Key Facts
- Duration
- 1946–1964
- Governing document
- Constitution of 1946
- Dominant parties
- PTB, PSD, UDN
- End event
- Military coup d'état, 1964
- Number of presidents
- 6 presidents in 18 years
Imperial Zenith Metrics
Historical Trajectory
Phase I: Rise
The Fourth Brazilian Republic emerged in 1945 when a bloodless military coup deposed longtime dictator Getúlio Vargas, ending the Estado Novo authoritarian regime. A new democratic constitution was promulgated in 1946, establishing competitive elections and a multiparty system. Despite Vargas's removal, his political influence persisted through two major parties he had helped create, the PTB and PSD, which dominated the new republic's early years.
Phase II: Zenith
The period saw significant industrialization and infrastructure investment, most notably under President Juscelino Kubitschek, who launched the ambitious 'Fifty Years in Five' development program. The construction of Brasília as a new federal capital, inaugurated in 1960, symbolized modernization ambitions. Brazil's economy expanded rapidly during the late 1950s, and the country gained international prominence, including hosting the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
Phase III: Decline
Chronic political instability, inflation, and ideological polarization undermined democratic governance. Jânio Quadros resigned unexpectedly in 1961, and his successor João Goulart faced intense military and conservative opposition to his leftist reform agenda. In March 1964, the military staged a coup backed by conservative civilian elites, dissolving the republic and installing a military dictatorship that would govern Brazil until 1985.
Notable Imperial Reigns
Selected rulers mapping the empire’s trajectory