View source for Constitutionalist Revolution

{{Short description|1932 civil war in Brazil}}
{{Distinguish|Persian Constitutional Revolution}}
{{copyedit|date=February 2024}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| image             = {{multiple image|total_width=300px|perrow=2/2/2|border=infobox
| image1            = Schneider-Canet 150mm na Revolução de 1932.jpg
| alt1              =
| image2            = Armored Caterpillar tractor during the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.jpg
| alt2              =
| image3            = Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 - Carros de assalto avançando para o cambte no setor de Itaguaré.jpg
| alt3              = 
| image4            = Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 - Tropas mineiras entrando em Cruzeiro (SP).jpg
| alt4              =
| image5            = Paulistas à espera do combate na Revolução de 1932 no setor sul.jpg
| alt5              =
| image6            = Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 - Coronel Lerí Santos, comandante da Brigada sul e alguns oficiais dirigindo-se para a Serra do Jacú.jpg
| alt6              =
| image7            = Tunel 1932.jpg
| alt7              =
| image8            = Trem Blindado TB-4 da Cia Mogiana.jpg
| alt8              =}}'''From top to bottom and left to right:''' {{flatlist|
* A Schneider-Canet 150mm cannon used by São Paulo
* Rebel armored flamethrower car
* Government [[Renault FT]] tanks advancing towards the [[:pt:Pico do Itaguaré|Itaguaré]] sector
* Minas Gerais troops entering the town of [[Cruzeiro, São Paulo|Cruzeiro]]
* São Paulo soldiers entrenched near the southern sector
* Colonel Lerí Santos, commander of the Minas Gerais southern brigade
* [[:pt:Túnel da Mantiqueira|Mantiqueira rail tunnel]] taken by Minas Gerais troops
* One of the armored trains built by the São Paulo insurgents
}}
| image_size        = 
| conflict          = Constitutionalist Revolution
| date              = July 9 – October 2, 1932<br>({{Age in months, weeks and days|month1=07|day1=09|year1=1932|month2=10|day2=02|year2=1932}})
| place             = [[São Paulo]] and some parts of [[Mato Grosso]], [[Minas Gerais]], [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]] and [[Rio Grande do Sul]], Brazil
| result            = Government and loyalist victory 
*[[Brazilian Constitution of 1934]]
| combatant1        = {{Tree list}}
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} <!--- The Constitutionalist flag would later be adopted as the flag of the state of São Paulo, it was not yet the flag of the state. ---> '''Constitutionalists'''
**[[State of São Paulo|São Paulo]]
***[[Military Police of São Paulo State|São Paulo Police]]
***[[Southeastern Military Command (Brazil)|2nd Army]] 
**[[:pt:Estado de Maracaju|Maracaju]]<br/>
**[[Gaúcho United Front]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| combatant2        = {{Tree list}}
*{{flagdeco|Vargas Era}} '''[[Federal government of Brazil|Federal government]]'''
**[[Brazilian Army]]
***[[Brazilian Army Aviation (1919–1941)|Army Aviation]]
**[[Brazilian Navy]]
***[[Brazilian Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]
***[[Brazilian Naval Aviation|Naval Aviation]]
*{{flagdeco|Vargas Era}} '''Loyalists'''
**[[Public Forces (Brazil)|Police Corps]]
***[[Military Police of Minas Gerais State|Minas Gerais]]
***[[Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State|Rio de Janeiro]]
***[[Military Police of Paraná State|Paraná]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| commander1        = {{plainlist |
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Pedro Manuel de Toledo|Pedro de Toledo]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Isidoro Dias Lopes]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Bertoldo Klinger]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Euclides Figueiredo]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Júlio de Mesquita Filho|Júlio de Mesquita]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Júlio Marcondes Salgado|Marcondes Salgado]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Artur Bernardes]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Vespasiano Martins]]
*{{flagdeco|São Paulo}} [[Borges de Medeiros]]
}}
| commander2        = {{plainlist |
*{{flagdeco|Brazil|1889}} [[Getúlio Vargas]]
*{{flagdeco|Brazil|1889}} [[Pedro Aurélio de Góis Monteiro|Góis Monteiro]]
*{{flagdeco|Brazil|1889}} [[Valdomiro Castilho de Lima|Valdomiro Lima]]
*{{flagdeco|Brazil|1889}} [[Augusto Inácio do Espírito Santo Cardoso|Augusto Cardoso]]
*{{flagdeco|Brazil|1889}} [[Eduardo Gomes]]
}}
| units1            =
| units2            =
| strength1         = 40,000 soldiers (Police, Army and volunteers)<br/>30 Armored Vehicles<br/>44 artillery<br/>9–10 aircraft
| strength2         = 100,000 soldiers (Army, Navy and Police)<br/>90 Armored Vehicles<br/>250 artillery<br/>58 aircraft<br/>4 Warships (Naval blockade of the [[Port of Santos]])
| casualties1       = 2,500 estimated dead<br>unknown number of wounded
| casualties2       = 1,050 estimated dead<br>3,800 wounded
}}
The '''Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932''' (sometimes also referred to as '''Paulista War''' or '''Brazilian Civil War'''<ref>{{harvnb|Hilton|1982}}</ref>) is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] against the [[Brazilian Revolution of 1930]], when [[Getúlio Vargas]] assumed the nation's presidency. Vargas was supported by the people, the military and the political elites of [[Minas Gerais]], [[Rio Grande do Sul]] and [[Paraíba]]. The movement grew out of local resentment over Vargas' rule-by-decree, unbound by a [[Constitution]], in a provisional government. The 1930 Revolution also affected São Paulo by eroding the autonomy that Brazilian states enjoyed during the term of the [[Brazilian Constitution of 1891|1891 Constitution]] and preventing the inauguration of the governor of São Paulo, [[Júlio Prestes]], who had been elected president of Brazil in [[1930 Brazilian general election|1930]]. Júlio Prestes simultaneously overthrew President [[Washington Luís]], who was governor of São Paulo from 1920 to 1924. These events marked the end of the [[First Brazilian Republic]].

