Brazil has entered the World War II on June 30, 1944, alongside the allied countries, that is, the United States, England, the Soviet Union and the civil-military resistance of countries such as France. The enemy, of course, were the so-called “Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis Powers ”. But why did Brazil enter the war? And how did your performance go? That's what we'll answer next.
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Background
We know that the period of the Vargas Era known as State New, which lasted from 1937 to 1945, was explicitly dictatorial. Getúlio established a political police apparatus very similar to that of Italy fascist and to Germany Nazi , countries with which the Estado Novo maintained close relations until 1941. It was in 1941, however, that the United States officially entered the war, after the naval base of Pearl Harbor have been attacked by Japanese planes.
The US sought to establish a zone of military influence on the American continent in order to avoid an eventual Nazi-fascist occupation. Brazil had strategic regions that could not be vulnerable. This was the case on the coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, where the Forte dos Reis Magos is located. The Americans knew they needed Vargas as an ally and began to pressure him accordingly. As historian Boris Fausto says, in his work History of Brazil :
[…] Even before the war began, Roosevelt was convinced that it would take place on a global scale and would involve the United States. This perspective led American strategists to expand what they considered the country's security circle, including South America and in particular the Brazilian Northeast “bulge”. The Americans also launched a political-ideological offensive, promoting, among other initiatives, the Pan American Conferences, around a common objective:the defense of the Americas, regardless of the political regime in force in each country, under the command of the United States. [1]
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Torpedo ships and the declaration of war
The Nazis, aware of Brazil's approach to the US, began to retaliate against the country, attacking ships – initially ships far from the Brazilian coast; then, merchant ships very close to the northeast coast. Between August 5 and 17, 1942, six Brazilian ships were sunk by German submarines, resulting in the death of more than 600 people. The fact moved the nation, which began to pressure Vargas to declare war on Germany. Also in August, Brazil officially declared war against the Axis powers.
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The FEB and the front Battle of Italy
The detachment of Brazilian soldiers sent to war was linked to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB) , created on November 13, 1943 with the special objective of going to the battlefront in Europe alongside the allied powers:USA, England and the Soviet Union. The FEB soldiers, who numbered around 25,000, fought in Italy, in regions such as Monte Castle – where the most important of the battles for the liberation of Italy took place. The death toll of Brazilian soldiers reached 443.
NOTES
[1] FAUST, Boris. History of Brazil . São Paulo:EDUSP, 2013. p. 324.
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