Republic of the Sword

The Republic of the Sword was the early time of the First Brazilian Republic, when it was ruled by Marshals Deodoro da Fonseca and Floriano Peixoto. It started in 1889 when Deodoro da Fonseca began a military coup against the Empire of Brazil, which led to the Proclamation of the Republic. For the first two years, Fonseca ruled in a way that gave him all the power, until a new constitution was created in 1891, and he was elected president. However, Fonseca could not work well with Congress and dissolved it in November 1891, causing big problems and making many people unhappy.

The time was also hard for the economy because of something called the Encilhamento. The government tried to help industry grow, but this led to too much spending, high prices, and big problems for many people. This made the new government look bad and caused more trouble.

Floriano Peixoto became president during this difficult time. He was known as the "Iron Marshal" because he used strong ways to keep control. His time as president had many fights, like the Federalist Revolution and the Second Naval Revolt in 1893. Some people still wanted the old monarchy back and wanted new elections. Peixoto had to use emergency powers to stay in control. Even though his time was tough, it helped prepare Brazil for a more peaceful time when Prudente de Morais, the first civilian president, took over in 1894. After Peixoto left, Brazil started to move toward a government led by civilians, though power was still held by certain groups from places like Minas Gerais and São Paulo.

Background

Main articles: Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil and Proclamation of the Republic (Brazil)

After a big war called the Paraguayan War, the military in Brazil became more powerful in politics. Emperor Pedro II was getting older and healthier, so he could not take an active role in running the country. This caused problems between the leaders of the old government and the military.

In 1889, a leader named Deodoro da Fonseca from the Brazilian Army was asked by important people to start a change against the old monarchy. On November 15, 1889, he led a quiet and peaceful takeover. Because of this, Brazil became a republic, though it is not clear if he announced this right away or just removed the leader of the government at that time, the Viscount of Ouro Preto.

1889–1891, Deodoro da Fonseca

After a military coup in 1889, leaders needed to show their actions were for Brazil's good. For the first two years, Deodoro da Fonseca ruled with strong control.

Decrees were used to make changes like giving voting rights to educated people and separating church from government. However, economic problems grew, leading to a crisis. By 1891, a new constitution was created, setting up a government led by a president, a National Congress, and a Judiciary. Voting was allowed for men over 21, but not for women or those who couldn't read.

Deodoro faced disagreements with Congress and closed it down, causing protests. He resigned in 1891, and Floriano Peixoto became president.

Constitution

Main article: Brazilian Constitution of 1891

Election

Main article: 1891 Brazilian presidential election

After the constitution was created, an indirect election was held. Deodoro became president, and Floriano became vice president.

1891–1894, Floriano Peixoto

Further information: Revolta da Armada § Second revolt, and Federalist Revolution

When Floriano Peixoto became leader, he removed state leaders who supported the previous ruler and replaced them with his own supporters. He used the military to do this because there was no legal way to change the leaders at that time. Because of these actions, many people opposed him, including powerful groups who were unhappy with the new government’s policies. Some people even said he wanted to rule forever without elections, but this was not true. The biggest danger to his rule came from parts of the military who did not agree with him.

Soon after taking power, some soldiers in important places refused to follow orders. Later, many army leaders asked him to step down, but he did not. There were uprisings in several places, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Maranhão, Amazonas, and Mato Grosso. In 1893, sailors also rebelled but were stopped with help from foreign friends. There was also a big fight in the south of Brazil, but it ended a few years later.

End of term

Main article: 1894 Brazilian general election

In 1894, Floriano Peixoto’s time in power ended. An election was held, and a new leader, Prudente de Morais, took over. This marked the end of a five-year period when Brazil was mainly ruled by military leaders.

Aftermath

After Prudente de Morais was elected, the army's power decreased. The Clube Militar was closed between 1896 and 1901. Even though tensions stayed high between soldiers and civilians, no military leaders would lead the country for the rest of the First Republic, except for Hermes da Fonseca in 1910. After a period of economic trouble called the Encilhamento, the next two leaders, Prudente de Morais and Campos Sales, made changes to help Brazil's economy. The economy started to fully recover by the end of Campos Sales' time in office.