A historic milestone in the political expression of the Army's low-ranking officers in the young Republic, the Sergeants' Revolt had as its greatest ambition to establish a parliamentary regime with a military man as head of state in Brazil. Its outcome, however, was merely the payment of overdue wages.
The mobilization took place in Rio de Janeiro between 1915 and 1916, amid a context of major economic hardship in the country, worsened by World War I. The group of rebels was made up mostly of Army sergeants, with the participation of politicians, workers, and left-wing militants, such as Maurício de Lacerda and Barbosa Lima. They sought better working conditions, a career plan, and higher pay.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white newspaper page. It is divided into two main columns. In the first column, there is the headline "A revolta dos sargentos" prominently displayed. Below it are several paragraphs containing information about the sergeants' revolt, including quotes from prominent figures and comments on the stance taken by the "Jornal do Commercio." In the second column, there are topics such as "As violências das autoridades", "Os receios do general Bittencourt", "A Estrada de Ferro Central também de promptidão", "Continuam a promptidão da marinha e polícia", "O governo castigará rigorosamente os envolvidos no movimento", "A promoção de um cabo", "Inqueritos parciais", and "A punição dos culpados".A Notícia
. Bahia, 21 de dezembro de 1915, n° 00369. Hemeroteca da Biblioteca Nacional.
But the armed uprising never happened. President Wenceslau Brás's government discovered the sergeants' plan, resulting in disciplinary punishments and arrests. After serving their sentences, some of the military personnel were expelled from the Army, while others were transferred to other states, such as Bahia, Pernambuco, and Paraná. The deputies involved, however, suffered nothing, since Congress did not accept the opening of proceedings against them.
However, groups of soldiers, corporals, and officers identified with the demands and joined the movement, culminating in a new demonstration in February 1916. This was organized by the sergeants who had returned from the transfers, still with the goal of creating a Parliamentary Republic. As in the first attempt, the act resulted in dozens of soldiers being arrested. The following month, there was the third and last insurrection, which also demanded primary education for the population and compulsory military service. The uprising was not successful.
