BRAZIL AS AN INTERNATIONAL ACTOR

Prior to Third Wave Democratization

Brazil in the Nineteenth Century

Four million people in 8,511,965 sq. kilometersTwo square kilometers per inhabitantNo other state in Latin America in this category

Instability on Southern Frontier

1821 – Eastern Province of Rio de La Plata annexed to Brasil as Cisplatina 1825 – Thirty three “Orientales” declare independence 500 day Brazil-Argentine war1828 Uruguay independence

Cisplatina

Principles adopted by Brazil to guide its foreign

policy

Vis a vis Europe and the United States Pacifist ideology Solicitation of foreign investment Favored international arbitration Judicial solutions preferred over

political ones

Principles adopted by Brazil to guide its foreign

policy

Vis a vis its neighbors Aim: legal/peaceful solutions to

frontier problems Rio Branco – 1893-1912 successfully

incorporated 430,621 sq miles plus Acre Territory

Defend territorial integrity Resort to political and military options

when threatened by Argentina

Paraná Basin

Traditions that Shaped Brazilian Behavior as International Actor

Heir to Portuguese rivalry with SpainAlliance with EnglandItamaraty – high quality foreign serviceForeign policy successes in late 19th century led to optimism concerning long range prospects in South America

Early Relations with the United States

Brazilian foreign policy elite viewed good relations with the U.S. as useful to limit penetration by European states Also valued as potential deterrence to hostile designs by Argentina

Brazilian – American Alliance and its Decline:

Background

Cordial relations prior to World War II U.S. largest market for Brazilian coffee as

early as 1865 support for Brazil in international

conferences Brazil cordiality contrasted with suspicion on

the part of Spanish-speaking Latin America

Both peripheral to each other’s central foreign policy concerns

Brazilian – American Alliance World War II & its

Aftermath

Getulio Vargas casts his lot with the allied cause in 1940/41 Brazilian participation in World War II Italian campaign: disaster to success U.S. a model for Brazilian military

Marshall Plan for Europe sows bitterness between the United States and Brazil

Brazil’s Experiment with an Independent Foreign

Policy (1959-1964)Component policies Diplomatic relations with the Soviet

Bloc countries Expanded direct contacts with

underdeveloped countries Resistance to U.S. pressure for

sanctions against Cuba

Experiment with Independent Foreign

Policy: Origin

Operation Pan America – proposed by President J. Kubitschek in 1959Rooted in Brazilian disillusionment with U.S. foreign economic policy between 1945 and 1955 Reflected growing nationalism Search for markets New importance of domestic industrialists

Experiment with Independent Foreign

Policy: Events

Janio Quadros, a conservative who supported independent foreign policy, elected president in 1960João Goulart (1961-64) applies a leftist twist to the independent foreign policy 1962 abstains from OAS call for

collective sanctions against Castro Begins to reorient domestic policies

Unsuccessful Reform Under Castelo Branco: 1964 – 1966

Constitutional Act? “Soft” demobilization of the most militant Vargas forcesElections of 1966 Pro-Vargas forces

victorious Results not allowed

to stand

U.S. Brazilian Alliance: Temporary Restoration

Pro-U.S. Army officers call the shorts (during?) after the conservative “revolution” of 1964Conservative revolution turns in directions not to Washington’s liking Human rights Continental ambitions

After Castello Branco: Political Parties and Controlled Elections

Replacement of 1946 Constitution with Constitution of 1966Controlled two-party system (Constitution of 1966) ARENA PMDB

Military Regime and its Governments (Vacillation?)

Arturo Costa e Silva (1966-69)

Stop – go operations against Vargas followers and the left

USA ambassador kidnapped Costa e Silva suffers a stroke Succession options

Military takes hard line No compromise with

dissidents Increasing nationalism

U.S. pulls back from support of military regime The political prisoners that were exchanged

in 1969 for the American embassador, Charles Elbrick,

Military Regime and its Governments (Round

One) Emilio Garrastazú Medici (1969-74)

Nationalism Economic miracle OBAN – Dark Side Decorating Bolivian

president

President Medici at White House

Military Regime and its Governments (Round 2)

Ernesto Geisel (1974-79) Economic growth slows Assertion of government

control over shadowy terror apparatus

João Figueiredo (1979-85) Dividing of the opposition More economic difficulties Searching for an exit

strategy

Women protest against the military government

Carter Policies Undermine Special Relationship

Clash over nuclear nuclear electric plants (Angara dos Reyes) Guidance systems for Sonda rockets Controversy over human rights violations

Tensions at the State Dinner

Castelo Branco

(1964 – 1967)

Costa e Silva

(1967 – 1969)

Emílio Médici

(1969 – 1974)

Ernesto Geisel

(1974 - 1979)

João Baptista Figueiredo

(1979 - 1985)

Brazilian Military Presidents

Drive for Upward International Mobility:

Intensifies under Military Regime

Industrialization as a path to great power status Emerging military-industrial complex exacerbates tensions with Washington Nuclear program incorporates German

technology Arms and aircraft Events in 1990’s debilitate Brazilian arms

industries (Gulf War)

Generally competitive nature of Brazilian industrial production

Mixed results from the decades of military rule leads to reorientation of Brazilian Foreign Policy after 1985