The Revolution's main goal was to press the provisional government headed by Getúlio Vargas to adopt and then abide by a new Constitution, since Júlio Prestes was kept from taking office.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}} However, as the movement developed and resentment against Vargas and his revolutionary government grew deeper, it came to advocate the overthrow of the [[Federal government of Brazil|Federal Government]]. It was even speculated that one of the Revolutionaries' goals was the secession of São Paulo from the Brazilian federation. On the other hand, it is noted that the separatist scenario was used as a guerrilla tactic by the Federal Government to turn the population in the rest of the country against the state of São Paulo, broadcasting the alleged separatist threat throughout the country. There is no evidence that the movement's commanders sought separatism.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}

The uprising began on July 9 1932, after four protesting students were killed by government troops on May 23 1932. In the wake of their deaths, a movement called [[MMDC]] started, named after the initials of the names of each of the four students killed: Martins, Miragaia, Dráusio, and Camargo.  A fifth victim, Alvarenga, was also shot that night, but died months later.

Over the following months, the state of São Paulo rebelled against the federal government. Counting on the support of the political elites of two other powerful states, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, the politicians from São Paulo expected a quick war. However, the expected support did not materialize, and São Paulo's revolt was overwhelmed by force on October 2 1932. In total, there were 87 days of fighting (July 9 to October 4 1932), with a total of 934 official deaths, though unofficial estimates report up to 2,200 dead, and many cities in the state of São Paulo suffered damage.

In spite of its military defeat, some of the movement's main demands were granted by Vargas afterwards: the appointment of a non-military state governor, the election of a Constituent Assembly, and the enactment of a new [[Brazilian Constitution of 1934|Constitution]] in 1934. However, the new Constitution was short-lived, as in 1937, amidst growing extremism on the left and right wings of the political spectrum. Vargas closed the National Congress and enacted another [[History of the Constitution of Brazil#1937|Constitution]], which established the so-called [[Estado Novo (Brazil)|Estado Novo]] after a [[1937 Brazilian coup d'état|coup d'état]].

