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| Second Republic of Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | Second Republic of Brazil |
| Common name | Brazil (1946–1964) |
| Government type | Presidential republic |
| Event start | 1946 Constitution |
| Date start | 18 September 1946 |
| Event end | Military coup |
| Date end | 1 April 1964 |
| Capital | Rio de Janeiro |
| Largest city | Rio de Janeiro |
| Official languages | Portuguese language |
| Currency | Brazilian cruzeiro |
Second Republic of Brazil
The Second Republic of Brazil was the period of Brazilian history from the promulgation of the 1946 Constitution to the military coup of 1964. It encompassed administrations led by Eurico Gaspar Dutra, Getúlio Vargas (returning as elected president), Juscelino Kubitschek, Jânio Quadros, and João Goulart, and featured intense competition among urban and rural elites, labor movements, industrialists, and military officers. The era was marked by rapid industrialization, urban migration, Cold War alignments, and escalating political polarization that culminated in the 1964 coup d'état.
The origins of the period trace to the end of the Estado Novo (Brazil), the resignation of Getúlio Vargas in 1945, and the global settlement after World War II. Postwar pressures from PTB supporters, PCB activists, and elements of the Brazilian Army pushed for democratization and a new constitution. The 1946 constitutional assembly involved politicians from PSD, UDN, and regional oligarchies tied to São Paulo and Minas Gerais interests, reacting to wartime centralization and aligning with United States expectations for anti-communist democracies.
The 1946 Constitution re-established a strong presidential system, a bicameral National Congress comprising the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and an independent judiciary centered on the Supreme Federal Court. Federalism returned importance to state governors such as those of Goiás, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Sul, while municipal politics in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro grew in influence. The armed forces retained political autonomy through the Ministry of War and informal links to conservative parties and industrial elites. Electoral institutions evolved with the Electoral Code of 1932 reforms reasserted, and labor relations institutionalized through laws linked to Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho provisions and agencies connected with Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional norms for cultural policy.
Key actors included Getúlio Vargas and his PTB, Juscelino Kubitschek and the PSD, and conservative leaders in the UDN such as Carlos Lacerda. The PCB and small socialist groupings influenced labor unions tied to Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores and urban federations in São Paulo. Military figures such as Henrique Teixeira Lott and Artur da Costa e Silva shaped interventionist doctrines, while regional bosses—coronéis from Ceará, Bahia, and Paraná—dominated local politics. Business magnates linked to Vale S.A. precursor firms, Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, and foreign investors from the United States and United Kingdom formed alliances with industrial ministries and banking institutions.
The period featured the 1946 Constitution, the 1950 election of Getúlio Vargas, and the 1954 crisis that culminated in Vargas's suicide amid pressures from Carlos Lacerda and military officers. The election of Juscelino Kubitschek in 1955 inaugurated the "Plano de Metas" and the construction of Brasília, which involved architects like Oscar Niemeyer and planners such as Lúcio Costa. The unexpected resignation of Jânio Quadros in 1961 triggered the Legality Campaign led by Leonel Brizola and a parliamentary interlude to maintain João Goulart in office. Labor reforms, the nationalization of key sectors, and clashes over the land reform debate intensified conflicts between the PCB, rural elites in Minas Gerais and São Paulo, and the Brazilian Army.
Industrial growth accelerated under policies favoring import-substitution industrialization overseen by ministries allied to IAPI-style agencies, the Banco do Brasil, and state corporations like the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional. Urbanization swelled populations in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and the new capital Brasília, producing favelas and working-class movements associated with leaders such as Luís Carlos Prestes in leftist circles. Agrarian structures persisted in regions dominated by latifúndio elites in Pará and Maranhão, while social legislation expanded social security administered through institutions tied to Ministry of Education and Health. Inflationary episodes, foreign debt negotiations with International Monetary Fund-linked missions, and infrastructure projects like Transamazônica defined macroeconomic debates.
Brazilian foreign policy navigated Cold War pressures through participation in Organization of American States forums, military cooperation with the United States Department of Defense and North Atlantic Treaty Organization-adjacent programs, and diplomatic maneuvers with non-aligned states such as India and Egypt. The 1947-1964 period saw involvement in hemispheric security pacts, anti-communist intelligence exchanges with agencies aligned to Central Intelligence Agency, and debates over recognition policies toward Cuba after 1959. Trade agreements with United States firms, technical missions from United Nations agencies, and cultural diplomacy involving figures like Heitor Villa-Lobos shaped international engagement.
Political polarization peaked with the March of the Family with God for Liberty, mass mobilizations in Guanabara, and parliamentary crises that eroded support for João Goulart. Military conspiracies involving generals such as Odílio Denys and civilian conservatives including Carlos Lacerda culminated in the 1964 coup supported by elements of the United States and conservative industrial sectors. The overthrow led to the installation of a military junta and eventually Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco as president, beginning a period of authoritarian rule and institutional reforms that dismantled many Second Republic institutions. Category:History of Brazil (1946–1964)