Our Republic was born from a military coup that took place in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, the city has witnessed many other coups.
In 1889, amid the political crisis that was increasingly isolating the Monarchy - and despite its popularity among the poor population - on the morning of November 15, 1889, Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca entered the Army headquarters at Campo de Santana and, facing no resistance, announced the overthrow of the government and the dismissal of the prime minister, the Viscount of Ouro Preto.
Proclamation of the Republic, 1890. In the painting, President Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca. Work by Henrique Bernardelli (1858-1936). Image in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Image description: This is a painting depicting a man mounted on a horse. The main figure is at the center, with the horse occupying much of the composition. The man, wearing a military uniform, holds a helmet in his raised right hand. In the background, other soldiers and human figures are present, suggesting a scene of troops in movement. The setting appears to be an archway entrance, with light coming through the opening.Different sectors united to carry out the coup and overthrow the Monarchy: from the agrarian elites who resented the abolition of slavery (1888) - with no compensation for the slaveholders - to the Army, dissatisfied with the treatment the imperial government gave the military. There was no reaction from the monarchists, and the coup was successful.
However, there was political fragmentation among the republicans, and the lack of consensus after the proclamation of a faltering Republic meant that the new regime would only be consolidated in 1894, after two Revolts of the Armada (1891 and 1893) and a few coup attempts -- one of them by Deodoro himself, who had been elected president by the constituent deputies in February 1891.
Deodoro ordered the closure of Congress and declared a state of siege. Artwork by Angelo Agostini for Revista Illustrada, 1892. Original caption: "Fechamento das Camaras - Au revoir."
Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. It shows a group of men in formal attire, including top hats, walking along a narrow street between two buildings. On the left, there is a door marked with the word "Câmara" and on the right, another door with the word "Senado." The men are spread out along the street, some near the doors while others walk along the sidewalk. The street is paved with stones and has a railway track line running through the middle.Em November 1891, due to his authoritarianism and inability to deal with the opposition, the president -- in flagrant violation of the Constitution -- attempted a coup, signing a decree ordering the closure of Congress. This was the backdrop for the outbreak of the First Revolt of the Armada (the Navy's name at the time), which demanded the reopening of Congress under threat of bombing the city. Fearing defeat or the outbreak of a civil war, the president resigned on November 23, leaving the office to Floriano Peixoto, who did not call new elections until 1894.
