S?o Paulo / Brasil - Constitutionalist Revolution 1932

[ricky1972]

Hello all!!

The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War) is the name given to the uprising of part of the population of the Brazilian state of S?o Paulo against the federal government. The movement grew out of local disappointment at the loss of political pre-eminence S?o Paulo elites had enjoyed prior to the 1930 Revolution. Its main goal was to press the provisional government headed by Get?lio Vargas to enact a new Constitution, since it had revoked the previous one, adopted in 1889. However, as the movement developed and resentment against President Vargas grew deeper, it came to advocate the overthrow of the Federal Government and even the secession of S?o Paulo from the Brazilian federation.

The uprising started on July 9, 1932, after five protesting students were killed by government troops on May 23, 1932. On the wake of their deaths, a movement called MMDC (from the initials of the names of each of the four students killed, Martins, Miragaia, Dr?usio and Camargo) started. A fifth victim, Alvarenga, was also shot that night, but died months later.

Revolutionary troops entrenched in the battlefield

In a few months, the state of S?o Paulo rebelled against the federal government. Counting on the solidarity of the political elites of two other powerful states, (Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul), the politicians of S?o Paulo expected a quick war. However, that solidarity was never translated into actual support, and the S?o Paulo revolt was militarily crushed on October 2, 1932.

In spite of its military defeat, some of the movement's main demands were finally granted by Vargas afterwards: the appointment of a non-military state Governor, the election of a Constituent Assembly and, finally, the enactment of a new Constitution in 1934. However that Constitution was short lived, as in 1937, amidst growing extremism on the left and right wings of the political spectrum, Vargas closed the National Congress and enacted another Constitution, which established an authoritarian regime called Estado Novo.

My two grandfathers fought for S?o Paulo during this revolution, so I was able to make the display below using family pictures

Hope you like it!!

Mario Della Rosa (in the right)

Manoel Maia Neto (also in the right)

Cheers,

Ricardo

Edited January 8, 2009 by ricky1972

[Ulsterman]

awesome!

So, Sao Paulo issued its own medals?

Can you tell us more details about the revolt?

[ricky1972]

Hello Ulsterman,

Thanks for the nice comments!

Yes. S?o Paulo issued some medals and a very large number of Pro-S?o Paulo propaganda pins.

Some pins are very hard to find items here in Brazil, especially the rings of fund raising campaign to help S?o Paulo with the war.

Even defeated, S?o Paulo citzens (paulistas) like me, are very very proud with the sense of duty ours granfathers had during those days...

It was a very short but bloody war, with more than 980 killed in 85 days of combat (some sources says more than 2000 dead).

There?s many interesting and curious aspects in this revolution including air raids and naval blockades.

I?ll try to find a very good text in english I have somewhere to share here.

Cheers,

Ricardo

[Ulsterman]

Ricardo

HINT HINT!!!

Sounds like an EXCELLENT idea for an article!

Tell us more about that Military merit medal please.

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: I have heard of the horrific Chaco Wars but never of this "episode." Some silly people today still think Constitutions do not matter and that history is dead and can never happen again.

What happened to all the rebels? I would have expected mass arrests, executions, martial law... and the defeated side to have disappeared like the Spanish Republicans a few years later.

Was there a general amnesty, or "rehabilition" through prison sentences?

Very very interesting indeed! Thanks for starting this and keep on going! Fascinating!!!! :cheers:

[Hugh]

Muito bem, Ricky! Mais informacao, por favor.

Hugh

[ricky1972]

Hello Ulsterman,

About the medals below:

On the left the "For?a P?blica" (Public Force, State of S?o Paulo Police, later Military Police) medal for those who fought on 1924 Revolt.

On the right, another "For?a P?blica" medal, 20 years of service. The same medal pictured below:

Both medals were used by S?o Paulo Officers during the 1932 war and represents the State Forces fighting for S?o Paulo.

I do collect S?o Paulo Military Police medals. There?s many medals and some interesting groups too...

Dear Rick,

You?re right: Many mass arrests, but as S?o Paulo was (and still is) the most important brazilian state and the participation of population was huge, the federal government set most of the soldiers free in short time. The revolution leaders were exilated in Europe, returning some years after.

Hugh,

Thanks for yor reply. I?ll post some interesting propaganda images used during that period, along with some battlefield pictures.

Edited January 9, 2009 by ricky1972

[ricky1972]

Here?s two classic propaganda posters.

One for soldiers and one for home effort - interesting if you think its 1932...

[Guest Rick Research]

This is very interesting. Up here, we never had any form of South American history after Simon Bolivar... so I always thought Brazil had always been a stable, functioning democracy after the Empire fell-- unlike all the little dictatorships south of you.

(I always thought WE were a stable, functioning dmeocracy too... )

I am glad to hear that Too Many People To Arrest did not lead to the sort of mass slaughter that the Soviets used against their people over and over again.

This is very enlightening information. :cheers:

[Megan]

Fascinating stuff - thank you for sharing.

The personal aspect only makes it the more interesting. Were your grandfathers enthuiasts for the cause even before the fighting broke out or did they get caught up in the excitement? How did they feel about it once the dust died down?

[ricky1972]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for the nice comments!!

In one image we can see the father of my mother holding a rifle - as we know today, only the early volunteers saw action and carry a gun was just for those on the frontline as Sao Paulo have short ammount of guns and ammo; on the other images observing the uniforms we can see that my other granfather were in for the cause since the early days of the Revolution - see the picture below: He?s with armband and civilian clothes.

Both carried on with their lives after the war, but the father of my mother had a severe depression and died some years later.

In the 50?s my granfather were in the battlefields for a tour along with another veterans - he?s the man in the middle.

He died in 1983 after a happy and peaceful life.

Edited January 12, 2009 by ricky1972

[Galdino]

Outsdanding post, Ricky.

I started a small collection of pins and medals of the period too:

Here in Brazil is a popular subject of collecting, specially between people that are from Sao Paulo State (who fought against the dictatorship).

Those pins are increasing their prices too much in my opinion.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Very interesting indeed....

I love clicking on threads and landing up looking at things I never even knew existed when I got up this morning!

[ricky1972]

Hello Chris,

In fact this is the most amazing aspect of this forum!!

Here?s some variants of the most important medal from 1932?s period and a image of a group wearing the MK1 steel helmets (Adrian models were used too).

Note the soldier in the middle with the medal

The reverse of the medal: S?O PAULO IS THE POWER AND THE RIGHT

Edited January 14, 2009 by ricky1972

[ricky1972]

Here´s some more images of 1932 militaria and insignia...