1930-1945 1964-1985







Brazil, 1945-1964



In 1945, parliamentary democracy was reintroduced. A new constitution was adopted in 1947, which maintained women's voting right, but did not foresee a divorce - marriage was regarded inseparable. In 1947 the PCB (Communist Party) was declared unconstitutional and banned; the party had gained c. 10 % of the votes in the 1945 election.
The country saw a succession of mostly short-lived governments. The new democratic administration pursued a liberal economic policy, stressed non-interference; while the exchange rate of the Brazilian Cruzeiro to the US Dollar had been stable during the later Vargas years, the Cruzeiro now began to fall.
The deteriorating economy resulted in the election of ex-dictator GETULIO VARGAS as president in 1950.
The same year Brazil staged the soccer world cup, entering the final game as heavy favourite, but surprisingly losing to neighbour Uruguay 2-1. As soccer is taken very serious in Brazil, it was regarded a disgrace.
The economic problems continued. The year 1953 saw massive strikes. A matter president Vargas took to heart; he committed suicide (1954). The following election was turbulent; JUSCELINO KUBITSCHEK won, but found the army opposed to him taking office. After a period of arm-twisting, Kubitschek was inaugurated in 1956. President Kubitschek pursued a policy of supporting economic development; which required investment; in 1957-1959 the Brazilian Cruzeiro lost ground against the Dollar. Industrial output rose considerably. Ford and Volkswagen (1953) built factories in Brazil.
In 1960, the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to BRASILIA. Another ambitious program, the opening of the Amazon jungle by constructing the TRANSAMAZONICA, was begun. Wide areas of rain forest were cut or burnt down, turned into pasture; the world's environmentalists began to become concerned about the Amazon rain forest, one of the world's most important biotopes.

In 1958, 1962 Brazil won the soccer world cup, the national team lead by PELE.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from infoplease : Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Pele, Getulio Dornelles Vargas, Brasilia, Juscellino Kubitschek
Brazil 1961-1964. Introducing the Marvellous New World of Death Squads, from William Blum, Killing Hope, U.S. interventions in the Third World, posted by Third World Traveller
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE Boris Fausto, A Concise History of Brazil, Cambridge Concise Histories, 1999
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1946, pp.138-141 (on events of 1945) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1947, pp.140-143 (on events of 1946) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1948, pp.131-133 (on events of 1947) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1949, pp.113-114 (on events of 1948) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1950, pp.122-123 (on events of 1949) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1951 pp.118-119 (on events of 1950) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1952, pp.116-117 (on events of 1951) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1953, pp.116-117 (on events of 1952) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1954, pp.115-116 (on events of 1953) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1955, pp.176-177 (on events of 1954) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1956, pp.115-116 (on events of 1955) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1957 pp.174-176 (on events of 1956) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1958, pp.115-117 (on events of 1957) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1959, pp.116-118 (on events of 1958) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1960, pp.117-118 (on events of 1959) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1961, pp.116-118 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1962, pp.104-106 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 pp.219-221 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.195-197 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article Brazil, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 pp.194-196 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1947 pp.92-95 (on events of 1946) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1957 pp.96-98 (on events of 1956) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1961 pp.87-90 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.85-87 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.97-100 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.97-99 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Brazil, in : Americana Annual 1965 p.124 (on events of 1964) [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 28th 2006

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