July 9 marks the beginning of the Revolution of 1932, and is a holiday and the most important civic date of the state of São Paulo. The ''Paulistas'' (as the inhabitants of São Paulo are known) consider the Revolution of 1932 as the greatest movement of their civic history. It was the first major revolt against the government of Getúlio Vargas. {{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

==Opposing forces==
According to García de Gabiola (the first author writing a work in English and Spanish about this topic), when the revolution began, the ''Paulistas'' only swayed one of the 8 divisions of the [[Brazilian Army]] (the 2nd Division, based in São Paulo), and half of the Mixed Brigade based in the southern part of [[Mato Grosso]]. These forces were reinforced by the ''Força Pública Paulista'' (the military police of São Paulo state), and the MMDC militias. In all, there were some 11,000–15,000 men at the beginning of the conflict, later joined by thousands of volunteers.<ref>For the units involved see {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}. For the strength of the units see both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}.</ref> In fact, according to authors such as Hilton, São Paulo equipped some 40 battalions of volunteers, but García de Gabiola states that he had identified up to 80 of them, of some 300 men each.<ref>See {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}.</ref> At the end, taking into account that in the São Paulo state armory's there were only between 15,000 and 29,000 rifles depending on the source, the ''Paulistas'' were never able to arm more than 35,000 men maximum.<ref>See both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}.</ref> Additionally, the ''Paulistas'' had only 6 million cartridges, failing their attempts to acquire some additional 500 million, so, for an army of some 30,000 men fighting for 3 months, it represented a mere 4.4 cartridges a day per soldier.<ref>See both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}. The calculation of the 4.4 cartridges has been made by {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}.</ref> Brazil equipped approximately 100,000 men, but taking into account that a third of this amount never went to the front (they were kept to protect the rearguards and for security purposes in the other states), their numerical superiority was of some 2 to 1.<ref>See {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}.</ref>

==The Paulista and Federal Aviation==
Concerning the aviation(only taking into account the airworthy combat devices), according to García de Gabiola, who partially disagrees with Daroz and Hagedorn, the Paulistas were able to gather three [[Waco 10|Wacos CSO]] (two of them only armed with portable handguns, and the third one, armed, defected from the federals), two Potez 24TOE (one of them, the A-212 made the first downing of an enemy airplane in the Americas, before the Chaco War), one NiD.72 (defected from the federals), and four Curtis Falcons acquired by the Paulistas during the war. Three of them were destroyed along the war: a Falcon by AA fire, a Potez by accident, and another being bombed on land. In front of them, the federals had six airworthy Potez 24TOE (three more were useless), 19 Wacos CSO (four at the beginning of the war, then one defecting to the rebels, and 15 more acquired as reinforcements), two Nid. 72 (one defecting to the rebels), one Amiot 122 (near unused, and another one being repaired), three S.55 (with three more being repaired) and two Martin PM.1 seaplanes, and four O2U Corsairs. Of these ones, two Potez were destroyed (one downed and the other by accident, but being then both repaired),four Wacos destroyed (one by accident, other by AA fire, and 2 others bombed from the air by Paulista aviation in the most daring operation of the war, and another one defected), one Martin destroyed by accident and also a Corsair.<ref>See {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2021}} for the operations in the air, and the fate and number of each combat airplane including its plate number. Authors as Daroz or Hagedorn also refers partially these operations and information, but do not offer a complete list of every airplane available as does García de Gabiola. There are some discrepancies in these numbers between Daroz, Hagedorn and García de Gabiola, but they refer mainly that the first two authors does not take into account that most of devices in the inventories were no airworthy and used only as a source of spare parts.</ref> 

