The PD Exchange

The Military, Politics, and Policy in 20th-Century Brazil

Thursday 8 January 2026·3:30 pm

Since 1889, when a military coup replaced Brazil’s monarchy with a republic, the Brazilian armed forces have wielded extraordinary influence in politics—a dynamic that culminated in the military dictatorship of 1964-1985 and whose effects are felt to this day. This dominance is often explained in simplistic terms: the military controlled the means of violence, and it acted in accordance with a stable, conservative "national security doctrine." This panel challenges these assumptions, offering new explanations for how the Brazilian military’s political influence was constructed, justified, and sustained over time.

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