Brazilian military men have never lacked confidence — that they could deliver stability, economic progress, and modernization, all nominally in the national interest. The history of the military’s political interventions, however, is marked by self-interest.
Consider the army’s first foray into government.
Following the devastation of the Paraguayan War, the military brass was not satisfied with a return to the antebellum status quo, characterized by poor remuneration and substandard equipment. Seeking a more prominent role in national affairs, in 1889 the military put an end to the monarchical system that had been in place for over 70 years and...