==Course of the conflict==
The main front was initially the eastern [[Paraíba Valley]] that led to [[Rio de Janeiro]], then the capital of Brazil. The 2nd Division revolted and advanced against Rio de Janeiro, but was stopped dead by the loyal 1st Division based there under the command of General [[Pedro Aurélio de Góis Monteiro|Góis Monteiro]], on the border between the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. According to Hilton,<ref>{{harvnb|Hilton|1982}}</ref> General [[Augusto Tasso Fragoso|Tasso Fragoso]], the chief of staff of the Brazilian Army, tried to oppose the deployment of the 1st Division in the valley, believing they were friendly to the rebels, but according to García de Gabiola<ref>{{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2012}}</ref> he was likely just trying to protect the government based in Rio de Janeiro in case of a similar revolt happening there. In any case, Monteiro finally overruled Fragoso, and the 1st Division was placed there just in time to block the ''Paulista'' advance. In the Paraíba, Góis Monteiro created the East Detachment, reaching some 20-24,000 men, against some 8,000 to 12,000 ''Paulistas'', but after three months of trench warfare and despite advancing some {{convert|70|km|0}}, the government forces were still some {{convert|150|km|0}} from the capital [[São Paulo]] when the war ended.<ref>See both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2020}} for troop strength, {{harvnb|Carvalho e Silva|1932}} for details of the operations, and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2020}} for a summary of them. {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2020}} offers also some 20 tables with detailed Orders of Battle of both sides, and a large number of maps about the evolution of the conflict. Concerning the numbers involved on the Paraíba, {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}}, states these were 34,000 Federals versus 20,000 Paulistas, but {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2020}}, after analyzing the strength of every single unit states that these were 20-24,000 versus 8-12,000 men.</ref>

In the south of São Paulo, government forces created the South Detachment, made of the federal 3rd and 5th divisions, three cavalry divisions, and the ''gaucho'' brigade of Rio Grande do Sul, reaching 18,000 men against just 3,000 to 5,000 ''Paulistas'', depending on the date. The federal forces broke through the rebel defensive line in [[Itararé]] on July 17, producing the largest advance in the war, but they were still very far from São Paulo when the war ended.<ref>See both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2021}} for troops strength, {{harvnb|Carvalho e Silva|1932}} for details of the operations, and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2021}} for a summary of them and for military units.</ref> Finally, the decisive front was the Minas Gerais Front, which was only active after August 2. The 4th Federal Division, based in Minas Gerais, together with the Police of Minas Gerais and other states' troops, broke through the rebel defensive line in Eleutério (a district of [[Itapira]]) on August 26, advancing some {{convert|50|km|0}} towards [[Campinas]], adding 18,000 (then 24,000) soldiers against some 7,000 ''Paulistas''. The 4th Division was only {{convert|70|km|0}} from São Paulo. The ''Paulistas'' surrendered on October 2 to General Valdomiro Lima, uncle of Vargas' wife, [[Darci Vargas]].<ref>See both {{harvnb|Hilton|1982}} and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2021}} for troops strength for the gen. Waldomiro Lima, uncle of Getulio's wife, Darcy, {{harvnb|Carvalho e Silva|1932}} for details of the operations, and {{harvnb|García de Gabiola|2021}} for a summary of them and for military units.</ref>

==Naval task force and naval blockade of São Paulo==
In the naval theater, the [[Brazilian Navy]] had designated a naval task force to blockade São Paulo's main port, the [[Port of Santos]], aiming to cut the rebels' only supply line by sea.

On July 10 the [[destroyer]] {{ship|Brazilian destroyer|Mato Grosso|1908|2}} left the [[port of Rio de Janeiro]]. The following day, the [[scout cruiser]] {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Rio Grande do Sul||2}}, escorted by two destroyers, {{ship|Brazilian destroyer|Pará|1908|2}} and {{ship|Brazilian destroyer|Sergipe|1910|2}}.{{sentence fragment|date=May 2025}} To support the mission, the [[Brazilian Naval Aviation]] sent three [[Savoia-Marchetti S.55]]A (numbers 1, 4, and 8) and two [[Martin PM]] (numbers 111 and 112) [[flying boat]]s. These five planes left [[Galeão Air Force Base|Galeão]] on July 12. All were temporarily based at the caves of the island of [[São Sebastião, São Paulo|São Sebastião]] near the village of Vila Bela (now [[Ilhabela]]). The Brazilian Navy also intended to send some [[Vought O2U Corsair|Vought O2U-2A Corsair]] scout and observation [[biplane]]s to Vila Bela, but Naval Aviation did not trust them to operate as [[floatplane]]s from the caves of the island, so it decided to expand the small airstrip next to the village so that they could operate with [[landing gear]].

