Contestado War & Canudos War: Key Facts

Contestado War (1912-1916)

Key Facts

• Time: 1912-1916
• Location: A region between Paraná and Santa Catarina states, Brazil.
• Leader: José Maria de Santo Agostinho, also known as “Monk” José Maria.
• Characteristics:
  • Occurred during the government of President Hermes da Fonseca.
  • Involved a territorial dispute between Paraná and Santa Catarina. The area was initially ceded to Brazil by Argentina through diplomatic efforts by Rio Branco.
  • The construction of a railroad between Porto Alegre and São Paulo led to the expropriation of land from small farmers, leaving them landless. Discharged railroad workers joined them.
  • José Maria emerged as a leader, advocating for communal land ownership (a messianic movement).
  • Around 14,000 landless people settled in the Contestado region under José Maria’s leadership.
• Results:
  • Violent military intervention resulted in approximately 12,000 deaths.
  • The Contestado land (100,000 hectares) was donated to a British timber company, which exploited the region’s timber, using the newly built railroad for transportation to São Paulo.

Canudos War (1893-1897)

Key Facts

• Time: 1893-1897
• Location: Arraial de Belo Monte, a city near the Vaza-Barris River in Bahia, Brazil.
• Leader: Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel, also known as Antônio Conselheiro (“The Counselor”).
• Characteristics:
  • A rural messianic movement.
  • Occurred during the presidency of Prudente de Morais.
  • The movement was anti-republican but not explicitly monarchist. The government, however, used the claim of monarchism as justification for its actions.
  • Antônio Conselheiro provided advice on marital, economic, and legal matters to the local population. He also advised against paying taxes, creating conflict with the Bahian government.
  • Conselheiro preached the Catholic religion, although he was not a member of the clergy, leading to friction with the Church. Despite this, he gained a significant following.
  • Conselheiro and his followers embarked on pilgrimages and eventually established a settlement on land belonging to Conselheiro’s family, near the Vaza-Barris River, a poor and arid region.
• Results:
  • The government organized multiple military expeditions against Canudos.
  • The harsh semi-arid climate contributed to the government’s initial defeats.
  • The first expedition (300 men), launched by the Bahian government, was defeated.
  • The second expedition (700 men), also from the Bahian government, was defeated.
  • The Federal Government intervened, diverting attention from the political issues of Prudente de Morais’s administration to the war.