Novembrada

In the early hours of November 11, 1955, war minister Henrique Lott met at his home in Rio de Janeiro with 30 generals from local garrisons. From there, he went straight to the ministry and put tanks on the streets, in the countercoup that secured the inauguration of elected president Juscelino Kubitschek and became known as the Novembrada.

The minister's goal was to guarantee democratic legality. The inauguration of JK and João Goulart, elected to the presidency of the Republic, was going to be challenged by the opposition, spearheaded by the União Democrática Nacional (UDN) and by Carlos Lacerda - who led the cream of the country's conservatism. The coup d'état was already underway.

JK and Jango appear tense as the inauguration approaches, in a cartoon by Appe (Anilde Pedrosa). "O golpe, o fato novo e a centelha" ("The Coup, the New Fact, and the Spark"), O Cruzeiro magazine - 1955 - Rio de Janeiro

Image description: The image is a black-and-white cartoon. On the left side, we see a large human skull with a staff. In the center, there is a standing clock with a pendulum. On the right, two men are posed as if dancing, with one of the men holding the other by the waist. In the upper right, there is a small box with the date "JANUARY 31." Below, it reads "'CARTOON' BY APPE."

The opposition's justification for attempting to challenge the outcome was that Juscelino's victory would be illegitimate, since his candidacy had not obtained an absolute majority of the votes. However, neither the 1946 Constitution nor the electoral legislation in force required an absolute majority. The coup plotters planned to challenge the inauguration of the elected candidates and impose an emergency government on the country.

The city was taken over by tanks, assault vehicles and 25,000 soldiers who occupied strategic points: Campo de Santana, the Central do Brasil train station and Santos Dumont airport. The interim president, Carlos Luz – who was president of the Chamber of Deputies and had taken office after vice-president Café Filho claimed health problems –, escaped from the Palácio do Catete through the back door. The coup leaders took refuge at the Navy Ministry's dock, in the port of Rio de Janeiro, and boarded the cruiser Tamandaré, which set sail for Santos. The plan was to set up a parallel government with the support of São Paulo governor Jânio Quadros.

Aboard the cruiser Tamandaré, members of the November 11 movement embark for the port of Santos: Jurandir Mamede (1º), Carlos Lacerda (5º, with glasses), Sílvio Heck (6º, in a cap), Otávio Marcondes Ferraz (7º, in a dark suit and glasses). Unknown photographer. CPDoc FGV Archive

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered around a large naval cannon. At the top of the image, three individuals are seated on top of the cannon, while at the bottom, a crowd of people is arranged in two rows. Most of those present are wearing military uniforms and formal suits.

When the Tamandaré reached the entrance channel to Guanabara Bay, the guns of the two military strongholds – Forte do Leme and Forte de Copacabana – began to fire. The cruiser managed to cross the bar, but news soon came over the radio that São Paulo had surrendered to the legalist troops. There was no way out: the Tamandaré turned back, Carlos Luz resigned, and the coup leaders had to negotiate the terms of the landing.

Troops entrench themselves near the Santos Headquarters. São Paulo, November 1955. Photographer unknown. Correio da Manhã Collection/Arquivo Nacional

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing three soldiers in a defensive position in a trench. On the left side, two soldiers are lying down, apparently watching something in the distance. They are wearing military uniforms and helmets. In the center, there is a hole dug into the ground, with a machine gun positioned inside it. On the right, a third soldier is sitting at the top of the trench, also wearing a military uniform and helmet, holding an object that appears to be a work tool. In the background, there is a street with a few people walking and an old car parked. There is also a large building and urban structures in the background.

The counter-coup led by general Lott was swift and decisive. After the surrender, when the political situation seemed to finally settle down, Café Filho left the hospital and announced his intention to resume the Presidency of the Republic: the UDN grew agitated once again, and the Army returned to the streets of Rio with its armored vehicles. But the National Congress voted to bar Café Filho from office and confirmed the inauguration of JK and Jango for January 31, 1956. General Lott never accepted having led a counter-coup – he claimed to have led a "Movement for the return to the constitutional order in force."

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing an urban scene with Army troops stationed in front of a building. In the lower part of the image, there is a military vehicle with soldiers sitting on its roof. Next to it, a tank is parked on the street. Further to the left, another military vehicle carries more soldiers. In the center of the image, there is an open truck with people walking. In the background, a large group of people is walking down the street. The main building is located on the right, surrounded by trees and a construction area.