Most polarizing and divisive figure ever, some people will tell you he is the best thing that happened to the country, others will say he was Hitler levels of bad
Opinions about him are deeply divided, and for good reason. Was he a fascist? A World War II hero? A dictator? Or the “father of the poor”?
The truth is that Vargas was all of these things and yet far more complex than that. On one hand, he left an undeniable legacy, he was responsible for establishing key labor rights in Brazil, including paid vacations, a minimum wage, labor cards, and regulated working hours. He also played a central role in shaping a modern Brazilian national identity during the 1930s by promoting cultural elements such as samba and carnival parades, which until then had not been officially recognized as national symbols.
But even in this cultural promotion there were authoritarian undertones. The carnival parades, which began to receive strong state support under Vargas, were organized in a way that mirrored the highly orchestrated civic parades of fascist regimes, particularly Nazi Germany. The glorification of the nation, the emphasis on discipline and order, and the use of mass spectacles to reinforce state power reflected Vargas’s ideological proximity to European fascism. Although he never officially declared himself a fascist, his regime adopted many of its aesthetics, symbols, and practices.
Vargas ruled Brazil for 15 years without being democratically elected to the presidency. In 1937, he staged a self-coup, shut down Congress, and established the Estado Novo, an authoritarian regime marked by censorship, political repression, and the cultivation of a strong leader image. His propaganda apparatus sought to present him as an infallible national figure, and dissent was quickly silenced.
During World War II, his ambiguity became even more evident. At first, Vargas maintained diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy while simultaneously negotiating with the United States. Brazil only joined the Allies after German submarines began sinking Brazilian ships. Even then, many argue that the decisive factor was not ideology but the American promise to build a major steel plant in Brazil, the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, which became a cornerstone of the country’s industrialization.
Despite all this, Vargas managed to craft a powerful and enduring popular image, even after his fall in 1945 he came back as the elected democratic president in 1950. He was a master communicator and successfully portrayed himself as the “protector of the common people”. After his suicide in 1954, massive crowds gathered for his funeral. His final letter turned him into a martyr in the eyes of many. For years, his portrait hung in the homes of working-class families and also public buildings. He was, at once, an oppressor and a benefactor, a dictator and a national hero. Vargas remains one of the most complex figures in the Brazilian history.
I’d say the average brazilian likes him, or at least doesn’t see him negatively.
I mean, atleast in my state (Minas) most people seem to view him positively, specially older folk (makes sense, we were one of 3 states responsible for the coup d’etat that put Vargas in power).
Some people love him, others hate him. He jailed my grandpa for being a German Jew and sent Olga Benário, a communist German Jew, to be killed by the Nazis, so I don’t like him. He also was so cuddly to the Axis that – it is said – the Allies sank a passenger ship in the Brazilian coast and blamed on Nazis so Brazil would send troops to Europe.
Edit: Between breaking the old oligarchy, ing worker rights, spearheading Brazil’s first real industrialization push, modernizing the bureaucracy, forging the Brazilian national identity, and establishing countless state companies that still operate today, most people have a soft spot for Vargas.
Just sweep under the rug the multiple coups, extreme power centralization, unchecked executive authority, playing both sides between the Axis and Allies, and hunting down political enemies,including shipping off the Jewish German wife of Brazil’s Communist Party leader straight to Hitler’s doorstep.
No one since has wielded as much power in Brazil as Vargas did. Even our military dictators couldn’t hold a candle to his level of control.
Despite all that baggage, most people still admire him. One of our most prestigious higher education center even bears his name.
Some might claim he’s a divisive figure because, he was a troubled dictator who did some truly terrible things. But the truth is, folks across the political spectrum, left and right alike, tend to paint him in a positive light, seeing him as the face of Brazil’s transformation during his decades in power.
I’ll put him on the same plate as Salazar, Franco, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao, Fidel, Stalin, Lenin, King Leopold II of Belgium, the Kims, Maduro, Chávez and Suharto, for me if these guys and Getúlio had never been born, the world would have been a better place.
He, along with the northeastern and southern (mostly) parts of the country dismantled the “república do café com leite” (milk and coffee republic) where 2 states (São Paulo [coffee] and Minas Gerais [milk]) took turns in electing presidents for the country meanwhile the other oligarchies in the rest of the country ruled there without intervention or interference from the republic without any regard for the law itself in some occasions. Vargas ended this period of the country’s history and became a dictator, unifying the country in a common direction and doing some attempts to industrialize the country and protect the low paid workers nationwide. He, as any ruler ever, had positive and negative impacts. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of the country for many, but hated by others (mainly people from SP).
