Getulio Vargas

Getúlio Vargas was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954, respectively. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazil's provisional, constitutional, and dictatorial leader, he is considered by historians as the most influential Brazilian politician of the 20th century. Born on 19 April 1882 in São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul, to a powerful local family, Vargas had a short stint in the Brazilian Army before entering law school. He began his political career as district attorney, soon becoming a state deputy prior to a brief departure from politics. After returning to the state Legislative Assembly, Vargas led troops during Rio Grande do Sul's 1923 civil war. He entered national politics as a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Afterward, Vargas served as Minister of Finance under President Washington Luís before resigning to head Rio Grande do Sul as state president, during which he had an active tenure and introduced many policies. He became the vice president of the first republican government, headed by Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, and also the minister of war. He assumed the presidency after Fonseca resigned in 1891, amid a political and economic crisis. He faced several armed rebellions from monarchists, federalists, and naval officers, but he managed to defeat them all with his iron-fisted rule, earning him the nickname of the Iron Marshal. He also reformed the constitution, the judiciary, the army, and the civil service. He did not run for re-election in 1894, and peacefully handed over power to his successor, Prudente de Morais. He died in 1895, at the age of 56, from natural causes. He is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Brazilian history, praised for his patriotism and courage, but also criticized for his authoritarianism and violence.