==In popular culture==

The Revolution plays a key role in the setting of [[Peter Fleming (writer)|Peter Fleming]]'s book ''[[Brazilian Adventure]]'', an offbeat portrayal by a British man caught in the midst of the fighting.

==Gallery==

<gallery>
File:Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 - 19º B.I.P. da Força Pública, partindo de Manacá rumo ao front.jpg|19th Infantry Battalion of the Military Police of Minas Gerais moving forward to the battle against the Paulistas.
File:Cartaz Revolucionário 1.jpg|Constitutionalist Revolution recruiting poster, showing a [[Bandeirante]] with dictator [[Getúlio Vargas]], in his hand.
File:As armas paulistas.jpg|Paulista propaganda poster showing the flag of Brazil and São Paulo.
File:Mulheres Paulistas.jpg|Convocation poster for Paulista volunteer nurses.
File:Batalhão Redentor Filhos de Iguape em 4 de agosto combatentes da Revolução Constitucional de 1932.jpg|Rebel troops.
File:Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 - Fogo cerrado sobre Cascata, sob as ordens do tenente Elpídio, que se vê em pé, na frente.jpg|Loyalist soldiers in combat under machine gun fire.
File:Combatentes_paulistas_em_Amparo_em_1932.jpg|Rebel soldiers entrenched in the outskirts of [[Amparo, São Paulo|Amparo]].
File:Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 (8).jpg|Loyalist soldiers in combat.
File:Voluntário paulista na Revolução Constitucionalista.jpg|Paulista cavalry volunteer.
File:Maria Sguassábia as a soldier.jpg|The teacher Maria Sguassábia volunteered in the trenches of São Paulo in 1932.
File:Brazilian Federal troops and Eduardo Gomes Septermber 1932.jpg|Brazilian loyalist troops, September 1932.
File:Soldados paulistas.jpg|Soldiers from São Paulo photographed by [[Claro Jansson]] in [[Itararé]].
File:Armored tractor FS-6 during the Constitutionalist revolution of 1932.jpg|Armored tractor called "FS-6" during the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.
File:Prisioneiros de guerra rev32.jpg|Legalist train transporting rebel prisoners of war.
File:Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 (6).jpg|Loyalist Soldiers in 1932.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons category|Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932}}
* [[List of rebellions and revolutions in Brazil]]
* [[São Paulo Revolt of 1924]]

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book |last=Carvalho e Silva |first=Herculano |title=A revolucão constitucionalista: subsidios para a sua história, organizados pelo Estado Maior da Força Publica de S. Paulo |date=1932 |publisher=Civilização Brasileira Editora |language=pt-BR}}
*{{Cite book |last=García de Gabiola |first=Javier |date=2020 |title=The Paulista War Volume 1 |publisher=Helion & Company |language=en |publication-place=Warwick UK |isbn=9781912866380}}
*{{Cite book |last=García de Gabiola |first=Javier |date=2021 |title=The Paulista War Volume 2 |publisher=Helion & Company |language=en |publication-place=Warwick UK |isbn=9781913336370}}
*{{Cite magazine |last=García de Gabiola |first=Javier |date=2012 |title=1932: Sao Paulo en armas |magazine=Historia y Vida |publisher=Prisma Editorial |pages=60–67 |language=es |publication-place=Barcelona |issue=535 |issn=0018-2354}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hilton |first=Stanley E. |title=A guerra civil brasileira: história da Revolução Constitucionalista de 1932 |date=1982 |publisher=Editora Nova Fronteira |language=pt-BR}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Getúlio Vargas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:20th-century revolutions]]
[[Category:Revolutions in Brazil]]
[[Category:Civil wars involving the states and peoples of South America]]
[[Category:Civil wars of the 20th century]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1932]]
[[Category:1932 in Brazil]]
[[Category:History of São Paulo (state)]]
[[Category:20th century in São Paulo]]
[[Category:Wars involving Brazil]]
[[Category:Second Brazilian Republic]]