Vargas had a large role in the industrialization of Brazil around the time of the depression. When Vargas’s party came into power they changed the system to create rapid growth in industrialization. They did this by revising the tax structure to make the local and state administrations more dependent on the central government. Also, labor was controlled by the government. Business was stimulated by a program of rapid industrialization.
Summary #2 – Backyard Relationship
The relationship between Vargas and the United States was strained because of Vargas’s nationalistic economic policies. More specifically Vargas’s industrialization plan that was closed to foreign capital investment. Also, The United States refused to give Brazil economic assistance because of them being against nationalism, even though Brazil assisted the United States in World War II, this lead Brazil to not send troops to Korea.
Political Perspective
Vargas rose to power through the system of patronage and clientelism as a member of the gaucho-landed oligarchy. Vargas was chosen to represent the Liberal Alliance in the upcoming election in Brazil. During this time the current president Pereira was from Sao Paulo, and the “Golden Rule of Brazilian Politics” is that presidents alternated between candidates from Sao Paulo and Minas State. Pereira ignored this rule and put government support behind Julio Prestes, another man from Sao Paulo. When Prestes won the presidency Vargas announced that he would accept the result, but truly Vargas planned to overthrow Prestes administration. There was a coup which lasted for three weeks and ended with Vargas becoming president
Vargas started his political career as a corporatist, but eventually his ideals became socialist. Early in his political career Vargas established a new constitution which reestablished the legislative system to include both state and local sector representatives. Even with this constitution, Vargas still ended up having a prolonged authoritarian government. There was rebellion from the Tenentismo (or lieutenants), who desired autonomy within the government instead of centralization. With elite civilians fear of an outbreak in Civil War there was strong support for a strong unified military. When the Brazilian Military became a federal monopoly, a turning point in Brazilian politics was established. After this establishment all political parties were rid of until 1944.
In 1945 Vargas was overthrown by a coup in a wave of democratic sentiment which flourished across postwar Brazil. People were unhappy with him because of the inflation in foreign debt and the runaway inflation rates. When Vargas left the “New State” ended.
Even with Vargas being overthrown he still remained widely supported by Brazilians. When Vargas ran for president again in 1950, He ran on the platform of populism induced military, elite, and United States fear of nationalism. During his time of presidency Vargas now faced many restraints from the congress, political parties and public opinion. Vargas now found it difficult to satisfy his labor following and satisfy mounting, middle-class opposition. In the time of slow foreign energy resources in the 1950’s Vargas created the Brazilian Petroleum Company in 1953, and the Brazilian Electric Power Company in 1961.
Social Perspective
Vargas used workers as the basis for Populist power. Vargas ended the age of agricultural elites, and established a stronger middle class. Also Industrial leaders were given more influence nationally. When Vargas established a new constitution in 1934, Vargas electorally reformed the voting system by having secret ballots, giving women right to vote, and making special courts to supervise elections. By establishing “Estado Novo”, Vargas embraced and established a populist authoritarian country. Even with the economic growth of the country, citizens of this time were very repressed. Citizens who tried to have organized strikes were considered to be practicing a crime. Journalist and novelist were also censored, jailed, and discouraged. Military school was restricted to citizens who were considered respectable within the retrospect of the social hierarchy. Even with this repression Vargas was the first official to allow women to vote, and even gave women positions to serve on his staff. Also, with the new constitution there were major reforms in the educational system.
Economic Perspective
During the end of Vargas’s term he held and coup and started a new economic system called “Estado novo” which was a corporatist state. With the New state many economic changes were made in the Brazilian system. For workers there were now a wide range of benefits, including minimum wage. Also, Social Security laws were enacted, but the private enterprise remained the same. Also, he social reforms did not extend to the rural poor. During War World II Brazil became an important supplier of raw materials to the allied war efforts. In exchange for this the United States invested huge sums of money into infrastructure, highways, railroads, ports, and airports. These things were almost entirely constructed by the funds of the United States. The United States also helped to create Brazil’s first steel industry by funding Brazil’s first Steel Mill. Vargas created further industrialization by creating The National Motor factory, which produced trucks and airplane engines.
In the 1950’s when Vargas became president again he enforced a system where priority was given to essential goods and inputs, and discouraged imports of consumer goods. The unexpected result of this was the protection provided to the consumer goods industry.
Primary Source Photo
Hart Preston. Getulio Vargas. 1940. Photograph. Life, Brazil. Web. 14 Dec 2011. <http://www.life.com/celebrity-pictures/50452714/getulio-vargas>.
Origin: January 1st 1940, Brazil
Purpose: When Vargas announced a five year plan of economic development, which included the building of a steel mill and the development of hydroelectric power.
Value: The photographer was physically at the event, and the viewers of the picture can see the Vargas’s administration great disapproval of this girl’s speech. It shows the administrations repression of free speech.
Limitations: The limitation of the photo is that we are unsure of the reasoning behind this girl speaking to the president, and why they truly disapprove it.
Primary Source Documents
SUICIDE NOTE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT GETÚLIO VARGAS
Origin: August 24, 1954 in Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Purpose: Vargas wrote the letter before killing himself after being asked by the military to resign. This was his last words to the people.
Value: The letter is a primary source that shows the inner workings of the leader, Vargas.
Limitations: Since Vargas is being asked to resign from his position, his perspective of the military and Brazilian government would be screwed, and not very reliable. Also, his opinion on his policies would not be very good sources, because they are policies which he created and enacted.
“The Autumn of the Patriarch”
Vargas’s administration dissolved in frustration and charges of corruption. The military demanded that Vargas resign from his position, instead of resigning Vargas shot himself on August 1954 to death. It was not until after his death that his social programs he started during his presidency were celebrated. Vargas had sympathy from the people for his death, and is remembered as the “father of the poor”. With his death Vargas left behind a letter, the letter was read aloud on radio and television which rallied the citizens up and left them chanting for his return instead of his resignation.