Constitutionalist Revolution

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The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 is the name given to the uprising of the state of São Paulo against the federal government Brazil. The goal of the revolution was to topple president Getulio Vargas' provisory government and replace it with a constitutional regimen.

The uprising started on July 9, 1932, after five protesting students were killed by government officials 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, Dráusio and Camargo) started. A fifth victim, Alvarenga, was also shot that night, but died months later.

In a few months, the state of São Paulo rebelled and declared war against the rest of Brazil. With alliances with two other powerful states (Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul), São Paulo expected a quick war. However, the alliances didn't materialized and São Paulo was defeated in October 2, 1932.

The biggest demands of São Paulo were the end of the government's military intervention and the creation of a constitution (the previous constitution was revoked by the Revolution of 1930). Although São Paulo suffered a military defeat, the stated attained a political victory: a new constitution was started (and later promulgated in 1934) and Getulio Vargas named a civil governor to the state of São Paulo.