Brazil and WWI Notes

Background

1. Although most Latin American nations remained neutral during the First World War, Brazil was the only South American country to declare war on the Central Powers.
2. Its involvement reflected both economic pragmatism and a growing desire for international recognition. The war exposed Brazil’s dependence on foreign trade and shipping, while offering an opportunity to modernize its economy, assert regional leadership, and align with the victorious Allied Powers.

Brazil’s Position Before the War

1. At the start of the war in 1914, Brazil was a constitutional republic under President Venceslau Brás, heavily dependent on coffee, rubber, and cotton exports.
2. The economy relied on British capital and shipping routes, creating a natural alignment with the Allies.
3. Brazil initially declared neutrality, reflecting limited military capacity and internal instability after years of political unrest (the “Old Republic” era).
4. However, Germany’s submarine warfare and attacks on neutral ships in the South Atlantic increasingly threatened Brazilian trade.

Economic and Political Reasons for Involvement

1. Brazil’s economy was hit hard by wartime disruptions: trade routes were blocked, and exports fell sharply between 1914 and 1916.
2. The sinking of Brazilian merchant ships by German submarines, including the Paraná (1917), provoked public outrage and pushed the government toward action.
3. President Brás severed diplomatic relations with Germany in April 1917, aligning with the U.S. decision to enter the war.
4. In October 1917, after further attacks on Brazilian ships, Brazil formally declared war on the Central Powers.
5. Participation was also driven by diplomatic ambition: Brazil sought a seat at the postwar peace negotiations and recognition as a modern, civilized nation.

Social and Diplomatic Dimensions

1. The war fueled internal divisions: conservative elites supported the Allies, while segments of the population questioned involvement given Brazil’s domestic problems (inequality, unrest, and strikes).
2. The government used wartime participation to promote national unity and suppress labor movements, framing dissent as unpatriotic.
3. Diplomatically, Brazil leveraged its participation to increase influence in Latin American affairs, portraying itself as the region’s representative at the Versailles peace talks.
4. Brazilian diplomats joined the Versailles Conference (1919) and became founding members of the League of Nations, signaling an ambition to play a greater role in global governance.

Impact and Significance of Brazil’s Involvement

1. Brazil’s limited but symbolic participation elevated its international prestige, allowing it to claim regional leadership in South America.
2. The war accelerated economic modernization, including state control of shipping, industrialization, and foreign trade diversification.
3. The experience revealed Brazil’s dependence on European trade and vulnerability to external crises, influencing later nationalist and protectionist policies.
4. In hemispheric terms, Brazil’s cooperation with the Allies and the U.S. solidified the Western Hemisphere’s alignment with liberal democracies, reinforcing U.S. leadership in Pan-American affairs.
5. The war also indirectly paved the way for domestic transformation, leading toward the Vargas Era (1930–1945) and Brazil’s emergence as a more assertive state.