ELITISM AND AUTHORITARISM IN THE MILITARY APOLOGETICAL DISCOURSE OF THE “CONSTITUTIONALIST” REVOLT OF 1932

Abstract

In the context of the Provisional Government of Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian politics experienced recurring disagreements between oligarch politicians and lieutenant groups, organized in the revolutionary legions and the Clube 3 de Outubro. Dissident oligarchs who supported the 1930 Revolution found themselves discredited in the spaces of power occupied by lieutenants and revolutionaries. During the post-1930 period, oligarchic political forces desired the return of institutional normality and the holding of elections, aiming for dominance over the political game, as occurred before 1930. The confrontation between oligarchs and lieutenants deepened following the 1932. In the case of São Paulo, the clashes were more intense and generated a profound distance that resulted in a bloody revolt that mobilized a considerable contingent of soldiers. This work aims to analyze the political and social tensions that led to the revolt against the provisional government of Getúlio Vargas, identifying elements of elitism and authoritarianism present in the discourse self-proclaimed as democratic and constitutional in the alliance between the military and the São Paulo oligarchies.