Military History of Brazil
The territory defined as modern Brail is immensely vast, so the history of the Brazilian history encompasses centuries of armed actions through out this territory, as well as the role the Brazilian Armed Forces has played in conflicts worldwide and peacekeeping. Before it even became known as Brazil, the territory was the site of many wars between the tribes of the indigenous peoples. In the sixteenth century, Portuguese explorers arrived and this led to conflict between the indigenous peoples and the settlers. One of the most notable examples of such a conflict is the revolt of the Tamoio Confederation. There were also sporadic African slave revolts that marked the colonial period, the most important of which was the rebellion led by Zumbi dos Palmares. The colony also encountered conflicts with other European nations in the early seventeenth century, like the France Antarctique affair and the conflict with the Netherlands over control of the Northeast. Through out these conflicts with other nations, Portugal retained its possessions, but it eventually lost control of the colony after what was a nearly bloodless struggle for independence, after which the Empire of Brazil was established.
After its declaration of independence, Brazil’s history is marked by territorial wars against its many neighboring countries. These many conflicts greatly affected the formation of the current political boundaries, as in the Argentina-Brazil War.
Modern Brazilian military activities include participation in both of the World Wars and internal struggles resulting from military rule and participation in right wing military operations like the Operation Condor. Most recent developments include participations in a peacekeeping effort in Haiti after their 2004 rebellion.
One Brazilian military involvement example is the War of Canudos which took place in the ortheastern Brazilian state of Bahia from November of 1896 to October of 1897. This conflict had its origins in the settlement of the semi-arid backlands of Canudos, located in the northeast tip of the state of Bahia. There were a number of unsuccessful attempts at military suppression, but the end that arrived in October of 1897 was quite brutal. A large Brazilian army force overran the village and killed most of the inhabitants. The estimated number of deaths in the war is about thirty thousand, but more recently it has been decided that the real number is probably closer to fifteen thousand.
The Contestado War was basically a land war between Brazil’s federal police and military forces, and rebel citizens. The war was fought in the region that was being contested by the States of Parana, Santa Catarina, and Argentina due to the rich amounts of wood and yerba mate that existed. The conflict lasted from October of 1912 to August of 1916. The social conflicts of the region were the main reasons behind the war, with local disobediences, particularly regarding the regularization of land ownership, adding to the problem. Religious fanaticism that was expressed by the messianism and faith of rebellion cablocos did not make anything better, and it reflected the dissatisfaction of the population with their material situation.