Getúlio Vargas, the Military and the End of an Era

Abstract

The text analyzes the relationship between military forces and politics in Brazil, especially during Vargas’ second government. It highlights how the military assumed roles of honoratiores, acting as political moderators and influencing important decisions, with the political presupposition of their transformative mission to transition from a traditional society to a modern society. Vargas’ relationship with the military was marked by internal disputes, ideological conflicts, and attempts to control military power, including episodes such as the attack on Rua Tonelero and the 1954 crisis, which culminated in Vargas’ suicide. Institutions like the Escola Superior de Guerra and the Clube Militar played a central role in the participation of military elites with a strong political presence, especially those aligned with the Western bloc during the Cold War. These forces aimed to modernize the country, combat totalitarianism, and consolidate a liberal order, constructing, in relation to Getúlio Vargas and his “populism,” the image of a great obstacle to modernity: a tension where Vargas' “populism” would reflect the conflict between tradition and modernity in Brazilian history. For these military elites, it was necessary to bring an end to an era: The Vargas Era.