brazil. Infobase Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-8160-7788-5.
• Normano, João Frederico (1935). Brazil: A study of economic types. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
• Roett, Riordan (1992). Brazil: Politics in a Patrimonial Society; Fourth Edition. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
• Skidmore, Thomas E. (1999). Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. United States: Oxford University Press.
• Young, Jordan M. (1967). The Brazilian revolution of 1930 and the aftermath. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.