You need to understand the historical context in which Vargas came to power. At the time, federalism in Brazil was extremely strong. The State of São Paulo, for instance, had embraced an almost absolute form of federalism, functioning like an independent nation. Vargas entered this scenario and began to consolidate the role of the central government, much like Roosevelt did in the United States.
One symbolic example of this shift was the creation of the Volta Redonda steel mill complex, a key industrial hub strategically placed on the border between Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. It was a deliberate move to integrate the country’s deeply fragmented regionalism. At that point, Brazil was essentially a group of federal states exporting commodities with very weak interconnections.
Another important point is that while Vargas is often remembered for expanding civil and labor rights, this legacy is widely contested. His labor reforms were closely tied to a pro-industry agenda aimed at keeping Brazil’s productive sectors competitive. He centralized power and reshaped the Brazilian state, making him a crucial and arguably necessary figure in the nation’s development. But he was also known for political repression and the violent methods used to silence opposition.
Possibly the greatest leader we ever had, but also did some really nasty shit, Brazil would be much weaker and much less united had he not come to power
This is a very general question so the general answer is that the opinion the country has isn’t “black” or “white” per say, it is shades of grey, with some perhaps thinking of him as a darker tone of grey & others considering him to be a lighter tone.
This is simply due to the fact that, & we have to remember the time period he was around & also the realities of the country during that time, he did a lot of decent things & at the same time was also quite repressive. Some of his actions have consequences to this day & I would argue that the biggest, in more than one sense of the word, was the construction & consolidation of a more shared national identity within the 5th largest country in the world.
I would say that those that tend to paint him in a purely “black” or “white” light are probably either victims, beneficiaries or ascribe to one of the more extreme forms of political thinking.
He was deeply flawed but was the very best we ever had, i think he and Dom Pedro II were the only two trully above the cut in terms of national leaders.
The only good thing about him is industrialization, it would be like congratulating Hitler for Autobahn and german industrialization, so its not enough. He is a fascist that laid down the foundation of “social state” in which we are trapped decades later, hence the 3rd world condition.
Comments
Most polarizing and divisive figure ever, some people will tell you he is the best thing that happened to the country, others will say he was Hitler levels of bad
I will abstain from sharing my own opinion
bro had the 001 workers card and still couldn’t tank the job
A fascist usurper for some, a benevolent dictator for others. He lies in a gray zone.
50/50
A flawed figure. Was mostly bad but did good things.
Opinions about him are deeply divided, and for good reason. Was he a fascist? A World War II hero? A dictator? Or the “father of the poor”?
The truth is that Vargas was all of these things and yet far more complex than that. On one hand, he left an undeniable legacy, he was responsible for establishing key labor rights in Brazil, including paid vacations, a minimum wage, labor cards, and regulated working hours. He also played a central role in shaping a modern Brazilian national identity during the 1930s by promoting cultural elements such as samba and carnival parades, which until then had not been officially recognized as national symbols.
But even in this cultural promotion there were authoritarian undertones. The carnival parades, which began to receive strong state support under Vargas, were organized in a way that mirrored the highly orchestrated civic parades of fascist regimes, particularly Nazi Germany. The glorification of the nation, the emphasis on discipline and order, and the use of mass spectacles to reinforce state power reflected Vargas’s ideological proximity to European fascism. Although he never officially declared himself a fascist, his regime adopted many of its aesthetics, symbols, and practices.
Vargas ruled Brazil for 15 years without being democratically elected to the presidency. In 1937, he staged a self-coup, shut down Congress, and established the Estado Novo, an authoritarian regime marked by censorship, political repression, and the cultivation of a strong leader image. His propaganda apparatus sought to present him as an infallible national figure, and dissent was quickly silenced.
During World War II, his ambiguity became even more evident. At first, Vargas maintained diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy while simultaneously negotiating with the United States. Brazil only joined the Allies after German submarines began sinking Brazilian ships. Even then, many argue that the decisive factor was not ideology but the American promise to build a major steel plant in Brazil, the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, which became a cornerstone of the country’s industrialization.
Despite all this, Vargas managed to craft a powerful and enduring popular image, even after his fall in 1945 he came back as the elected democratic president in 1950. He was a master communicator and successfully portrayed himself as the “protector of the common people”. After his suicide in 1954, massive crowds gathered for his funeral. His final letter turned him into a martyr in the eyes of many. For years, his portrait hung in the homes of working-class families and also public buildings. He was, at once, an oppressor and a benefactor, a dictator and a national hero. Vargas remains one of the most complex figures in the Brazilian history.
I’d say the average brazilian likes him, or at least doesn’t see him negatively.
