Estado Novo (Brazil)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Estado Novo (Portuguese for "New State") was the name of the authoritarian government installed in Brazil by President Getúlio Dornelles Vargas, which lasted from 1937 to 1945. It was modeled on the Estado Novo regime in Brazil's mother country of Portugal.

For more detail, see History of Brazil, 1930–45: The Estado Novo.

[edit] History

In 1937, while awaiting the presidential elections for January, 1938, the existence of a communist plot (Intentona Comunista, the "Communist Attempt") to overthrow the government was denounced by Vargas. This denunciation was part of a plan, the Plano Cohen, to take over the government. Plano Cohen was forged in the government with the objective to create a climate favorable to the coup of the Estado Novo, which occurred November 10, 1937.

After that, Getúlio Vargas closed the Congress and established a new Constitution that gave him control of the legislature and judiciary. In the following month, Vargas signed a Decree dispersing political parties, and the "Ação Integralista Brasileira" (AIB). On May 11, 1938, the integralists, unsatisfied with the closing of the AIB, invaded the Guanabara Palace, attempting to depose Vargas. This episode is known as "Integralist Attempt" and was far from successful.

Between 1937 and 1945, the duration of the Estado Novo, Getúlio Vargas gave continuity to the formation of structure and professionalism in the State. He oriented the state to intervene in the economy, promoting economic nationalism. The intention was to form a strong impulse toward industrialization.

In this period, a number of industrial concerns were created:

The "Conselho Nacional do Petróleo" (CNP) (National Oil Advisor)
The "Departamento Administrativo do Serviço Público" (DASP) (The Administration Department of Public Service)
The "Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional" (CSN) (National Iron Smelting Company)
The "Companhia Vale do Rio Doce" (Sweet River Valley Company)
The "Companhia Hidroelétrica do São Francisco" (Saint Francis Hydroelectric Company)
The "Fábrica Nacional de Motores" (FNM) (National Motor Plant)

The Estado Novo had a powerful effect on Brazilian architecture, because it provided sufficient authority to implement Urban Planning on a large scale in Brazil. Although sufficient wealth was not available to complete the plans, they had a powerful, lasting effect on the cities and their organization. One of the best-planned cities in the world, Curitiba, received its first planning during the Estado Novo. One notable urban planner was Alfred Agache.

A series of measures were used to restrain opposition, such as the nomination of Intervenors for the States and censorship of the media, performed by the DIP ("Departamento de Imprensa e Propaganda", Department of Press and Propaganda). This agency also promoted the ideology of the Estado Novo, designed the official propaganda of the government and tried to direct public opinion.

In 1943, Getúlio edited the CLT ("Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho", Consolidation of the Labor Laws), guaranteeing that a job would be stable after ten years of service. It also provided weekly rest, regulated the work of minors and women, regulated night-time work and set a working day to eight hours.

With the start of World War II, in 1939, Vargas maintained neutrality until 1941, when an agreement was formed between Brazil and United States. The North American government promised to finance Brazilian iron and steel extraction, in exchange for military bases in Natal (Brazil), in the northeast.

Getúlio also signed a treaty to supply natural rubber from the Amazon to the Allies.

After the sinking of Brazilian ships by German submarines in 1942, Brazil declared war on Germany and Italy. In January 28, 1943, Vargas and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (President of U.S.A.) participated in the Conference of Natal, where the first agreements create, in November, the "Força Expedicionária Brasileira" (FEB, the Brazilian Expeditionary Force). In July, 1944 the first group is sent to fight in Italy. In June of 1945, Brazil declared war on Japan.

The ending of the conflict in 1945 strengthened the pressures in favor of redemocratizaion. Although some measures were taken, such as the setting of a date for elections, the amnesty, the freedom to organise political parties, and a commitment to choose a new Constitutional convention, Vargas was deposed on October 29, 1945 by a military movement led by generals from the ministry of war.