I mean, atleast in my state (Minas) most people seem to view him positively, specially older folk (makes sense, we were one of 3 states responsible for the coup d’etat that put Vargas in power).
He’s quite polarizing.
Messy fascist who helped make this country’s institutions even more unstable and weak.
Some people love him, others hate him. He jailed my grandpa for being a German Jew and sent Olga Benário, a communist German Jew, to be killed by the Nazis, so I don’t like him. He also was so cuddly to the Axis that – it is said – the Allies sank a passenger ship in the Brazilian coast and blamed on Nazis so Brazil would send troops to Europe.
Edit: Between breaking the old oligarchy, ing worker rights, spearheading Brazil’s first real industrialization push, modernizing the bureaucracy, forging the Brazilian national identity, and establishing countless state companies that still operate today, most people have a soft spot for Vargas.
Just sweep under the rug the multiple coups, extreme power centralization, unchecked executive authority, playing both sides between the Axis and Allies, and hunting down political enemies,including shipping off the Jewish German wife of Brazil’s Communist Party leader straight to Hitler’s doorstep.
No one since has wielded as much power in Brazil as Vargas did. Even our military dictators couldn’t hold a candle to his level of control.
Despite all that baggage, most people still admire him. One of our most prestigious higher education center even bears his name.
Some might claim he’s a divisive figure because, he was a troubled dictator who did some truly terrible things. But the truth is, folks across the political spectrum, left and right alike, tend to paint him in a positive light, seeing him as the face of Brazil’s transformation during his decades in power.
I’ll put him on the same plate as Salazar, Franco, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao, Fidel, Stalin, Lenin, King Leopold II of Belgium, the Kims, Maduro, Chávez and Suharto, for me if these guys and Getúlio had never been born, the world would have been a better place.
He, along with the northeastern and southern (mostly) parts of the country dismantled the “república do café com leite” (milk and coffee republic) where 2 states (São Paulo [coffee] and Minas Gerais [milk]) took turns in electing presidents for the country meanwhile the other oligarchies in the rest of the country ruled there without intervention or interference from the republic without any regard for the law itself in some occasions. Vargas ended this period of the country’s history and became a dictator, unifying the country in a common direction and doing some attempts to industrialize the country and protect the low paid workers nationwide. He, as any ruler ever, had positive and negative impacts. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of the country for many, but hated by others (mainly people from SP).
You need to understand the historical context in which Vargas came to power. At the time, federalism in Brazil was extremely strong. The State of São Paulo, for instance, had embraced an almost absolute form of federalism, functioning like an independent nation. Vargas entered this scenario and began to consolidate the role of the central government, much like Roosevelt did in the United States.
One symbolic example of this shift was the creation of the Volta Redonda steel mill complex, a key industrial hub strategically placed on the border between Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. It was a deliberate move to integrate the country’s deeply fragmented regionalism. At that point, Brazil was essentially a group of federal states exporting commodities with very weak interconnections.
Another important point is that while Vargas is often remembered for expanding civil and labor rights, this legacy is widely contested. His labor reforms were closely tied to a pro-industry agenda aimed at keeping Brazil’s productive sectors competitive. He centralized power and reshaped the Brazilian state, making him a crucial and arguably necessary figure in the nation’s development. But he was also known for political repression and the violent methods used to silence opposition.
there’s not much I can add to the other answers you’ve got here except that his “I leave life to enter history” line is simply iconic
Imagine a historical figure, that have done Band things and good things, but somehow he is not close to us for you to deveolped some feeling about it
Possibly the greatest leader we ever had, but also did some really nasty shit, Brazil would be much weaker and much less united had he not come to power
This is a very general question so the general answer is that the opinion the country has isn’t “black” or “white” per say, it is shades of grey, with some perhaps thinking of him as a darker tone of grey & others considering him to be a lighter tone.
This is simply due to the fact that, & we have to remember the time period he was around & also the realities of the country during that time, he did a lot of decent things & at the same time was also quite repressive. Some of his actions have consequences to this day & I would argue that the biggest, in more than one sense of the word, was the construction & consolidation of a more shared national identity within the 5th largest country in the world.
I would say that those that tend to paint him in a purely “black” or “white” light are probably either victims, beneficiaries or ascribe to one of the more extreme forms of political thinking.
He was deeply flawed but was the very best we ever had, i think he and Dom Pedro II were the only two trully above the cut in terms of national leaders.
The only good thing about him is industrialization, it would be like congratulating Hitler for Autobahn and german industrialization, so its not enough. He is a fascist that laid down the foundation of “social state” in which we are trapped decades later, hence the 3rd world condition.
We needed 5 more of him